Scuba Diver ANZ #17 - Australia Edition

INTO THE MALDIVES

OBSESSED WITH OCTOPUS

TECHNICAL: HMS HERMES

EXPLORE THIS INDIAN OCEAN PARADISE BY LUXURY LIVEABOARD

MARIO VITALINI EXPLAINS WHY HE LOVES SHOOTING IMAGES OF OCTOPUS

MARK POWELL VISITS THE WRECK OF THE WORLD’S FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER

Big Animal HOTSPOTS TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE BIG STUFF

+

HMAS Tobruk

‣ Our-World Underwater Scholar ‣ Medical Advice

ISSUE 17 | FREE MAGAZINE!

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EDITOR’S NOTE MAJOR MILESTONES FOR AUSTRALIAN ICONS It has been a busy month in the dive world Down Under milestones have been reached, new boats have been launched, environmental issues have been tackled, and there is about to be the end of an era.

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions celebrated their 50th year in business, an amazing achievement in an ever-changing industry. Mike Ball is a true pioneer and a mainstay of diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

While we are on the subject of the Great Barrier Reef, there is more good news for this icon of the diving world. In recent times, much has been said about the condition of the reef and it seems that people have been listening - $500 million has been reportedly put aside by the Australian Federal Government. This funding will be used to aid conservation efforts in a bid to help restore this magnificent dive mecca to its full glory.

In South Australia, Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions has launched a brand new boat. Unbeknown to the man himself - and as a surprise for the launch - the boat has been named the Rodney Fox as a tribute to his conservation efforts. A shark attack victim himself, Rodney has spent years championing the cause of the majestic great white shark. Rodney and the great whites also have an unusual ally - the rock band Kiss, who are going to perform a benefit gig on a boat due to sail out of Port Lincoln on 18 November. All proceeds will go to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, a charity that is dedicated to protecting Australian marine wildlife.

After 31 years, Dive Log will publish its last print issue in November 2019. The man at the helm for this entire time, Barry Andrewartha, has finally decided to retire. His achievements with Dive Log and his contribution to the dive industry in Australia has been an inspiration to many. Dive Log has been an institution, and this is the end of an era.

Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand)

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mark Evans Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

DESIGN

Matt Griffiths Email: matt@griffital.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TEAM

Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Tel: +61 422 611 238 Email: adrian@scubadivermag.com

Mario Vitalini, Deborah Dickson-Smith, Adrian Stacey, Michele Westmorland

Paul Lees Editorial Manager (Southeast Asia) Email: paul@scubadivermag.com

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MAGAZINE

Ross Arnold Email: ross.arnold@scubadivermag.com

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PUBLISHERS

Rork Media Limited Tel: +44 (0) 800 069 8140 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.

is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2515-9593

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“Simply put you can’t have a better experience! Everything is about service and maximizing your diving and snorkeling. The dives were amazing, and all the staff are first class. At Wakatobi they will accommodate any request, but you hardly need to make any since they have thought of essentially everything.” ~ Dr. James and Laurie Benjamin

An experience without equal At Wakatobi, you don’t compromise on comfort to get away from it all. Our private air charter brings you directly to this luxuriously remote island, where all the indulgences of a five-star resort and luxury liveaboard await. Our dive team and private guides ensure your inwater experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests. Your underwater encounters will create lasting memories that will remain vivid and rewarding long after the visit to Wakatobi is concluded. While at the resort, or on board the dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and we will gladly provide any service or facility within our power.

This unmatched combination of worldrenowned reefs and first-class luxuries put Wakatobi in a category all its own.

www.wakatobi.com

INTO THE MALDIVES

OBSESSED WITH OCTOPUS

TECHNICAL: HMS HERMES

EXPLORE THIS INDIAN OCEAN PARADISE BY LUXURY LIVEABOARD

MARIO VITALINI EXPLAINS WHY HE LOVES SHOOTING IMAGES OF OCTOPUS

MARK POWELL VISITS THE WRECK OF THE WORLD’S FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER

ON THE COVER

Big Animal

HOTSPOTS TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE BIG STUFF

+

HMAS Tobruk

‣ Our-World Underwater Scholar ‣ Medical Advice

ISSUE 17 | FREE MAGAZINE!

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: JESSE ALPERT

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

6 News

22 THE BEST OF... big animal diving

16 Medical Q&A

28 Underwater Photography

Sculptures on the Great Barrier Reef, a new boat for Rodney Fox Dive Expeditions, and the 50th anniversary for Mike Ball’s diving and liveaboard operation.

Dr Oliver Firth answers reader questions about diving while pregnant, and with breast implants.

18 Dive Like A Pro

This issue, our panel of experts offer useful hints and advice on what items of equipment you should purchase first.

66 Scholar

Joanna Smart dons her drysuit as she heads north on her ‘world tour’, visiting the waters off Scotland.

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After last issue’s piece on wreck diving, this time around we focus our attention on being up close and personal with big animals, and select some of the very best locations in our region that should be on your ‘todive’ list, including Palau, the Solomon Islands and Fakarava.

Seasoned underwater snapper Mario Vitalini is in the hotseat this month, and he talks about his ongoing obsession with one of the mostcharismatic creatures in our oceans - the octopus.

32 Shoot Like A Pro

Our panel of underwater photography experts - Martyn Guess, Paul Duxfield and Phil and Anne Medcalf - explain how they got started in the world of underwater photography, detailing when they began diving, what equipment they used for their initial photo-forays, and how their skill sets developed over the years.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

36 The Maldives

54 What’s New

44 Australia

56 Group Test: Test Extra Special

50 TECHNICAL: Sri Lanka

64 Long Term Test

Michele Westmorland heads to the Maldives for a luxury liveaboard adventure voyaging around the archipelago aboard the Maldives Aggressor II, as well as enjoying some topside downtime in the company’s Safari Lodges in Sri Lanka.

Diveplanit’s Deborah Dickson-Smith explores Australia’s most-recent artificial reef, the 127-metre-long ex-HMAS Tobruk, which now lies in Hervey Bay off Bundaberg and is already teeming with marine life, including a friendly resident turtle nick-named Brookie.

Mark Powell ventures to Sri Lanka to dive the remains of the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier, the HMS Hermes, which was sunk by the Japanese during World War Two and now lies upside in technical-diving depths.

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New products recently released, including the Mares Manta wetsuits, Beuchat Mondial One-50 fins, Fourth Element’s kids collection, and the Aqua Lung CeramiQskin exposure protection.

A collection of in-depth Test Extra reviews, on the Otter Watersports Atlantic HD Kevlar drysuit, Beuchat Focea Comfort 6 wetsuit, and the Mares Jupiter and Juno masks.

The Scuba Diver Test Team reviews a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Mares Epic Adj 82X regulator, Suunto D5 dive computer, Aqua Lung Aquaflex wetsuit, and the Apeks Tech shorts.

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Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as all over our water planet. To find out the most up-to-date news and views, check out the website or follow us on our various social media (@scubadivermag) www.scubadivermag.com/news

REEF ART SCULPTURES NEW UNDERWATER EXPERIENCES

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© Riptide Creative

A

s if a stunning reef was not enough to excite locals and tourists, two of Queensland’s iconic Great Barrier Reef destinations are gearing up for raft of new underwater art discoveries - and the opening of Australia’s first underwater accommodation!

In a Great Barrier Reef first, The Whitsundays has unveiled a series of underwater sculptures - a Maori wrasse at Blue Pearl Bay off Hayman Island, two different manta ray sculptures at Manta Ray Bay off Hook Island, and a turtle at Langford Spit.

Six Australian artists were chosen to have their sculptures submerged and on display in various key locations throughout the marine park, with two more sculptures still to be revealed.

The next instalment will be an enormous creation called Anthozoa, which is a four-metre-high concrete single coral polyp, to be installed at Blue Pearl Bay in late September.

Nathan Cook, Applied Marine Scientist from Reef Ecologic, one of the project leaders, said: “The locations chosen for these installations, previously beautiful coral gardens, were devastated by Tropical Cyclone Debbie. The installations will not only provide alternative underwater experiences for visitors, but they will hopefully start conversations around the challenges faced by the Great Barrier Reef, and hopefully educate and inspire positive behavioural change to address the Reef’s primary threat: climate change.

“Another important feature of these installations is that two of the four, at Blue Pearl Bay and Manta Ray Bay, are co-

located with active coral gardening projects, providing further educational opportunities for visitors.”

And in a first for the Southern Hemisphere, the announcement of the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA), created by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, will be installed within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (near the coast of Townsville), aiming to drive awareness to the importance of the Great Barrier Reef. The works will be installed across numerous locations, such as Magnetic Island and Palm Island, showcasing partially and fully submerged sculptures.

The first of several artworks, Ocean Siren, will be revealed this December at the Strand in Townsville and is modelled on a local Aboriginal girl that will change colour in response to changing water temperatures. Furthermore, a Coral Greenhouse sculpture is planned for the John Brewer Reef site, offering a world-class dive and snorkel experience.

But if you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal with one of the seven wonders of the natural world, Cruise Whitsundays have recently launched Australia’s first underwater accommodation located on the Great Barrier Reef!

Imagine floor to ceiling views of the spectacular underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef – all from the comfort of your bed! Opening this summer will be Australia’s first underwater accommodation, Reefsuites, by the team at Cruise Whitsunday’s Heart Pontoon in The Whitsundays.

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INTERNATIONAL DRUG RING IN AUSTRALIA FOILED BY ‘ANGRY’ SEAL An international drugsmuggling ring has been blown wide open after two members of the gang surrendered to police in Western Australia – after being confronted by an angry seal.

The drama unfolded in mid-September after a yacht ran aground and was abandoned on tiny Stick Island, some 7km from Burton Island in the Abrolhos archipelago, which lies off Western Australia near the port town of Geraldton. The authorities started a search after it was found, as a dinghy was missing, and initially there were concerns the occupants might be in difficulty. However, as airplanes combed the area, a crayfisherman saw someone on Burton Island ducking down in a bid to hide in low scrubland as the aircraft flew overhead.

This raised suspicions, and police subsequently raided the island. The pair, Frenchman Antoine Dicenta and Briton Graham Palmer, hastily tried to hide more than a ton of methylamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy – worth more than AUS$1 billion – in dozens of bags under seaweed. They then made a run for their inflatable dinghy, but were stopped in their tracks when they encountered a large seal, which was not happy about being woken up, reared up, puffed out its chest and bellowed at them.

A spokesman said: “The guys basically had the choice of going through the seal or getting arrested, and they ended up choosing getting arrested.”

It is not known what species of seal thwarted the gang members’ escape. Only the Australian sea lion and the Australian and New Zealand fur seal can be found on the mainland and in Tasmanian waters.

SHIP SEIZED CARRYING OVER 12 MILLION DRIED SEAHORSES Peruvian marines seized a ship some 200 miles off the Pacific coast that was carrying some 12.3 million dried seahorses – with an export value to Asia in excess of $6 million.

According to authorities in Peru, the Adonay had been followed for several days before it was intercepted at the beginning of October by the Coast Guard, and the haul of seahorses represents the largest on record. The fishing, transportation and commercialisation of seahorses has been prohibited in Peru since August 2004, but there is a big market for the threatened fish, which is still a primary source of Chinese traditional medicine to ‘cure’ infertility, baldness, asthma and arthritis.

The four crew members on the Adonay – three Peruvian males and a man from Venezuela – were detained and face up to five years in prison each.

When the marines stormed the vessel, they discovered 55 boxes weighing more than 2,300lbs which were crammed full of seahorses, harvested illegally from the Pacific Ocean, which will now be donated to investigative centres and local universities for research.

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FIVE DECADES OF DIVING In a remarkable achievement, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions is celebrating its 50th anniversary

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969. It was the year man first set foot on the moon, thousands of rock ‘n’ roll fans descended on Woodstock, and the first Concorde test flight was conducted. It was also when Mike Ball Dive Expeditions started Tropical North Queensland’s first dive school.

While humans have never been back to the moon, there’s never been another music festival to rival Woodstock, and Concordes no longer grace our skies, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions has continued to thrive over the past five decades and today, its industry experience is second to none. The pioneering scuba-diving company is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2019 and, with it, a changing of the guard as founder Mike Ball moves into retirement, officially handing over the helm to his right-hand man of 25 years, Craig Stephen.

When a ‘Ten Pound Pom’ by the name of Mike Ball arrived in Australia and headed north from Sydney, the last thing he expected to be doing was working at a sports store in Townsville - the place he ended up when his car broke down.

Never one to miss an opportunity, he seized on an idea to open a watersports section in that Townsville shop. In a short space of time, Mike expanded into a very successful dive school. The rest, as they say, is all part of a remarkable 50year history in the dive industry.

To get some insight into this award-winning business, Renee Cluff sat down with Craig Stephen, the general manager of Mike Ball Dive Expeditions.

Q: What have been some of the highlights and milestones for the company over the past 50 years?

A: After Mike started a successful dive school in Townsville,

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he then built a world-class state-of-the-art dive facility in Walker Street, Townsville (still there today!) and his frustration with charter boats either breaking down or not meeting his own high standards forced him into bankrolling the world’s first custom-built scuba-diving liveaboard catamaran in 1981. Three more vessels followed, including our current flagship Spoilsport, which was built in 1989 and is Australia’s most-awarded dive vessel. In 1997, our newest liveaboard Paradise Sport was built specifically for a venture into PNG, where we operated for a decade before ceasing operations there. As a company, we’ve championed the protection of reefs, particularly as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Representative Areas Programme. In 2004, we helped secure protection for the Ribbon Reefs sector to the north of Cooktown. Last year, the Federal Government’s Parks Australia finally announced similar protections for the Coral Sea Marine Reserves, and Mike Ball Dive Expeditions worked very closely with the government to help secure a fair outcome for all stakeholders and user groups. To us, one of the biggest achievements during this process has been securing a sanctuary for our iconic sharks at Osprey Reef.

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Q: How has getting in the game early impacted the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions experience of today?

A: As a pioneer of liveaboard diving, Mike Ball’s vision set the standard very high way back in the 1970s with customer service and great diving. From these early days of exploring the reef with expeditions from Townsville to Cape York and out into the Coral Sea, a wealth of knowledge has been built about where we can safely dive all year round. We take advantage of the calmer months to explore the wider reaches rarely visited because of weather and sea conditions. Our roving permits allow us to keep our expeditions as just that, real diving expeditions constantly exploring and discovering new ‘world-class’ dive locations.

Q: How has the company adapted to constant change in the industry over the years?

A: We’ve seen several technological advances in dive equipment and we’ve adapted to the demands and increased popularity of technical diving to accommodate ‘rebreather divers’ with extensive staff training and safety procedures. Another big advancement has been dive computers calculating a multitude of variances, constantly monitoring and advising you on your ‘safe status’. While dive computers cannot guarantee your safety because many other physical factors contribute to diverelated illness, they’ve dramatically reduced incidences of decompression illness (the bends). Workplace Health and Safety plays a very large part in ensuring the safety of staff and guests. Dealing with the elements certainly keeps us on our toes at sea, and a great deal of effort is invested in staff training to maintain a safe environment.

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7 & 10 night Itineraries: · Tubbataha, Philippines · Visayas, Philippines See more information on the many Visayas Itinerary options and special transition trips at www.aggressor.com.

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Q: What’s in store for the future of Mike Ball Diving Expeditions?

A: For now we’ll be steering a steady course ahead, continuing to offer sensational world-class diving and customer service. We have a philanthropic obligation to the environment and to ensure we continue to strive for further protection and educate our guests as to just how important it is to protect this most-amazing resource. Now more than ever, industry, conservation groups and government agencies need to step up and start making changes to ensure the protection of our ocean’s future. www.mikeball.com

™

lipp

Q: What has been Mike Ball’s greatest legacy?

A: Providing exploratory, expedition-style diving, combined with customer service excellence. Plus, he invented the stinger suit, which is used by every dive and snorkel operator on the Great Barrier Reef today.

Philippines Aggressor

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Q: What principles has the company stayed true to?

A: As a pioneer of the dive industry, when we first ran exploratory expeditions during the 1980s, it was the excitement of the unknown that made what we did unique.

To this day we still continue along this vein, constantly exploring and introducing new dive locations and new itineraries to kept the most-adventurous explorer satisfied.

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RODNEY FOX HONOURED FOR PROTECTING GREAT WHITE SHARKS

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reat white shark attack survivor Rodney Fox has been honoured for his years of service protecting the very animal that nearly took his life at Aldinga Beach more than 50 years ago.

Andrew Fox, managing director of Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions and son of Rodney, gave the launch and renaming ceremony of their first-ever boat (on Sunday 6 October) a surprise ‘twist’, as his Dad’s name was immortalised in recognition of his pioneering conservation work with these beautiful animals.

“Since my Dad started the company more than 50 years ago, we have always leased boats to educate and safely bring humans closer to sharks,” he said. “To own our first boat is a massive and significant milestone for our family and business – it was fitting to name the boat after him!

“The twist is that Dad thought the boat was called King Neptune, and only found out in front of 100 people on launch day that our first boat was going to be called the Rodney Fox.” Rodney Fox, now 79 years old, has had a remarkable career - born from being attacked by a great white shark when he was just 23 years old. This life-changing event ignited a passion and determination to overcome his fears about the water by understanding this fearsome, but magnificent, animal. A few years later, he pioneered the first-ever cage dive, which sparked what is now a thriving new tourism industry around the world.

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“Dad changed the mindset in an era when ‘the only good shark was a dead shark’ to spearheading conservation and protection of these animals in the 1980s, which is still in place today,” Andrew said.

Rodney was also one of the first people in the world to capture video of sharks underwater, leading to a film career contributing to more than 70 films, including the blockbuster Jaws.

“He has single-handedly shifted public perception of sharks,” Andrew said.

Andrew Fox, recognised as a leading authority on great white sharks, took over the reins of the Rodney Fox Shark Expedition business more than 20 years ago. He set up the Fox Shark Research Foundation in the early 2000s, and today consults on environmental issues, shark attacks and shark culling.

“The Rodney Fox marks a new era of our business,” Andrew said. “We will be able to host up to 20 guests with ten passenger cabins for multiple-day tours serviced by seven crew. This is the only vessel in SA where you can live and dive for the ultimate experience, which really ups the ante.”

Future adventurers can book between two and ten nights and explore the beautiful Neptune Islands Marine Park and expect luxury accommodation, delicious food, spectacular scenery and, of course, cage diving, which everyone can do, plus if you have an Open Water scuba diving qualification, you can experience great white sharks 18m deep.

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MALDIVES An incredible underwater adventure awaits Spec dive ial offer rs on fo Kure r du!

Kuredu* Komandoo Vakarufalhi Lily Beach Hurawalhi Innahura

New 3* diver island

The launch of the new boat also coincides with the recent restructure of the business, with the announcement of new business partner and local businessman, Mark Tozer. Mark shares Andrew’s passion for sharks. He is also the founder of Dive for Cancer, an international event where divers raise funds for Cancer Research.

For more information about how you can plan your own experience on the Rodney Fox, visit: www.rodneyfox.com. au or call 08 8363 1788. Prices start from $1695AUD for a three-day tour, and tours are available again from midOctober.

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"The best dive center in the Maldives 2018" awarded by a leading german dive magazine *Kuredu Island Resort - Special offer for divers including 2 dives per day accommodation in Garden Bungalow with half board - valid for a stay of min. 5 days www.kuredu.com

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MEDICAL Q&A Dr Oliver Firth is a diving doctor with over 22 years of diving experience. He is an Approved Medical Examiner of Divers for the UK HSE and a medical referee for the UK Diving Medical Committee, performing many hundreds of diving medicals a year. As the senior doctor at London Diving Chamber for the last 13 years, he has supervised the treatment of hundreds of cases of decompression illness. He has now set up Hyperdive (www.hyperdive.co.uk) to continue his diving medical work with a global audience. With his accumulated experience, he has seen most things a diver might come across, but remains eager to hear from anyone with a medical conundrum they need a solution to! divingdoctor@scubadivermag.com

DS N E I R DIVING WITH F

MALDIVES

NEW: Faarufushi Maldives

INDONESIA THAILAND EGYPT S PA I N

NEW: Roses, Costa Brava

OMAN M AU R I T I U S JA PA N C R O AT I A

LET´S DO IT: DIVING WITH EURO-DIVERS! B O O K I N G A N D I N F O R M AT I O N :

www.euro-divers.com 16 ED_scuba_diver_mag_55x251.indd 1

Q: I have a nine-month-old baby who I am still breastfeeding. My periods have not yet returned following this delivery. Last week, I travelled abroad and dived six dives to a max of 28m over a two-day period. However, I have just found out since then that I am pregnant again and could be anything between four to nine weeks.

Clearly I didn’t realise that I was pregnant at the time of my diving, and I didn’t have any symptoms of the bends, but I am concerned about possible effects on my unborn child.

Do you know of any evidence that diving when pregnant is harmful? I would be grateful for your advice.

A: There is a yawning chasm of inadequate data on diving in pregnancy, which is unlikely to change due to obvious ethical problems with conducting experiments on those ‘in the family way’. Most authorities therefore advise delaying diving until after the pregnancy has ‘resolved’ – nine months’ abstention from diving is far more preferable than a lifetime worrying about (or dealing with) an unforeseen problem. The nearest thing to ‘evidence’ we have, albeit of a questionable analogous nature, are case reports in which pregnant mothers with carbon monoxide poisoning were treated with hyperbaric oxygen in a chamber. When they were followed up, no adverse effects were seen in the foetus, but long-term outcomes in these children were not described. Conversely, many animal (and some human) studies have noted an increase in the incidence of foetal abnormalities and spontaneous abortions in those who dived while pregnant.

Very early in pregnancy, up to two weeks or so, there is no effective blood circulation between the placenta and

22.01.19 12:00

foetus, so problems are unlikely. Once such a circulation develops, there might be. In adults, rogue bubbles are cleared by the so-called ‘pulmonary filter’ as they circulate through the lungs. In the womb, the foetus lacks this filtering mechanism, and there are theoretical concerns that a diving mum might transfer bubbles to the developing foetus, which cannot clear them. This might lead to heart or lung malformations.

However, so many other variables are involved that it is impossible to extrapolate causality from the information we have. Although we no longer recommend diving during a recognised pregnancy, there is no solid scientific data to prove that diving is dangerous to the foetus.

Q: My partner had breast cancer last year. Luckily it was confined to a lump, which she had removed very quickly. She has been put forward for augmentation (implants), but she wishes to start diving and we would like to know what we have to do to get her started, i.e. dive medical, dive insurance and when she has the augmentation, are there any limits on depth, etc.

A: Breast implants are almost always saline- or silicone-based, and as such they are not thought to be susceptible to pressure-induced damage. Therefore in general, no diving restrictions apply.

A couple of words of advice though avoid tight BCD chest straps as these can increase the risk of rupturing the implants, and if they’re silicone-based, they may affect buoyancy as they’re heavier than water (saline ones are obviously neutrally buoyant). Clearly she shouldn’t dive around the time of the procedure, but once all has healed up she will be fine.

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PHOTOGRAPHY © GERALD RAMBERT

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As a new diver, it can be a little confusing as to what order you should buy your own equipment in. This issue, we get our panel of experts to offer their opinions PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS

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ark Powell from TDI/SDI said: “More often than not, new scuba students have no idea what their first set of gear should cost. The best answer doesn’t have as much a monetary answer as it does getting the gear you need to make your first experience one worth continuing in scuba. The £100 mask isn’t guaranteed not to leak or fit perfectly, the £150 fins aren’t guaranteed to fit like your favourite shoes, and buying a pre-made kit might not be the right answer either. The cost of your first set of gear will more likely be dictated by what works for you as a new diver than any particular price tag. Masks, snorkels, fins, and even weights, all have their particular appeals. Colour should be second, ‘it’s cool’ should also come second, keeping up with the other guy or girl that has several hundred dives should come second, your buddy has it…

“Masks are some of the most-inciting pieces of equipment. Every manufacturer produces a multitude of shapes, sizes, and colours. First and foremost should be fit and comfort without fail. The colour won’t stop a mask leak; the shape needs to be conducive to your face to help produce a good seal. Once you find the right mask that fits your face then see if they have that mask in whatever colour you want. Masks can be frustrating; you may need to try several before you find the right one. Finding the right mask will make your diving experience so much better. Buying last year’s model can sometimes save you several pounds.

“Surface Marker Buoys are probably some of the mostunderrated pieces of equipment in the scuba industry, but they are extremely important. They only come in a handful of colours and a few slightly different size variations. They can be the simplest pieces of equipment to use or complex enough to connect to external air sources.

As a new diver, you don’t need anything overcomplicated. You need an SMB that that you can manipulate (with or without gloves) that is easy for you to get air into. Some have oral inflation tubes and some have valves that can be a little challenging, depending on your manual dexterity and the strength of your hand. Check them out thoroughly in the store and make sure you understand how to work it.

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“The sum total cost of your first set of gear will equal what works for you, be it a few pounds or several. Set a budget, comparison shop, and buy what fits best, is comfortable, and works for you. A final parting word about purchasing scuba gear from friends or social media – be very, very careful. Unless you know firsthand how the equipment has been maintained or you can put your hands on it, don’t buy it. Be safe, support your local dive shops, and with the help of a dive professional, you’ll be set up for success.”

BSAC’s Dai Atkins said: “So, you’ve taken a dive and you’ve caught the bug, the branch membership secretary has surgically removed club fees from your wallet and now you’re on the hunt to accrue kit to take your newfound hobby to the next level – where do I start?

“The local dive shop becomes an Aladdin’s Cave of shiny things, blow-up things, engineery-looking things, stuff with dusty ‘Special Offer’ signs on them – but from the shopping list your new club mates have given you, how do you tick it all off without having to visit the mortgage broker, hide stuff from the spouse, or avoid being sold technology from the last century? And which is the priority item?

“Firstly, do you need it all? You just joined a club, right? So they may have several sets of kit that you can borrow or loan for a small maintenance cost that might just save you several

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hundred pounds while you decide what direction your hobby takes you. Clubs frequently have the core scuba kit like cylinders, regulators, BCDs and weights, and it’s an opportunity to try some different models and styles out before you work out what’s comfortable for you.

“Suits are a tricky one – if you’re in the UK, at some stage you will probably need a drysuit, and this requires a bit of training and you’ll want to be comfortable in it so it doesn’t make your diving needlessly hell, but to begin with you can buy a cheaper wetsuit or semi-dry to hone your other core skills before moving on – during which time you may have found a club buddy who is around the same size as you who has got one you can try first and see if you like it (or that buddy may well have already eyed you up as they have a cheap suit for sale…).

“Reels, DSMBs, line-cutters, torches come in a range of different styles - and the clips! Oh God, the clips! But to save you losing your new toys, it’s good to have something to hold them into your jacket pocket in case you need your hands to do something else.

“Interestingly, one of my first items was a multi-gas dive computer, not the cheapest outlay but it was something that proved a sensible early buy and lasted many years as I looked to future-proof myself.

“Some clubs hold ‘bring and buy’ sales to raise money for their maintenance funds and there’s an opportunity to pick up items for a fraction of the cost - as always, with any second hand kit you buy, get some reassurance that it’s in working order and fit for purpose, you can ask for servicing records or receipts, or just take someone with you to check it over and give it the ‘OK’.”

Garry Dallas, from RAID, said: “So, after you’ve bought the dive bus, the house with the large air-conditioned garage and every latest piece of dive gear and antiques to fill it, you wake up

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and smell the coffee.

Rationally speaking with a budget in mind, you need to buy the most-important piece of equipment first… confidence!

“Confidence comes in various forms for different people.

Similarly, when you go to your first ball wearing your best outfit, you need to feel confident. Given a £500 budget for new dive gear, ask yourself what means more to you?

“The piece of mind that the regulator set works perfectly underwater, has gadgets, shiny and never been breathed from.

“The wet/dry or undersuit that has never been ‘used’ by anyone and fits like a glove.

“The mask, fins, snorkel and dive knife that fits perfectly and makes you feel a bit like James Bond or Ursula Andress.

“Or the state-of-the-art BCD and tank, because you really feel like a diver now since no one else would own one.

“Each piece of equipment should give you confidence. Renting any of these items may not give you the effect you wanted and possibly not work as well as hoped, so a decision needs to be made. “For me and those I care about, my life is important! So, in prioritising equipment, reliability would be top of my list, then practicality, comfort/fit and then looks.

“Would I buy something second hand? Well, if it compromised any of the above, then the answer is no, as it would compromise my safety in the water.

“Much of what I’ve said relates to safety, if it’s not fit for purpose would you let your loved ones use it? Be savy, be safe!”

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GUE’s John Kendall commented: “For me, the most-important bits of diving equipment to own are the ones that you are physically wearing. So it makes a lot of sense for you to own your own mask (that fits properly) and your own exposure protection. In the UK I very regularly see people taking classes in badly fitting and often leaking rental drysuits. A drysuit is not a complex piece of equipment, but it does have to fit you properly, with the correct sized boots and seals. A badly fitted suit will be uncomfortable and could well be dangerous. So that to me is the second thing to buy. The final part of the beginner’s kit should be a decent set of fins, you shouldn’t try and buy these prior to getting your suit, as you need them to fit the boots on the suit. Pretty much everything else can be rented. Moving past those very basics, I would buy a proper wing and backplate set-up, look for a wing designed specifically for single tank use (anything that suggests it’s good for both single tank and twinset isn’t normally any good at either), and then a regulator set.”

Vikki Batten is a PADI Examiner, Course Director and TecRec IT. She said: “If you’re diving in cold water, a drysuit is usually one of the first items to purchase. I started with mask, fins and snorkel before my Open Water Diver course, then prioritised a drysuit and undersuit because they need to fit really well and you can then be responsible for making sure they are well maintained. Even now, when I travel as a

20

PADI Examiner, the one piece of kit I always take is my drysuit, which is my favourite piece of kit – everything else I’m happy to hire if necessary.

Don’t forget to get proper training in the use of a drysuit and get lots of practice in easy conditions before you extend your limits.”

Emily Petley-Jones, PADI Regional Training Consultant said: “Purchasing new kit is something which is incredibly exciting, especially when you have just certified! When considering what kit to purchase, you should consider what sort of diving you think you might enjoy. In general, start out by purchasing kit for your comfort in the water - getting a mask that fits your face well for most divers would be their first purchase.

Items such as hoods, gloves, knives, torches, SMBs and reels are all items which are great to purchase early on as they are good for diving in cold water and the tropics.

“If you are planning on going on lots of diving holidays, then a good dive computer is a good investment. Again, it is worth thinking ahead with this as if technical diving is a temptation for you, then you should consider all the features you should be looking for in a computer above just recreational diving and using enriched air nitrox.

“After that, you should prioritise what you purchase based on where you are planning on doing most of your diving and what type of diving you will be doing.

Some regulators are designed to be lightweight for travel, others are designed for optimum use in cold water. Likewise, there are travel BCDs available, others have lots of weight pocket space which makes them better suited for drysuit diving. The key thing is to research your options and work out what will be best for you.” n

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Come and dive in the famous UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Favakara with Dive Spirit Fakarava the only eco responsible dive center of the atoll

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We round up the best destinations in the Asia-Pacific region to sate your appetite for getting up close and personal with those epic big creatures PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS, JESSE ALPERT, GERALD RAMBERT, MIKE SCOTLAND AND HIROYKI TOMARU

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PALAU

Palau consistently offers top-tier animal interactions among a large variety of quality diving. Both beginner and experienced divers will have their bar set quite high after diving Palau.

A typical dive day at German Channel and Blue Corner with one of the Palau’s leading operators, Sam’s Tours (www.samstours.com), can offer manta ray and shark encounters, as Jesse Alpert explains.

Shaped like a large half-bowl, German Channel funnels in cool, nutrient-rich water from the open ocean and is dotted with several large cleaning stations where you can have a reef manta swim inches above your head. Palau’s local Manta alfredi population is seen here during the winter, with schools of 20-plus feeding on certain days. Grey reef sharks, feathertail rays, green and hawksbill turtles, will also pull up to be cleaned by the tiny cleaner wrasse and butterflyfish.

Blue Corner is an amazing, dynamic site with varying conditions and an incredible diversity. Divers can hook in along the edge of the wall and watch as dozens of grey reef sharks cruise around while the huge resident Napoleon wrasse welcomes them. Enormous schools of thousands of trevally and barracuda flow around and, once unhooked, there are several green turtles snacking next to a bunch of napping whitetip sharks.

For the adventurous diver, a day trip to the island of Peleliu offers strong currents and potentially more-challenging conditions than the other dive sites in Palau. The trip is well worth it for the chance of seeing some of the larger sharks, like bull sharks and oceanic blacktips. Occasionally giant grouper, spotted eagle rays, and sailfish can be sighted on the giant reef. Divers and guides alike love the casual encounters with incredible, rare and beautiful animals in Palau. These chance encounters involve great hammerheads, bull sharks, marlin, spinner dolphins, devil rays, and even the occasional saltwater crocodile.

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THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

The diving, freediving and snorkelling in Munda is very special and magical - possibly some of the best sites in the world. Spectacular walls drop off to over 600m. Grey, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks routinely patrol, as do hammerheads, eagle rays, dogtooth tuna and barracuda, and other pelagics are also common. Encounters with any of the species of big sharks and rays are always exciting.

Munda’s reefs are in pristine condition, with lush hard and soft corals and gigantic sea fans as a backdrop to the animal stars. Here are some of Dive Munda’s (www.divemunda.com) favourite sites that feature some of the big stuff!

Shark Point is one of Dive Munda’s signature sites. Situated at the end of a reef protruding a mile out into the Solomon Sea, it drops off more than 600m and can be dived at any depth from 10m to 60m. Shallower dives here offer pristine corals and large schools of fish, reef sharks and turtles. More experienced divers can venture deeper on to the point itself. Species seen here include grey reef, blacktip, and whitetip reef sharks at all depths, plus the chance of meeting great hammerheads and large silvertip sharks deeper down. Depending on the time of day and the state of the tide, currents can be strong, but that only brings in more fish! And it’s not just about the big fish drift along on the current and take in the incredible gorgonian fans, soft corals and whip corals.

Situated off the remote west coast of Rendova Island, the Haipe reefs are in pristine condition and are another signature Dive Munda site. Huge areas of hard corals along the reef-tops play host to swarming schools of colourful small fish and provide a feeding ground for big schools of bumphead parrotfish, and often turtles. Deeper down, soft corals, fans and sea whips provide a beautiful background for regular encounters with grey reef sharks, plus the occasional visit from silvertip or hammerhead sharks.

Massive shoal of jacks

Grey reef shark

A sheer drop down into the blue, with a sharp point to the reef similar to the bow of a ship, makes for dramatic underwater scenery Friendly turtles...

...and even saltwater crocs inhabit Palau’s waters

Manta rays have been sighted here when the current flows.

The Pinnacle can be a serious shark dive with regular sightings of bull sharks and silvertips behaving in an inquisitive fashion. Definitely not for the faint of heart!

Situated off Ndokendoke island, this makes for spectacular underwater topography, with the coral-encrusted summit starting at 22m and the sides dropping down to over 60m.

Gorgonian fan corals and a stunning variety of hard and soft corals jostle for space on the rock. Schooling pelagics frequent this area, as do leatherback turtles and green turtles.

Visibility can often exceed 40 metres. Aussie Point drops off hundreds of metres deep and is renowned for frequent hammerhead sightings. The reef is in excellent health and is home to schools of bumphead wrasse, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, and giant Maori wrasse. A sheer drop down into the blue, with a sharp point to the reef similar to the bow of a ship, makes for dramatic underwater scenery.

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Majestic manta ray

FRENCH POLYNESIA

French Polynesia is the type of paradise we all dream of on land and underwater, and the atoll is classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Diving with Dive Spirit Fakarava (www.divespiritfakarava.com) offers some of the richest marine biodiversity you’ve ever seen, and includes schools of barracuda to walls of sharks (such as grey reef sharks, blacktip sharks, whitetip sharks and great hammerhead sharks) to mantas and even humpback whales.

The great hammerhead shark season is linked to the spotted eagle ray, or small mantas. You may observe it deep down in the pass around 50m depth, or on a shallow wall from 10m-20m. You can optimise your chances of seeing great hammerheads in the Tiputa Pass off Rangiroa, and the season usually runs from November to March. You could also come across a Mokarran in Fakarava.

Divers love the majestic manta ray, and in French Polynesia you can spot manta rays from June to October. There really is nothing else that can compare to being surrounded by these swooping gentle giants.

The season for humpback whales starts in July and runs to October. It lasts around four months. They arrive from the Antarctic region, where they live the rest of the year. They go through the Australes Archipelago. Rurutu is one of the mostfamous islands for the observation of these marine mammals.

They finish their trip in the Society Islands (such as Tahiti and Moorea), passing by the Tuamotu Archipelago. Keep your fingers crossed for meeting one of the giants of our oceans from the boat or, if you are lucky, during your dive.

Tiger sharks sometimes make an appearance in Fiji

Bull sharks

FIJI

Fiji’s Beqa Lagoon has become legendary in shark-diving circles for its intense bull shark dives, and there are two centres in Pacific Harbour offering these in-your-face dives – Aqua Trek and Beqa Adventure Divers.

Aqua Trek (www.aquatrek.com) runs its Ultimate Shark Encounter, where at a depth of 18m, you can bear witness to plenty of bull sharks circling around the area, along with the odd grey reef and tawny nurse shark. Fish scraps used during the dive are presented in two ways – one, periodically dumped out of a wheelie bin suspended from a buoy, which causes a scrum of sharks below for the few morsels of fish that descended, and two, hand-fed by a wrangler just in front of

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the coral wall behind which the divers remain during the dive.

Beqa Adventure Divers (www.fijisharkdive.com) is a slick, professional operation which is proud of its efforts to set up marine protected areas in the lagoon. The dives carried out here are both different. Dive one is held at 30m, and this deeper depth seems to attract more and bigger sharks, as there can be more than 50 at one point. After a set time, all the divers move up the reef wall to around 10m, and here the feed attracts mainly grey reef sharks. Finally, everyone moves into safety stop depths, and while clearing computers, the feeders distribute food to the smaller species, such as whitetip and blacktip reef sharks.

The second dive is no deeper than 16m, with flat sections for you to ‘lie down’ behind a low coral wall. Here more feeding is done by hand, as well as by the wheelie bin, and again bull shark numbers are generally well into the 30s.

The bull sharks of Beqa Lagoon as renowned as being among the largest in the world, and they truly are impressive beasts. It is not just the length of them – some over three metres – but more the girth and the size of their heads. To have them literally right in front of you, in numbers exceeding 45-50 animals at the height of the dive, is simply awe-inspiring. n

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

OCTO LOVE

Calling all cephalopodaholics! Mario Vitalini describes his love affair with the octopus, cuttlefish and squid PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO VITALINI

T

he cephalopod family, which includes octopus, cuttlefish and squids, are a charismatic group, beloved by many a diver. Incredibly intelligent, these beasties are superb subjects and have an incredible ability to convey personality through an image. And their diversity is just part of the attraction to us photographers.

The most-common member of the family and probably the one with the most character is the octopus. There are around 300 different species, from the huge giant Pacific octopus to the small blue ring. This article focuses on how to approach these fascinating animals, and how to capture these big personalities.

THE REEF OCTOPUS

The reef octopus is one of the most-common species and probably the one most divers first encounter. It lives on most tropical shallow reefs. Even if it is widely distributed, its mastery in camouflage makes it relatively difficult to spot. They often change their colour and the texture of their skin to match the surrounding area. Bewitching to watch. Tricky to find.

In a photo it can be difficult to distinguish them from the reef itself. You need to be able to clearly see the subject in the When using a wide-angle lens shoot upwards and frame the octopus against the water column

Corals and Caves on

shot. Position yourself so the octopus is between you and the open sea, composing your picture against a blue background.

This can really help draw the subject out, especially against busy reef scenes.

Occasionally you can find reef octopus sticking their head out of their hiding holes on the reef, showing only their eyes. If you approach them slowly, and with a bit of luck, the octopus will accept you and come out. They can be very curious in nature, and will often investigate unusual activity nearby.

Hovering next to an octopus lair may pique its interest, and with some patience they may interact with you and your camera. Or even with another octopus if there is one nearby. Males have been known to fight. Spend time with your octo subject.

These situations can make for a fantastic photo opportunity, but always make sure you do not disturb the animal. Let it come to you, and remember that no photo is worth aggravating or disrupting marine life. Octopus are very good at letting you know when they are upset or feel threatened by rapidly changing colour and flashing bright red. If you see these displays, simply back away and give it some space.

Snooting techniques are great to deal with backscatter and to focus the attention on your subject. A coconut octopus uses three shells to make its home

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Coconut octopus use anything to hide, never pick up rubbish from areas where these guys live

The eye of a reef octopus. I love how expressive it can be as well as the texture of the skin

OCTOPUS ON THE SEABED

There are destinations such as Indonesia or the Philippines where you can find several different species of octopus on one dive site. From the ever-changing mimic to the cute coconut, there are many great ‘tentacly’ beasties to keep you entertained for hours.

These tend to be muck-diving destinations and this means octopuses live on the sand. They almost never leave the bottom. Stop to think about the composition. I’ve seen many octopus shots from above, but I personally do not think they look great. Instead try to get as low as possible to the seabed and compose the shot focusing on the head against the water column with a hint of tentacles at the base, or go close into the eyes. Just be careful not to disturb the bottom or lay on any corals or the sand. If the octopus is in its burrow and not out in the open against a clear background, I prefer to use a snoot so I can focus the light of my strobe on a specific point of the animal, such as the eye.

Inward lighting is another technique incredibly useful to separate the subject from the background. By angling your flashguns towards yourself, you will only use the edge of the cone of light on the subject, avoiding lighting anything behind it. This technique requires you to get very close to the subject.

As always, getting good eye contact is essential. Octopus eyes are very interesting and make an attractive focal point.

But do not forget the tentacles too, the suckers can add some context. Octopus skin can be incredibly interesting, they can change the texture and colour offering some great opportunities to use your lighting to great effect.

Controlling backscatter is something else you should think

about. These dive sites tend to be a bit murky and it is very easy to disturb the sand in the area. Concentrate on your buoyancy. Try to get as close as possible to the octopus in order to minimise the amount of water between the lens and the subject, and pay special attention to the position and power of your strobes. A snoot can also concentrate the light on your subject, avoiding lighting the particles in the water.

Remember, blue ring octopus are one of the mostpoisonous marine creatures and you should never try to handle them (this should be a constant rule as a diver, but is worth a mention). When you approach them, they usually flash the blue rings on their body to warn potential predators, making for very vivid pictures. Be aware of your surroundings.

Coconut octopus are clever little critters. They are the only cephalopods known to use tools. It is not unusual to find them using shells, coconuts or any other object as a shelter.

Never move ‘rubbish’ around on muck sites as you don’t know what may be living there.

Octopuses are not the biggest or rarest subjects out there, but are by a long way some of the most-charismatic and interesting, so next time you are swimming along the reef A Mototi octopus, a member of the blue ring family, made a broken vodka bottle its home and is ready to guard it

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Photo Finish

Malapascua

Holiday highlights... Join photo pro Mario Vitalini on this Philippines workshop to hone your images of the biggest sharks to the smallest critters. The workshop includes 20 nitrox boat dives plus daily presentations covering all aspects of underwater photography. Your holiday package includes 7 nights in a deluxe room on an full board basis – optional room grades available. Airport transfers are included.

..award winning dive experts

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY When you encounter an octopus, spend some time with it and eventually it may start interacting with you

Two takes on the same subject. I wasn’t very happy with the colour version of this wonderpus…

…A high-contrasted black and white treatment gives much better isolation from the background and creates a more-striking image

pay attention to the bottom and if you see one of these guys, spend some time with it. Octopus as subjects vary hugely in size. The common reef and coconut octopus are large enough to allow you to use a wide-angle lens. You can even try a fisheye if you go for a close-focus wide-angle shot.

When using a wide-angle lens, make sure you approach the subject from a very low angle so you can compose your shot, including the water column as background and, if possible, the surface. If you are using a compact or a mirrorless camera with a kit lens, you can take a good portrait. Smaller species such as the wonderpus or blue ring are better suited for a macro lens. A wide angle will allow you to show your subject and the habitat, while with a macro you can concentrate on the small details.

Octopus are some of the most-versatile subjects, and their range in size and habitats gives you the ability to come back with a great photo regardless of the set up you use. With a wide-angle lens remember to look for good separation from the reef, and shoot upwards against the water column. When using a macro lens, the attention to lighting is very important, use your strobes to isolate the subject. Think carefully about the habit and the backgrounds. The star of the show is the octopus, allow its personality to shine through.

Quick grammatical note to finish and fuel a constant argument, the plural of octopus has caused a lot of debates, and not only in my home, and it seems to depend on which Latin noun declension group you believe the word octopus belongs to. Octopi, octopuses, octopus - I love them all. n

BIOGRAPHY: MARIO VITALINI

For nearly 30 years, Mario has sailed the globe and dived the seas, working as a PADI instructor and dive guide. Today, he shares his passion for underwater photography.

His students love his real-world expertise and patient approach. He has an extensive working knowledge of most underwater camera systems, having spent several years at the UK’s largest photo retailer. Mario’s images have won several awards and he has featured not once, but twice, among the top categories at the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year, including Most Promising British Underwater Photographer in 2015.

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Our underwater photography professionals have carved out a niche for themselves as mentors to the next wave of snappers, but how did they all get started in taking pictures below the surface?

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS, PAUL DUXFIELD AND ANNE AND PHIL MEDCALF

My journey in underwater photography was a natural progression, which followed quickly after MARTYN I learnt to dive. I had always been interested in GUESS photography, having taken it up at college to help me illustrate projects. I suppose I was also fairly arty having done well at A Level at school, so there was a little bit of natural talent there. In the summer following me qualifying as an Open Water diver, we went on holiday to Grand Cayman and I found myself diving at a centre where Cathy Church was based. Cathy and her husband Jim wrote the bible on Nikonas film cameras and this was the state-of-the-art camera at the time. There were no digital cameras 27 years ago! I was taken away by the pictures adorning the dive centre walls and wanted to take pictures like these, so I signed up for a course with Cathy. This was the ‘slippery slope’ moment in my UW photographic journey.

In those days you were limited to 36 exposures and the slide film was then developed overnight. When my first film came back there were some images of arrow crabs, nudibranchs and basically anything which didn’t move, as you had to place the subject between two prongs which stuck out from the macro lens.

There was no auto focus or LCD screen! However, I was amazed with the clarity and colours and immediately wanted to learn more. When we got home, I went to Alan James in Bristol and bought a second-hand Nikonas V, strobes, arms and lenses and not long after realised that I was on a very steep learning curve. I used the camera with mixed results for a couple of years until the first to say they transformed taking pictures underwater, even digital cameras came out. I have though they were very basic and had awful shutter lag.

Later I met some people on a Red Sea boat who were members of something called BSOUP –British Society of Underwater Photographers. I went to a few meetings and at one of these met Martin Edge. The ‘slippery slope’ got more slippery because in no time I was doing a course with him down in Bournemouth. For years afterwards we went on his workshop trips to some pretty exotic locations around the world and I started to learn a lot. I have now completed the circle as I host workshops for Scubatravel and am able to impart the knowledge I have built up over the years to new and budding UW photographers!

Master Macro 9th May 2020 £2895 excluding flights ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS

Holiday highlights... 10 nights in resort, full board divers plan & 24 boat dives – FREE Nitrox Join pro photographer Martyn Guess in the critter mecca Dumaguete. With 24 boat dives plus free nitrox (3 dives/day plus 1 day Apo reef) and Martyn’s workshop throughout, this workshop packs a real punch.

Additional travel options available, ask for details.

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I’ve always been interested in photography, since PAUL I was in my early teens, moving in to a DUXFIELD more-professional scenario when I left school and worked for the local press and in a specialist local camera store. So photography in one shape or another has been a way of life to me.

A long time before I learnt to dive in the early 1990s, I used to snorkel and put my film SLR inside a flexible UWA Marine housing for snorkelling while on holiday.

I was then by a series of very lucky chance encounters introduced to the world of scuba, by my long-time friend Bob Johnson (Ras Bob), who was working with the late Mike Portelly, who had made a landmark underwater film out in Sharm with Bob, and who had also shot a Next modelling campaign underwater.

Mike very kindly paid for my ticket to Sharm in 1992 in return for some video work I had done for them, where I stayed with Bob and learnt to dive. I then travelled back and forth to the Red Sea in the mid-1990s, staying for longer and longer each time under the mentorship of Mike and Bob. I got the chance to run rolls of film through Nikonos cameras and housed film SLRs, but most of the time I was involved with filming jobs for TV, helping Bob and being a general dogsbody and buddy.

One job in 1997 with Granada TV paid for me to stay in Sharm for a couple of months and complete my Rescue and Divemaster training, and so I set up home there. I dabbled a bit in stills photography, but for me the running costs were still too expensive, and so I concentrated mostly on video, where I could make a few extra quid filming guests on the boats.

I left Sharm just as digital still photography with compact cameras was starting to become a thing, and become more affordable to the masses. I moved to London and joined Cameras Underwater at the crest of this digital wave.

I first shot with compact Sony and Olympus, then the Canon compacts pretty much took over, and I like to think we made underwater photography much more accessible to the mainstream divers, as housed DSLRs were, and still are, very expensive.

This led to me writing for another magazine and giving talks on the subject, while producing content for adverts and articles and the like. Then I started working back out in the Red Sea and beyond, sharing my skills and experience, combining my old job as a guide with my background in photography going all the way back to my teens.

And I continue to learn, but I love to share what I’ve learned along the way. I’m very lucky.

ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS

11th July 2020 £1495 excluding flights

Relaxed Red Sea

Holiday highlights... 7 nights onboard Whirlwind, tanks, weights and open dive deck at least once a day!

Photographers can go at their own pace on a photography itinerary that is as relaxing as it is productive.

Welcome to the world of the Red Sea Relaxed Photo Finish. Dive a host of incredible Red Sea dive sites with an open deck policy, chosen by our photo pro based on their reliability as top notch photo-worthy dive sites.

..award winning dive experts

www.scubatravel.com/photography

Our underwater photography professionals have, between them, literally thousands of hours of dive time and countless hours spent travelling the world shooting underwater images and teaching workshops. If you have a question you’d like them to address, email: mark@scubadivermag.com

Phil Medcalf The first time I used a camera underwater was in 1994 in the Red Sea having learned to dive a few years earlier with Sunderland Polytechnic Sub Aqua Club. My first efforts were with a Fujifilm 35mm disposable waterproof camera that cost about £10. A couple of years later I bought a Bonica Snapper, a very basic 35mm compact camera in a housing which I used until 2006. I’d shoot a lot of film and spend a lot on developing, but the results were always hit and miss, with a lot more misses than hits. Changing to a digital camera with the ability to review pictures underwater and near-unlimited shots with no developing costs was a real boon.

Having started with Fuji, then Canon compact cameras, we both moved to Olympus Micro-Four Thirds mirrorless system cameras and it is really helpful for us from a teaching point of view having had experience with different camera brands and designs.

Once Anne and I started going on regular underwater photography trips, we both had a steep learning curve and also a lot of fun along the way. The competitive spirit we have between us helped to push us to get better shots and learn the skills we needed to improve our photography.

Entering competitions both for underwater photography and mainstream ones was a great motivator to spend time looking through our pictures and planning what we wanted to achieve on trips. When we started to have some success, it spurred us on to get involved in the professional side of things by doing some teaching - and it spiralled from there!

ANNE AND PHIL MEDCALF

Best of Manado

This picture of a porcelain crab was the first image

by Phil to be published.

It was a runner up in BBC Wildlife Magazine’s monthly competition Anne with her current Olympus mirrorless camera

ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS

29th Sept 2020 £2895 excluding flights

Holiday highlights... With an action packed 29 boat dives plus 9 unguided, house reef dives and free nitrox!

Martyn Guess & Manado workshop will enable you to go hone and advance your key photographic skills at Murex Bangka and Lembeh resort. The workshop will spend 5 nights at Murex Bangka followed by 6 nights at Lembeh resort, both on a full board basis (2 people sharing).

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Book your holiday with the...

Anne Medcalf Before learning to dive in 2006, I only used a camera for snapshots of my children and holidays. I started using a Fuji f30 digital camera right after I had qualified as a diver, this was bought as a shared camera with Phil and as I gained confidence diving I found that I had got hooked on having a camera with me underwater and resented it when it was Phil’s turn! That was the point where another camera and housing was bought so we each had our own camera, which does mean we have doubled our underwater photography costs.

Initially I wanted to take photos on a dive as an aide memoir for writing my logbooks and so I had a record of what marine life I had seen, but once I had gotten a few nice shots, mostly through luck, I wanted to improve my photography and get pictures like the ones I saw in the diving press. After doing an internet search I found some articles and blogs about how to improve underwater photos.

Learning some basics made a big difference, but deciding to book on an underwater photography workshop was the step that led to massive improvement and a real passion for taking photos. It also improved my diving as I needed to go slowly and take my time to look for tiny subjects. Having longer and more-relaxed dives meant that I could spend time trying new techniques and equipment. Getting to the point where we are teaching others and running workshops ourselves has made it all worth it, we love being able to share our passion for underwater photography and help others to get better results. n

n Anne with a Cano e S95 compact. Th to d ve mo we ra came for after using Fuji several years

This image

by Anne of a staghorn coral was her first success in a competition.

She won a camera

ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS

30th November 2019 ÂŁ1295 excluding flights

Relaxed Red Sea

Holiday highlights... Join Martyn Guess for a week focused on getting more out of your camera!

Departing from Hurghada, you will spend 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin share cabin).

Based in Northern Red Sea with up to 21 dives over the week but the itinerary will vary, depending on the photo opportunities. All marine park fees, 12lt tank and weights are included in your package.

..award winning dive experts

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MAGIC

MOMENTS in the Maldives Michele Westmorland and her husband George explore the myriad underwater attractions of this island archipelago aboard the luxurious Maldives Aggressor II, before heading to Sri Lanka to soak up the sublime topside ambience of this romantic, adventurous and ancient country PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHELE WESTMORLAND AND ANDRES BERROCAL

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“Y Blue-striped snapper swarm over the reef Octopus

es!” I exclaimed, looking out the window of the plane and seeing these beautiful tiny stretches of sand, palms and many shades of turquoise indicating the depth of the surrounding reefs.

Sound clichéd? It’s difficult to find new words that just shout out the beauty of the Maldives. I’ve been fortunate to fly into this string of jewelled islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean several times before. Now my husband, George, would experience this part of the world for the first time.

Twenty-six atolls are comprised of 1,192 islands and sandy cays. The Maldives archipelago stretches 760km from north to south and 120km from sunrise to sunset. What you can see from the surface of the ocean hides innumerable submerged reefs, called thilas in the local language of Dhivehi. Throughout history, this was a trade route from the nearest neighbors of Sri Lanka and India. Both have had cultural and economic ties with the Maldives over the centuries and possibly as far back as 500 B.C. The islands and thilas made this territory one of the most dangerous for the shipping vessels carrying trade items to distant lands. Today, the Maldives is a mecca for vacationers – and divers. Many of the visitors hail from Europe, but with more flights into the capital of Male, North Americans and Australians are experiencing the magic of the Maldives.

When we boarded the beautiful Maldives Aggressor II (www.aggressor.com), there was an immediate feeling of a floating home. Unpacking dive gear, preparing the stateroom for the next ten days of pure comfort and meeting the crew and guests at the evening’s welcome briefing, it was easy to see this would be a memorable journey. Nearly always, there are people in a group you bond with immediately. For George and me, it was a lovely couple from Costa Rica – Andres and Ana - who were celebrating his marriage proposal days before in Sri Lanka. We had ten days to learn more about Andres and Ana, but it was time to focus on jumping in the water.

When we boarded the beautiful Maldives Aggressor II, there was an immediate feeling of a floating home Maldives Aggressor II and its dhoni

STARTING OUT

We could not be happier for everyone on board Maldives Aggressor II being able to make three dives on the first day.

It’s generally the time to get scuba gear all properly weighted and operating and, for those of us wanting to capture photos, making sure the batteries are charged and a card ready to go in the camera body. What generally can be a little messy with all this equipment was easily arranged because, diving in the Maldives, you have a dhoni. This is a unique approach to the style of diving here. A separate vessel, which travels with the main yacht, the dhoni carries the compressors, tanks, gear and provides an efficient way to enter the water and for pickup at the end of the dive. The dhoni for the MAII is one of the biggest, and has its own camera table!

Don’t think the check-out dives are without exceptional encounters with marine life. We were happy that our new dive computers were working properly and the camera systems did not leak. The dives at Kurumba Reef, Fish Factory and Kudagiri Wreck not only presented black-tip sharks and a hawksbill turtle but plenty of eels out on the hunt. One of the most-favourite species of eels in the Maldives is the spotted leopard moray. Big and bold, they are not at all shy around divers – but they are no real threat either! They are beautiful, curious and once you find a single eel, look around. There may be another in the vicinity.

Cushion star atop a vibrant reef, with shoaling snapper behind

The dhoni keeps all of the dive equipment and compressors off the main vessel

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Ana behind a chilled-out turtle

The camera table is spacious enough for several systems

Manta on the night dive

Vaavu Atoll, our destination the following day, would provide plenty of opportunities to see the diverse reef structures and an abundant number of pelagics and hunters off the walls. Bring a reef hook! One of the reasons for the amazing experiences is that the flow of the current, both incoming and outgoing, provides food for the schools of reef fish, Napoleon wrasse, octopus and batfish, and it can be somewhat strong.

The backdrop is made up of unbelievable overhangs dripping with soft corals in colours only a painter can imagine. Lilac lavender, blush yellow and saffron orange delicately hang

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Lilac lavender, blush yellow and saffron orange delicately hang like chandeliers at one of the favourite dive sites Fotheyo Kandu 39

Eye-catching traditional ceremonial outfits

The temples are so bright and colourful

like chandeliers at one of the favourite dive sites. Fotheyo Kandu (Kandu meaning channel) has just the right amount of ocean current to encourage the corals to appear like a bouquet of flowers.

Remaining in Vaavu Atoll for another day was well worth the stay. Far too many opportunities present themselves with more kandus (or ‘can do’s’, if you prefer). On Fushi Kandu, a hawksbill turtle was too busy munching on sponge to pay attention to Ana directly behind. This made for the perfect portrait of Andres’ lovely bride-to-be.

As George and I explored the area, there was plenty of time to photograph in both wide-angle and macro. There were times we overlooked the smallest, but when we did take a closer look we were not disappointed. Rakeedho Kandu, Vanhuravalhi Kandu East and West are home to some of the most-colourful and adorable creatures.

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SHARING SRI LANKA – ANCIENT TRADITIONS AND WONDERFUL WILDLIFE It’s no wonder that Andres decided to propose to Ana in a destination like Sri Lanka. This teardrop-shaped island, which appears to have drifted south of the southern tip of India, has all the romance of sandy beaches, wildlife unimaginable to most, and cultural diversity that is displayed in every colour and with respect. Three hundred years B.C., it was the Buddhists who developed a thriving community along with a desireable economy of cinnamon, coffee and coconuts. When the Portuguese arrived in 1505, they gave the name of Ceylon to the island currently known for the production of the best aromatic tea.

We headed north to the newest of Aggressor Adventures’ expanding portfolio of experiences. Known for their scuba diving, this is the perfect way to end, or begin, your trip to the Maldives. On arrival at the Safari Lodge, we were ready to grab the cameras and head to Wilpattu National Park for a quick afternoon of game watching before returning to the charming lodge environment and luxury tented camp.

Our naturalist and guide, Marlon, was nothing short of amazing - kind and knowledgeable about the wildlife, and what the parks had to offer. While some areas are known for sloth bears and leopards, Minneriya National Park is one of the biggest gatherings of Asian elephants in the world.

Nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to wildlife, but we were lucky to see a young male leopard and his little sister.

They were difficult to see, except for the sharp eyes of Marlon.

Then the moment happened when the protective brother decided it was okay to make an appearance. When he did, the black-faced langurs let everyone know a predator was lurking.

Experiencing the ascent of Sigiriya, also known as Lion’s Rock, is a must. And it takes a bit of a lion attitude to meet the physical challenge of climbing 1,200 steps to the top. Our couple, who made this climb two weeks prior, said it was the view that was most impressive. For us, it was the greater achievement of seeing the forests below knowing that they are filled with lakes, birds, and big animals. Marlon shared some of the history of the place - the fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, ponds, canals, fountains, and gardens.

Make sure to add Sri Lanka and Aggressor Adventures’ new lodge to your bucket list.

The guided tours take you into the ‘real’ Sri Lanka

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A wire coral can be the residence of tiny shrimp, the coral fans can be the perfect hiding place for longnose hawkfish, and clownfish dart in and out of their host anemone. Look out into the blue for a moment or two, and jacks, barracuda, and sharks cruise by.

It was time to pull anchor and head to the most-famous of the atolls in the Maldives - Ari Atoll -where some of the best diving can be found. Ari, which is also called Alifu, is comprised of three geographical atolls - Ari, Rasdhoo, and Thoddoo – and spans a territory of 89km north to south and 1.9 from east to west. It is also the biggest of the atolls in the Maldives. There are dozens of resorts and liveaboards to suit your style, but for our group of avid divers, along with our newly engaged couple, we were pampered, fed fabulous meals and enjoyed the luxury of the salon, cocktail deck and hot tub!

Kudara Thila, a deep pinnacle in the middle of the channel, had just enough current that we could circumnavigate the thila and swim through cuts and crevices. The current also made for a perfect environment where the soft corals and sea fans were stretched out in feeding mode. The dense schools of blue-lined yellow snapper swarmed and swirled around us with little care or concern for the bubbles emanating from our scuba tanks.

In South Ari Atoll, there are moments when the big charismatic species come in. Nature doesn’t always suit our desires, but it must be said that high or low visibility, whether current is strong or mild, and whether the sun is shining or it’s cloudy, it is a gift and delight to even spend a few moments there. If you are a patient diver at one of the manta cleaning stations, allow them to move as they wish with grace. It’s a general practice that if you remain stationary and breathe calmly, you may have one or more come in your direction. That even means a face-to-face encounter within a metre or two!

Moving to North Ari Atoll for our last day of diving, the boat was full of chatter from the guests, a mix of cheers that we would see new terrain. Maaya Thila, Bathalaangga Kanthila and Rashdoo Madivaru are a challenge for us to spell or pronounce, but did not disappoint. For us, it was the added underwater laughter of watching an octopus let us know he, or she, was not pleased with our presence. Never seeing this behaviour before - an eight-armed cephalopod throwing sand at us from its burrow was hysterical. We used up more

Batfish in a coral-draped swim-through

Leaf scorpionfish

The crew laid on a splendid meal on a small island

air during this little show than normal. We slowed down just enough to observe a stunning leaf scorpionfish, which can include a various color renditions, allowing this beautiful species to blend into its environment. Not a bad ending to a romance story. n

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THE BEST WORLD WAR TWO

WRECK DIVING

IN THE SOUTH

PACIFIC

The South Pacific saw some of the fiercest naval battles of World War Two, with countless ships – and planes – coming to grief in these warm tropical waters. Over the years, these wrecks have become vibrant artificial reefs, sites that appeal to both coral lovers and divers with a lust for rust.

So, what are the best World War Two wreck diving sites in the South Pacific?

ESPIRITU SANTO, VANUATU

Possibly one of the best-known World War Two wrecks in the world, the SS President Coolidge lies just offshore the sleepy town of Luganville, on Espiritu Santo. Luganville was a major American base during World War Two and is now one of the best wreck-diving locations in the world. While the Coolidge is the main draw card, there are several great wrecks worth exploring at this destination, including the destroyer SS Tucker, the tugboat Tui Tuate, the island trader Henri Bonneaud and the leftover war equipment dumped into the sea at Million Dollar Point.

HONIARA AND TULAGI, SOLOMON ISLANDS

The stretch of water that separates Honiara and Tulagi, once known as Savo Sound, was renamed Iron Bottom Sound after the Battle of Guadalcanal. During the war both Allied and Japanese forces suffered a massive loss of ships – there are so many wrecks here, not all have been found – in fact, new wrecks are discovered all the time.

Easily accessible from the shore west of Honiara are three Japanese cargo ships - Hirokawa Maru, Kinugawa Maru and Kyusya Maru. Also accessible from the shore is a B17 Bomber and the very-broken-up I1 Japanese submarine. Other wrecks off Honiara that are done as boat dives include the Japanese freighter Azumason Maru, the American Coast Guard liberty ship USS Serpens, the American attack transport ship USS John Penn and, in deeper water, the legendary American destroyer USS Aaron Ward.

PALAU

CORON BAY, PHILIPPINES

CHUUK (TRUK) LAGOON

Another great collection of World War Two shipwrecks can be found in the Philippines in Coron Bay, at the northern end of Palawan. Used as a secret harbour by the Japanese, the fleet was discovered and attacked by the Allies in 1944, and while the ships were later salvaged, they still offer great diving.

The largest shipwreck in Coron Bay is the Okikawa Maru, a 168-metre-long auxiliary oil tanker that rests upright in 26m

and one of the most unique is the Akitsushima, a 118-metrelong seaplane tender that rests on its port side in 35m.

Most divers head to Palau for its abundant pelagic marine life, but Palau was used as a harbour by the Japanese during World War Two. The Japanese ships sunk in the waters of Palau went to the bottom in two attacks in 1944. The most famous is the Iro, a 143-metre-long oil tanker, and two other large oil tankers can also be explored here, the 160-metrelong Amatsu Maru and the 143-metre-long Sata.

This tiny atoll in Micronesia is a Mecca for wreck divers.

A major Japanese navy base in World War Two, the Allies attacked in 1944, sinking over 70 ships. Today Chuuk Lagoon is one of the largest ship graveyards in the world.

The wrecks of Chuuk Lagoon are covered in beautiful corals, home to a wonderful array of marine life and loaded with relics. One of the most famous is the San Francisco Maru, a 117-metre-long cargo and passenger ship. Resting in depths from 30m-60m, this amazing wreck is overloaded with war supplies, including tanks, mines, a steamroller, trucks and munitions. More accessible is the 152-metre-long oil tanker Shinkoku Maru, resting in 12m-36m. n If you’d like more information on a wreck-diving trip, contact the team at Diveplanit Travel for help – www.diveplanit.com, email: enquire@diversiondivetravel.com.au, or FREECALL 1800 607 913 (+61 7 4039 0200)

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Exploring the

EX-HMAS

TOBRUK’S final resting place

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Until very recently, Hervey Bay was known mainly as a whale-watching destination, but as Deborah Dickson-Smith found out, the recently scuttled ex-HMAS Tobruk has got lots of divers excited about the region’s other underwater experiences PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARRIET SPARK AND TRACY OLIVE

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Experience unforgettable marine adventures with Hervey Bays premier dive operator Wreck Diving at its best in just 30m (11m to the side of the ship)

Tours include 2 dives on this mega wreck; Tanks and weights included

Flexible & Bespoke dive tours tailored to suit all levels of certification

Maximum 10 dive customers per trip ensuring personalised service and attention

Group Bookings for 10 divers will receive a 10% discount

Ask us about accommodation options close to the harbour

Hervey Bay’s Premier PADI Dive Centre Ph: +61 481 776 001 | Email: manager@diveherveybay.com.au www.diveherveybay.com.au

A shoal of large jacks swims by the Tobruk

Turtle hanging out on the wreck

A

s I make my way down the mooring line to Australia’s newest wreck, the first sight of her takes my breath away. She’s massive. Of course, we’d been told the wreck’s history and statistics in our dive brief, but seriously, it is hard to imagine what a 127-metre-long wreck looks like before it hoves into view underwater.

So, this is my first impression. Once I’ve taken that in, the second thing I notice is the marine life this wreck has attracted in less than a year. As we approach, we can see a large school of batfish hovering under the top deck balustrade and we’re buzzed by several schools of fusilier and juvenile snapper. Not a bad first impression.

The wreck was the subject of some controversy when she scuttled last year, with the scuttling not quite going to plan.

Because she was scuttled during the whale migration season, explosives could not be used to sink her. Hydraulic pumps were instead used, placed on either side of the vessel, but during scuttling, the hydraulic pumps failed on one side of the vessel, causing the Tobruk to tip over onto her side.

Although the sinking did not go according to plan, the boat’s unintended position on the ocean floor now adds to the dive experience. The ship rests 30m below the ocean’s surface, but her portside hangs in just 12m of water, allowing open water divers access to the shipwreck. Advanced divers have the opportunity to descend a little deeper and access the wreck itself.

The reef is already covered in marine growth

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The ex-HMAS Tobruk is a 127-metre-long Navy vessel that was in operation for 34 years. In that time, she made the equivalent of 40 trips around the world on 26 major missions in destinations such as the Middle East, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Decommissioned in 2015, she was scuttled 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bundaberg in 2018.

When in service, HMAS Tobruk could carry three helicopters, 18 leopard tanks, 40 armoured personnel carriers, up to 520 soldiers and 130 personnel. The vehicles rolled on and off the boat through a large set of doors into a cavernous space that now provides an exciting opportunity for underwater exploration.

We arranged two dives on the ex-HMAS Tobruk wreck with Lady Musgrave Experience, an operator based in Bundaberg that also offers full-day trips to the spectacular Lady Musgrave Island. The journey out to the wreck’s final resting place is aboard fast catamaran Main Event, one of the largest dive boats I’ve ever been on (bigger than some liveaboards), and the one-hour trip is very comfortable.

We can see the wreck before we even enter the water, a large shadow beneath us as we view from the deck. It’s midJune and the water is around 21 degrees C (I’m grateful for my 5mm wetsuit) and fairly clear considering the past few days the region has experienced non-stop driving rain.

There are several mooring lines along the length of the wreck, marking the bow, stern and mid-ships. Each has a guide rope that sits at about 5m deep and descends to meet the top of the wreck at about 13m. We enter roughly mid-ships, and as we continued down the line, the hulking shape of the wreck begins to appear from the murky deep.

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Bollards smothered in life

We don’t experience much current while diving, but if the current is up, these guide lines prove useful for safety stops. The mooring lines run alongside the dive boat, making it very easy to make your way to and from the dive boat to the point of descent. The first dive is an initial orientation of the wreck, and we cover her entire length before actually penetrating the wreck on our second dive.

Every surface is already covered in growth, covered in sponges and soft coral. From bow to stern she is teeming with life.

Huge schools of batfish and Spanish mackerel patrol the deck.

The skeleton of the Tobruk provides the perfect foundation for a coral reef to grow, while the depth of the wreck means that divers have the chance to spot bigger marine life swimming past. It’s whale season again when we dive the wreck, and while swimming the length of the wreck, being buzzed by schools of fusilier, we can hear whale song out in the blue. A large school of barracuda swim by as we make our way back along the guide line to the boat.

Back on the surface we see a large olive sea snake heading past the boat towards the wreck, and I wonder if one day the wreck might resemble the rather more-established wreck of the SS Yongala, now more reef than wreck and famous for its population of olive sea snakes.

After an hour’s surface interval, we head back underwater and explore the inside of the Tobruk. Before we head inside, we’re greeted by Brookie, a green turtle, affectionately named by the team from Lady Musgrave Experience, who now calls the Tobruk home. Brookie often approaches divers, swimming right up and rubbing her shell along their wetsuit. We spotted

USEFUL INFORMATION

Getting There – Both Bundaberg and Hervey Bay are an easy three- to four-hour drive north of Brisbane.

From interstate and overseas, both towns also have airports with a regular service from Brisbane and Sydney on both Virgin Australia and Qantas.

Dive Shops – There are four dive operators who hold permits to access the ex-HMAS Tobruk who each offer a standard package of two dives over a total trip time of five to six hours.

For information on a dive/stay package (individual bookings and groups), contact Diveplanit Travel: diveplanit.com, or enquire@diversiondivetravel.com.au 48

There is still plenty of gear left to see

Divers on the superstructure

As we make our way deeper into the wreck, the water appears bright blue through the large openings in the dark interior of the ship, like light streaming through cathedral windows Brookie resting in a nook on the top deck of the ship. As we swam closer to get a better look, Brookie swayed in the current but stayed put, comfortable with our close proximity.

As we enter the belly of the wreck we are enveloped in darkness. Our torches light up the rusting signage and the silt-covered floor, giving the swim through the Tobruk a slightly eerie feel. As we make our way deeper into the wreck, the water appears bright blue through the large openings in the dark interior of the ship, like light streaming through cathedral windows. We end the dive on the top deck of the Tobruk, with schools of fish darting around in the current and a sea turtle leisurely swimming past.

The ex-HMAS Tobruk wreck is a dive that will challenge and excite long-time wreck enthusiasts and, with its shallowest points between 11m-14m, also suitable for beginners. So overall, a crowd pleaser. n

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Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia

DIVE THE HMAS TOBRUK WITH BUNDABERG AQUA SCUBA

Bunaken National Marine Park

TRY SOME OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND’S BEST WRECK AND REEF DIVING 239 Bourbong Street Bundaberg. Qld. 4670.

Ph + 61741535761 E Julian@aquascuba.com.au www.aquascuba.com.au

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BEYOND TECHNICAL

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The Hermes is an impressive wreck

EXPEDITION 50

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We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com

An epic journey, bureaucratic red-tape and engine problems couldn’t stop Mark Powell revelling in the chance to dive the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier

r The mysterious circula structure on top of the control tower

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK POWELL, CHARLES HOOD AND PETE MESLEY

T

here are not many diveable aircraft carriers in the world, so diving any aircraft carrier is a special experience, but diving HMS Hermes - the first purpose-built aircraft carrier - is a truly unique experience. There had previously been a number of merchant ships that had been converted for use as an aircraft carrier, but HMS Hermes was the first to be commissioned specifically as a carrier.

World War One had shown the advantage of aircraft in warfare and, despite the fact that it was only 20 years since the pioneering flight of the Wright Brothers, the use of aircraft had started to change the face of warfare.

Shell cases remain Previously, naval power has been based on the intact on the wreck ideal of Capital ships. Large battleships had ruled the waves and the introduction of the Dreadnaught Class of ships had ratcheted up the arms race between the Great Powers and had been a significant factor HMS Hermes and HMAS in the complex political situation that had led to World War Vampire were ordered to leave Trincomalee on the east coast One. The use of aircraft for aerial reconnaissance and then for of Sri Lanka and head towards Freemantle, but were recalled bombing had started to change the balance of power. to Trincomalee.

The Royal Navy, despite a very-traditional approach in On 9 April, the Japanese launched their attack with more many areas, was at the leading edge by ordering the first than 80 Japanese Zero fighter bombers attacking Hermes. Due purpose-built aircraft carrier in July 1917. She was laid down to a lack of fighter cover, Hermes had to defend herself, but in January 1918 and launched in September 1919 and so was despite opening fire with every gun it was clear that she was too late to be of any use in World War One. She was finally almost helpless against such an onslaught. Numerous bombs commissioned in July 1923 and so didn’t see active service struck the ship and she sank in less than an hour with the until World War Two. loss of the Captain, 19 officers and 288 ratings on board.

Despite a refit in 1933, she was decommissioned in 1937 Despite being an incredibly important historical wreck, and reduced to Reserve Fleet, where she was used as a HMS Hermes has lain almost unknown until recently. This training vessel. Within a year, the growing political crisis in was because between 1983 and 2009, Sri Lanka was ravaged Europe resulted in Hermes being recommissioned for active by a vicious civil war which had meant that the Hermes was service. Hermes saw action in the Western Approaches, East inaccessible to divers due to the political situation. Since the Coast of Africa, the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf before end of the civil war, it has finally become possible to dive her. returning to the Indian Ocean, where she patrolled between The aim of this project was to carry out a series of dives Sri Lanka and the Seychelles. on the wreck to determine if it was feasible to dive it using In March 1942, the Japanese Navy was ordered to carry out a liveaboard, as all previous dives have been done from the an aggressive raid on Sri Lanka and any British shipping in shore using local boats. We also wanted to determine the the area. Vice Admiral Nagumo, who was also responsible state and layout of the wreck. A secondary objective was to for the attack on Pearl Harbour, had a large fleet of aircraft search for some of the other wrecks that were sunk at the carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers. In mid-March, same time as HMS Hermes. These were two support vessels,

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view all products online

www.narkedat90.com HMAS Vampire and HMS Hollyhock, as well as the RFA tankers SS British Sergeant and SS Athelstane, and merchant cargo ship Norviken.

Despite the end of the civil war, it was still a major effort to get to the wreck. Sri Lanka is a ten-hour flight, which is followed by a seven-hour bus journey to get from the capital Colombo to Trincomalee, where the boat departs.

The plan was to do a couple of warm-up dives on the way to the wreck, to make sure that all of the kit was working. On day three we were finally in a position to dive HMS Hermes. As we dropped down the line we could see that the visibility was excellent. It reduced a little after 30m, but was still impressive. The shot was right on the wreck, near the flight control tower and almost on top of one of the guns. After we tied in the shot, it was time to explore the wreck. She lies on her port side and I headed along the deck towards the stern. The shot was at the forward end of the flight control tower so I could see the main part of the hull on my left and the tower on my right. As I got to the end of the tower I came across the second of the main guns. From this point onwards I was swimming along the side of the hull where the flight deck should have been exposed, but in this area the wreck was almost inverted, so it was difficult to see the scale of the flight deck. I passed another main gun before getting to the stern.

The starboard prop was standing clear and made a very impressive sight. The portside prop was partly buried in the sand and was only partly visible. I made my way slowly back along the wreck until I got back to the shot and had a look around this area before reaching my planned bottom time of 45 minutes. We all had similar plans and so the whole team ascended together with smiling faces all round.

The next day we were up early in order to dive and then have sufficient surface interval for a second dive. The plan for this dive was to explore the flight control tower and then swim forward to the bows. With the shot midships, it made it easy to go off in either direction. We swam along the control tower that lay along the sand, looking into the intact bridge area where gauges, complete with glass, are still present, as well as a range of other fittings. Above the bridge area was a large circular structure that looked like a mini helipad. I assumed this must have been a mounting point for some sort

The wreck is covered in marine life

Intact gun

The wreck is immense

The Royal Navy, despite a very-traditional approach in many areas, was at the leading edge by ordering the first purpose-built aircraft carrier in July 1917 52

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COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS Massive prop on the Hermes

The shot was right on the wreck, near the flight control tower and almost on top of one of the guns of instruments, but interestingly this looked different to the structure shown in the pictures I have of Hermes. Either the structure shown in the pictures was mounted on this circular platform and had fallen off, or possibly it was changed when the ship was retorted. A review of pictures before and after her refit should help to solve this mystery.

We swam back over the control tower towards the bow.

The anchor chains as well as the anchor were clearly visible.

At the bow the recount had come away from the bow and it was possible to see right into the fo’c’sle of the ship. A row of toilets were clearly visible together with an intact lamp fitting in the ceiling. Beyond this it was possible to see down through several decks, and light penetrating through the hull showed that there was a hole in the hull a couple of decks down. Looking in through these holes gave a clear indication of the layout of the forward part of the ship. I couldn’t help but think of the men who served, and in many cases died, on this wreck. The wreck serves as a museum to this unique piece of history, as well as a monument to the men who perished

GET A LUST4RUST

Fanatical wreck diver and highly experienced tech instructor Pete Mesley set up his Lust4Rust trips to some of the world’s best wrecks/wreck-diving locations after becoming increasingly frustrated with the other offerings out there for experienced recreational and technical divers, especially those using CCRs and mixed gases, and they are now an institution for his legions of devoted fans.

Destinations include Truk Lagoon, Solomon Islands, the Great Lakes and Bikini Atoll, and particular wrecks include the Hermes, the Oriskany and the Mikhail Lermontov. www.petemesley.com/lust4rust WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU

on her. I hope that anyone who dives this wreck takes the opportunity to remember these men and treats the wreck with the respect it deserves. The vis on the ascent was spectacular and I could see divers spread out along the shotline.

The next dive we dropped onto the middle section of the ship and then started to swim back from the control tower towards the stern. It was clear that there was a gap between the main deck and the control tower, as if it had broken away and was just lying next to the main deck. Behind the control deck I could start to see what had happened to the rest of the ship. The hull has almost inverted and the flight deck, which rather than being an integral part of the hull in the rear section was effectively just a platform mounted over the main deck, has flattened under the rest of the wreck. Further back, where the hull was more on its side than inverted, the flight deck was more exposed. At the very stern the main deck was very open, with no hull between the main deck and the flight deck. In this area the flight deck had come away from the wreck and formed a debris field next to the stern. From here we followed the hull up to the starboard prop, which stands up above the hull. The propshaft leading forwards and disappearing into the hull was also visible. From here I swam back along the hull before arriving back at the shotline.

On every dive we had seen an amazing variety of fish. Large tuna, grouper and jacks flocked around the wreck, as well as a huge number of other fish. Some of these were an impressive size, with one grouper being considerably larger then me. Some of the tuna were also a very-impressive sight. As well as the fish, a huge variety of coral and other marine life means that there was significantly more life on this wreck than on the vast majority of reefs. As we steamed back to Trincomalee, I reflected that we had dived a truly world-class wreck. The historical background behind HMS Hermes, the fantastic state of the wreck and the abundance of marine life set this wreck apart. n

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What’s New

KUBI SPECIAL EDITION RED DELUXE DRYGLOVES

There is a new Special Edition version of the KUBI Drygloves available for a limited time only – the Red Deluxe.

The Red Deluxe includes KUBI aluminium rings with specialedition red and white reflex labels on both the cuff and the glove sides, a choice of latex outer gloves (either red textured heavyweight latex gloves or black standard 1.6mm latex gloves), Sub Zero F2 thermal inner gloves, red KUBI carry bag, Narkox-Mini bottle of oil, KUBI-Card (to assist with removal of O-rings), KUBI meri-no wool hat, and a KUBI mask strap. www.kubistore.com

BEUCHAT MUNDIAL ONE-50

The Mundial One-50s are a full-foot fin which is perfect for freediving, or just a spot of snorkel-ling.

The reactive foot pocket design has a reinforced instep, and the stabilisers on either side of the blade are integrated into the foot pocket tips.

There are also stabilisers integrated into the end of the blade itself, which ends with a fishtail shape designed to ensure more accurate direction control. www.beuchat-diving.com 54

FOURTH ELEMENT KIDS COLLECTION

The younger soon-to-be diving fraternity need to look as cool as their parents, and this limited-edition collection has a fun feel in bright colours.

Each T-shirt is made from 100 percent organic cotton, traceable from farm to factory, GMO-free and grown without the use of chemicals. The design is printed in water-based inks, which are free from harmful chemicals and more gentle on the environment.

Sizes are 5-6, 7-8, 9-11, and 12-14 years old. www.fourthelement.com

MARES MANTA WETSUIT RANGE Mares make a whole host of wetsuits, but the Manta range, which is made using 2.2mm neoprene, is equally useful for snorkelling and even surface watersports as well as warm-water diving.

There are both steamer and shortie versions available, in male and female cuts. There is also a junior shortie version.

The Manta suits feature a double lining and back zip and in the case of the full-length versions, rubberised kneepads for durability. www.mares.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU

AMMONITE DIVE LIGHT HEADS

Ammonite have released three new dive light heads, and while they are so new that details are still sketchy, what we do know is that they are bloody bright!

The Speleo is a cave-diving light pumping out 1,500 lumens. It comes with a 10aH battery.

The Solaris Next Generation is designed as a wreck diving light and chucks out an impressive 4,500 lumens.

The Nautilus is a focusable head with, according to Ammonite, market-leading output. It comes with a 24aH 200m-rated Accuthermo heated pack. www.ammonitesystem.com

AQUA LUNG CERAMIQSKIN The CeramiQskin first-layer range is the most-advanced Aqua Lung suit ever, and is designed to assist you in staying warm during dives – it can be worn alone for warm-water dives, or under a drysuit or wetsuit for colder conditions.

The material is an exclusive and highly technical fabric that gives a high level of thermal protection, zero buoyancy and extreme comfort thanks to the Ceramic technology applied in the tri-laminated fabric. This technology uses a blend of 30 metallic oxides derived from volcanic rocks, heated at 1,600 degrees C and mixed with a PU binder. This ‘paste’ is then applied on a PU membrane, enabling it to capture the ‘far’ infrared rays emitted by the user’s body and return them to the person, keeping them warm, activating blood micro-circulation, and providing a high level of comfort.

CeramiQskin is a blend of Lycra exterior with a breathable Polyurethane membrane and polar fleece inside. The breathable PU facilitates the transfer of moisture from inside to outside, but is a watertight barrier from outside to inside. A silicone strip on the inside edge of the top helps keep it in place and prevent it ‘riding up’.

The range is composed of tops (short and long sleeve) and pants, in male and female designs. www.aqualung.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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Test Extra

OTTER WATERSPORTS ATLANTIC HD KEVLAR

Mark Evans: What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Kevlar’? I bet ‘bulletproof’ is in the top three for sure, and Kevlar is certainly an extremely durable, robust and strong material. These qualities mean it is ideal for the world of diving, where - let’s be honest - equipment does take more than its fair share of a battering, especially right here in the UK. Over my 20-odd years in the diving industry, there have been a few Kevlar products come across my desk. I recall a pair of wet gloves which had an outer skin made from Kevlar. They were extremely abrasion resistant, it has to be said, but the dexterity left something to be desired.

Then I had a Fourth Element Argonaut Kevlar drysuit.

This was my first encounter with a suit made from this material, and it was a revelation. Now the Kevlar that the Fourth Element suit was made from was a weird breathable fabric, which was very thin and appeared to actually ‘weep’ liquid as it allowed moisture from inside the suit to escape to the outside. It was lightweight, very flexible and gave plenty of manoeuvrability. However, it seems that there was an issue getting the seam glue to bond with the Kevlar, as the majority of the seams on my suit gave up the ghost after a couple of years, and I know of several others that had the same issue. Fourth Element have rectified this by dropping the Kevlar from the line-up and moving on to a similarly thin but stretchy material they call ‘Stealth’.

Now Otter Watersports are getting in on the act, with a Kevlar version of their latest membrane drysuit, the Atlantic. The Atlantic has been garnering rave reviews, and is currently in our Long Term Test line-up, being given the once-over by long-time contributor and technical diver Jason Brown.

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Described by Otter as ‘the new standard in explorationgrade drysuits’, the Atlantic and the Atlantic HD are visually very similar to the award-winning and best-selling Britannic II, but they feature a nifty seamless underarm pattern designed to give more flexibility, especially for those reaching over their heads to cylinder valves on twinsets, or cave divers having to work around tight restrictions.

I currently own and dive an Otter Watersports Britannic II, so was used to the build quality and feel that the company are famous for - along with their legendary customer service - so I was excited to receive a box containing the Atlantic Kevlar.

First impression? It looks cool. I was quite taken with the colour scheme of the Kevlar material, which almost defies description. It is a strange green/yellow/grey, but when it is wet it almost goes a gun-metal grey. Whatever colour you want to call it, I like it, and it certainly stands out from the crowd.

It doesn’t feel as thick or stiff as the material of my Britannic II, and it was certainly easier to get on and off. * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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Test Extra

OTTER WATERSPORTS ATLANTIC HD KEVLAR

There is definitely more flexibility in this Kevlar material, so it is not just a case of it being more durable, there are other benefits to be had.

As with the standard Atlantic and the HD version, there are loads of personalisation options available.

It can be equipped with soft ‘socks’ to go inside Otter’s Rock Boots, or as in my test version, the neat Turbo boots, which have a sturdy sole, but are made from flexible, comfortable neoprene. I love these boots, which fit close to your foot more like a wet bootie, reducing any potential air space, and the Velcro-closing strap around the ankle further reduces air migration into your feet.

You can have standard latex seals, or you can opt for a factory-fitted dryglove system, either a SiTech set-up, or a KUBI. My test suit was fitted with KUBIs, which I am very familiar with having them on my Britannic II, and retrofitting them to my Fourth Element Argonaut Stealth. They are very easy to get on and off, and with a decent pair of under-gloves, you will have toasty warm hands regardless of the temperature you are diving in.

This particular suit was also equipped with an optional

pee valve, and as well as the standard internal braces, also had a useful pocket which attaches at the front of the braces, and is perfectly placed for you to be able to reach a hand in through the cross-torso zipper and stash/retrieve your car keys, wallet, etc. The spacious thigh pockets are well equipped with bungee cords ad D-rings to secure the contents - slates, back-up torches, etc - and they have a neat zippered pocket on the ‘flap’.

So what was it like to dive? Well, first and foremost, as you’d expect, it kept me nice and dry. The soft neoprene neck seal and the KUBI drygloves eliminated any potential water ingress. I tried contorting myself into all manner of shapes and positions, and while I obviously was aware I was wearing a drysuit and thick undersuit (Fourth Element’s Halo 3D), it didn’t feel overly restrictive.

Definitely worth looking at if you want a durable, wellmade and robust drysuit which most certainly does not blend in with the endless line up of black suits.

As with all Otter suits, it came with a soft and comfortable 5mm hood, and a neat bag-cum-changing-mat. www.drysuits.co.uk * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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DUAL FAMILY

Performance and Reliability, Competitive Price

DUAL ADJ 52X

DUAL 15X

2n Stage

2n Stage

•

Vortex Assisted Design (VAD) ensures a natural

•

Ultra light and ultra resistant

breathing at any depth

•

VAD

•

Adjustable cracking effort

•

Superflex hose for improved comfort

•

Pneumatically Assisted Design (PAD)

•

Also available as an octopus

1st Stage

1st Stage

•

Diaphragm Design

•

Diaphragm Design

•

Auto Sealing Technology (AST) system

•

Simple, rugged and compact

•

Dynamic Flow Control (DFC) improves airflow particu-

•

4 pre oriented LP ports, one of which offers DFC

larly at depth •

Natural Convection Channel technology (NCC), allows for better thermal exchange, increasing resistance to freezing

Test Extra

BEUCHAT FOCEA COMFORT 6

Mark Evans: Beuchat have long made some well-regarded wetsuits, and the Focea Comfort 6, available in both 5mm and 7mm, is right up there with the best.

I got the 5mm version on test, and it looks pretty eyecatching in black with various imprints and zips in a vibrant lime, as well as abrasion-resistant Black Shield protection on the shoulders, legs and seat area. It is an effective design, not too outlandish that will soon date, but better than plain black. The build quality is superior, with lots of neat features - all the zips, for instance, are reinforced at the ends with neoprene to avoid any risk of tearing if you get a little rough with them.

This one-piece suit comprises 44 panels and 20 different grades of neoprene, which is pre-formed for an anatomical cut ensuring maximum comfort and ease of movement.

I have to say, it was exceptionally easy to get on and off, with zippers on the wrists and ankles, and it felt more like a 3mm when I was twisting and bending around.

This ease of movement is helped massively by the Flex System 2 sections on the inside of the elbows and back of the knees - these reduced any effort when it came to crouching down or flexing my arms.

It is fitted with a universal computer holder, which is designed to hold your dive computer in place on the suit. You slot the holder on to the back of your computer by threading the straps through it - in this instance, a Shearwater Research Teric - and then the Velcro pad on the back docks with the matching pad on the arm of the wetsuit. It adds an element of additional security with the computer’s strap by holding it solidly in place.

Now when I dive in the UK, regardless of the time of year, I dive in a drysuit. Call me ‘nesh’, but I like to be warm.

However, this time I forced myself out of my comfort zone and donned the Focea Comfort 6 for a dive in Trearddur Bay in Anglesey.

* = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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Test Extra

BEUCHAT FOCEA COMFORT 6

The water temperature was a balmy 15 degrees C, so I twinned it up with a Beuchat 2mm hooded undervest (£95) for a bit of extra warmth around my torso. This 5mm Focea Comfort 6 is classed as ‘category B’, which means it is the equivalent of a 7mm, and I have to say, it was a bit of a revelation. Water ingress was minimal to say this is a wetsuit and not a semi-dry, and any water that did get inside stayed there - there was little flushing.

I happily mooched about through the kelp, and even though I didn’t get much depth - around 8m maximum - I encountered pollock, wrasse, lobster, crabs, squat lobster, prawns and blennies. Before I knew it, I had been in 45 minutes - and I didn’t feel the slightest bit cold! It apparently uses Fireskin, a water-repellent fabric with a specially structured weave that offers a high degree of thermal protection, and I can honestly say it works! I fully expected to be shivering after 30 minutes!

So will I now be in a wetsuit in the summer months off our shores? Well no, I am still a devotee of drysuits, however, I was pleasantly surprised at the performance of this suit, especially in a combo with the vest - so much so, as you read this, I will have been back into Welsh waters wearing it for a ‘Dad and lad’ dive with Luke in his Beuchat 6.5m Focea children’s wetsuit!

If you are more of a travelling diver, it would be perfect for use in the Mediterranean, or in the Red Sea during the winter. Paired up with the undervest, it can handle relatively low temperatures, so this would also be a good bet if you were heading for the likes of the Galapagos, where the temperatures can vary dramatically. www.beuchat-diving.com

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MARES JUPITER AND JUNO

Mark Evans: Masks are a very personal thing, and once people find one that fits well and doesn’t leak, they will cherish it like their first born. However, it is highly unlikely that one mask will suit everyone - it might be too wide for some, not have a big enough nose pocket for others, have the wrong kind of strap, and so on.

Mares have decided to tackle that problem by essentially offering two versions of the same mask.

The Juno is a frameless single-lens mask, that has a firm but comfortable silicone skirt, and neat, pivoting buckles that are mounted directly on to the skirt, so they can fold flat if you want to pop it into your drysuit pocket as a back-up mask, for instance. The stretchy strap is adjusted by pressing two buttons in either side of the buckle - these are chunky enough that you can find and depress them even wearing thick neoprene gloves. It is low profile, so easy to clear, and it offers decent peripheral vision.

It comes in a wide range of colours - blue/white, green/ black, pink/clear, red/white, white.clear (same as this test model), white/black, white/blue, and red/black.

The Jupiter is the ‘big brother’ of the Juno. It is the same style as the Juno - single-lens design, silicone skirt, pivoting buckle - but with an ‘XL’ skirt fit for bigger faces.

It comes in less of a range of colours - black/white (same as this test model), blue/black, red/white, and white/black.

Externally they do not look that different, the Jupiter lens is very slightly wider, but internally the skirt is that bit wider than the Juno. And it does make a difference. I could comfortably wear the Jupiter, but the Juno was a bit narrow on my face, but 13-year-old Luke found the Juno a perfect fit on him. They offer a decent range of vision all-

round, and we found it easy to clear from a partial and full flood. And they come in at a stonking price. www.mares.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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Long Term Test SEALIFE SEA DRAGON MINI 1300S

Mark Evans: SeaLife are well known for their range of affordable but robust and user-friendly cameras and strobes/video lights, but now they are entering the arena of dive lights. The anodised aluminium Mini 1300S uses a Luxeon V LED to emit an ultra-narrow six-degree spot beam, which at full power is 1,300 lumen, and with the supplied Xtar 18650 (2,600 mAh) rechargeable battery has a runtime of 55 minutes at full power. It had nifty INFORMATION Arrival date: July 2019 features like a coloured Suggested retail price: * battery indicator, and is Number of dives: 0 depth-rated to 100m.

Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins www.sealife-cameras.com

SUUNTO D5 Mark Evans: The Suunto D5 is going to be very successful for Suunto. How do I know? Well, it has only just been released and yet on a trip to Egypt with Deptherapy, more than half a dozen of the divers involved were wearing one on their wrists.

Publishing Director Ross Arnold is still sporting his test unit, and as you can see from this photo, even in direct sunlight in the Middle East, the full-colour display is still clear and easy to read. www.suunto.com 64

MARES EPIC ADJ 82X Mark Evans: We have focused on the performance and features of the Epic Adj 82X over the last few months, this issue I want to concentrate on the asthetics. This is a good-looking regulator, and it has garnered many positive comments from fellow divers when it has accompanied me underwater.

That gun-metal finish, as well as being robust and ultra-tough, is certainly eye-catching. www.mares.com

INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 27 Time in water: 25 hrs 50 mins

APEKS TECH SHORTS

INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 26 Time in water: 25 hrs 15 mins

Mark Evans: The Tech Shorts got the thumbs up from several of the guys at Deptherapy, including tripleamputee Josh Boggi, seen sporting them here. They praised the durability of the shorts, the comfort and fit, and the accessibility of the pockets. They were certainly INFORMATION Arrival date: March 2019 getting some hammer, but Suggested retail price: * were none the worse for Number of dives: 27 wear afterwards.

Time in water: 25 hrs 35 mins www.apeksdiving.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU

OTTER WATERSPORTS ATLANTIC Mark Evans: Guest tester Jason Brown has been logging plenty more dives in his Otter Watersports Atlantic, and here is he looking particularly smug as he managed to blag his way on to a seven-day liveaboard diving adventure during the actual 100th anniversary week of the German Navy High Seas Fleet scuttling in Scapa Flow.

As you can see, the Atlantic put in a superb performance in the Orkney Islands, keeping him warm and dry as he explored the World War One wrecks. www.drysuits.co.uk

INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 38 Time in water: 37 hrs 55 mins

AQUA LUNG AQUAFLEX Mark Evans: The Aqua Lung Aquaflex wetsuits had a good run in the Red Sea, the male version on Ross in Aqaba, and the female version with my wife Penney Evans in Egypt. Ross liked the fit and flexibility of the suit, while Penney was very impressed with how easy it was to get on and off. She normally struggles a bit with her old 5mm, but she was into this one quicker than she takes in a 3mm. That super-stretchy neoprene really makes a difference when it comes to donning and doffing the wetsuit.

Both of them commented on the warmth of the suit INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 as well - we completed Suggested retail price: * some long dives and Number of dives: 24 neither felt remotely chilly.

Time in water: 23 hrs 15 mins www.aqualung.com

APEKS XL4+ Mark Evans: Luke Evans used the Apeks XL4+ on our Egypt trip for his Junior Advanced Open Water Diver course, and when I returned to Roots Red Sea five weeks later with Deptherapy, Simon Reed, one of the support team, was using his newly purchased XL4+. He was very happy with the breathe and performance of the regulator, and its travel-friendly size, and apart from some japes about it not being ‘techie-black’ from certain quarters - yes Howard Payne, I mean you - it got the thumbs up. And if it is INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 good enough for a Royal Suggested retail price: * Marine, it is good enough Number of dives: 47 for you.

Time in water: 45 hrs 35 mins www.apeksdiving.com

SHEARWATER RESEARCH TERIC Mark Evans: The Shearwater Research Teric had its last hurrah in the Long Term Test stable in Egypt when I accompanied the Deptherapy team on their largest-ever expedition.

One of the instructors was also sporting a Teric, and I have to say, he was just as impressed by the unit as I have been. It looks good in an understated way, it has a nice solid feel to it, and that screen is just so INFORMATION Arrival date: December 2018 unbelievably bright. A Suggested retail price: * supremely well-specced Number of dives: 38 and competent computer.

Time in water: 37 hrs 30 mins www.shearwater.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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SCHOLARSHIP DIARY

The Our-World Underwater Scholarship Society is a non-profit, educational organisation whose mission is to promote educational activities associated with the underwater world. It has offered scholarships for over 35 years. owuscholarship.org

TASMANIA TO SCOTLAND, AND 3D PHOTOGRAMMETRY FUN PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JOANNA SMART

T

he time had come in my Scholarship year to experience the marine environments of the northern hemisphere. I packed my bags and made the exhausting 50-hour journey from my home in Tasmania to the small town of Oban in the northwest of Scotland.

Scotland marked the first stop on my round-the-world trip, which was to also include Italy, the Faroe Islands, Oslo, and the United States.

Upon arrival in Scotland, I was greeted by the wonderful Martin Sayer, owner and managing director of Tritonia Scientific. Tritonia Scientific is a world-leading provider of scientific and commercial diving services, hyperbaric therapy and conducts a range of innovative underwater research and technology development. I was to spend the next three weeks learning about Tritonia’s operations and variety of new underwater skills and survey techniques.

My first task at Tritonia was to create a 3D map of a variety of underwater objects and reefs.

This technique is known as 3D photogrammetry and is an incredibly powerful tool for site analysis and the recording of important archaeological artefacts. I started off on land learning how to recreate models of dive tanks and other small items before progressing to underwater to map parts of shipwrecks, piers and reefs. I thoroughly enjoyed making 3D models of the sites and thrilled to see them come to life in miniature through the use of a 3D printer.

After photogrammetry, I was able to help out a number of different researchers with their underwater data collection at various sites around northwest Scotland. I assisted in the

Joanna Smart

collection of seaweeds and benthic photographing for a blue carbon research project, surveys for environmental impacts of waste water, and the collection of samples for biochemical analysis of seawater surrounding reefs. All of the projects gave me hand’s-on practice conducting science underwater, and I learnt something new every time I got in the water.

I had a fantastic time in Scotland and fell in love with the country’s rugged landscape, green water and unpredictable weather. I cannot thank the team at Tritonia enough for hosting me during my time in Scotland. Next stop, Italy! n

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