Scuba Diver Issue 36

GO DIVING SHOW

MIKHAIL LERMONTOV

BACK TO SHARM

A-TO-Z EXHIBITOR LIST FOR THE MOST-EXCITING DIVING EVENT OF 2020

PETE MESLEY TAKES US DEEP INTO THE BOWELS OF NZ’S SUNKEN LINER

OVERVIEW OF SHARM CELEBRATING THE RETURN OF UK DIRECT FLIGHTS

Eye of a IN THE WATER WITH DOMINICA’S SPERM WHALES 4jrcB | £3.25

02

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SCHOLAR

‣ Q&A: SARAH RICHARD ‣ MALDIVES LIVEABOARD

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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

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EDITOR’S NOTE ANOTHER FATALITY FROM THE THAI CAVE RESCUE Extremely sad news came out of Thailand at the beginning of the year. We all know that the dramatic rescue of the 12 boys and their football coach from the Tham Luang cave system took the life of former Navy Seal Lt Commander Saman Gunan, but now it has also claimed another victim.

More than a year after the against-all-odds rescue mission that captivated the entire world, Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara finally succumbed to a blood infection that he picked up during the rescue attempt. According to reports, he had been in and out of hospital receiving treatment ever since the mission successfully extricated the children and their coach, but tragically his condition had worsened after the infection spread, and he died at the end of December.

GO Diving Show While on the subject of the Thai cave rescue, one of the heroes of that very event will be at the GO Diving Show, at the Ricoh Arena from 21-23 February.

Chris Jewell, who together with John Volanthen, Rick Stanton and Jason Mallinson brought the stranded boys and their coach out of the cave system, will be speaking on the Tech Stage.

Book tickets now at www.godivingshow.com and use the promo code MAG2020 to get a 2-for-1 offer!

To be in with a chance of winning a ticket, look for these promo codes - such as UgsG0 - hidden throughout the magazine. Good luck!

(T&C - strictly one per person, per household.

No cash value offered. Tickets can be redeemed at: www.godivingshow.com)

Mark Evans Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mark Evans Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 700 Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@griffital.co.uk

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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.

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ISSN 2514-2054

3

1984 - 2020

by guest Caroline H. in Sri Lanka by guest Fred B. in Cayman Islands

Capture the Moments

by guest Aldebaran in Guadalupe, Mexico

Big cats, great white sharks and the largest Asian elephant gathering in the world.

A Sri Lankan rock palace, ancient ruins and 2,000-year-old trees. The wildlife, nature and settings you’ll encounter on Aggressor® vacations will leave you breathless, but guests with a steady hand and adventurous spirit come away with memories of a lifetime and the photos to prove it. Intimate, luxurious accommodations and impeccable service are what our guests love and the amazing photos are just the icing on the cake.

Join an Aggressor Adventure® and create your own masterpieces! by guest Michele W. in Sri Lanka

36 Years of Worldwide Luxury Travel

by guest William G. in Indonesia

You’ll Remember Forever!

All photos were taken by our guests during Aggressor Adventures®.

by guest Scott J. in Giza, Egypt by guest Chris S. in Dominican Republic

See more amazing guests’ photos @AggressorAdventures on Instagram New! Philippines Aggressor diving starts May 2020

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GO DIVING SHOW

MIKHAIL LERMONTOV

BACK TO SHARM

A-TO-Z EXHIBITOR LIST FOR THE MOST-EXCITING DIVING EVENT OF 2020

PETE MESLEY TAKES US DEEP INTO THE BOWELS OF NZ’S SUNKEN LINER

OVERVIEW OF SHARM CELEBRATING THE RETURN OF UK DIRECT FLIGHTS

Eye of a IN THE WATER WITH DOMINICA’S SPERM WHALES 4jrcB | £3.25

02

+

SCHOLAR

p001_ScubaDiver-36.indd 1

‣ Q&A: SARAH RICHARD ‣ MALDIVES LIVEABOARD

PHOTOGRAPH BY: WALT STEARNS

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18/01/2020 13:55

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

6 News

24 The Maldives

The SETT tank closes in Gosport, Thai cave rescue claims a second victim, Bahamas ban single-use plastics, and the dive industry mourns the death of Aggressor Adventures’ Wayne Hasson.

68 Underwater Photography

Martyn Guess provides some insight into, and also tips on getting, motion blur into your images.

72 Photographer of the Month

Lena Kavender and Byron Conroy board the majestic Emperor Explorer and venture off on an action-packed itinerary taking in some of the best dive sites in the Maldives.

32 Q&A: Sarah Richard

Scuba Diver chats to Sarah Richard, the founder of Girls That Scuba, to find out how she first got started in diving, and what drives her passion regarding women in the sport.

36 The Next Generation

On our series showcasing talented underwater photographers, we focus on Dan Bolt.

We talk to Ellie Stewart, who recently became the world’s youngest-ever SSI Extended Range Trimix Instructor, to find out how she kicked off her scuba diving passion, and what led her into technical diving.

98 OWUSS Scholarship

38 Dominica

Kim Hildebrandt heads Down Under to dive off Tasmania and New Zealand, before cage diving with great whites off the Neptune Islands.

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Experienced photo-journalist and Scuba Diver Destinations Editor-atLarge Walt Stearns is left awe-struck after snorkelling with the resident sperm whales living in the waters off the Caribbean island of Dominica.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

46 ABOVE 18m: Scotland

82 What’s New

Lawson Wood explores the Burnmouth Caverns off the southeast coast of Scotland, which he reckons have enough marine life to keep divers of all levels occupied.

52 Egypt

As direct flights from Great Britain resume to Sharm el Sheikh, Mark Evans picks out the diving highlights of this area, and explains why it is so popular with UK divers.

58 GO Diving Show: Exhibitor Guide

Comprehensive listing of all of the exhibitors showcasing their products and services at the Ricoh Arena from 21-23 February.

76 TECHNICAL: Mikhail Lermontov

Pete Mesley from Lust4Rust takes us on a grand tour of the 20,000-tonne, 175-metre ocean liner/cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov, which sank off the coast of New Zealand in February 1986 after colliding with rocks, taking one of her crew members with her.

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We take a look at new products to market, including Fourth Element’s debris bag, the Scubapro D mask and Hydros X, the Mares sidemount modular system, and a limited-edition Shearwater Research Teric.

84 Gear Guide

Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans heads to Vivian Quarry in North Wales to rate and review the Scubapro HUD dive computer, and BARE’s innovative Exowear exposure protection.

94 Long Term Test

The Scuba Diver Test Team rate and review a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Mares Genius dive computer, Scubapro G2, the Apeks VX1 mask, and the Aqua Lung Bali and AquaFlex wetsuits.

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WHERE IT ALL BEGINS WWW.EGYPT.TRAVEL

SHARM EL SHEIKH THIS IS RUSH HOUR

ASK YOUR TRAVEL AGENT

Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from right here in the UK, 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

END OF ERA FOR GOSPORT’S ICONIC

SUBMARINE ESCAPE TOWER

F

or the last time the team who teach submariners how to escape from a stricken boat gather at the Submarine Escape Tower in Gosport before the iconic structure closes.

Tens of thousands of submariners – not to mention freedivers during the period when it was open for public usage - have passed through the Submarine Escape Training Tank (SETT) since July 13 1954, when the first man ascended the 30m column of water to simulate emerging from a sunken submarine. With the entire submarine flotilla moving to Faslane – as well as advances in submarine design, escape training and changes in the way rescues are handled – the SETT is no longer required.

The tower was built between 1949 and 1953 as part of a wholesale revamp of submarine escape training, prompted by a report drawn up by Captain Phillip Ruck-Keene just after World War Two.

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The loss of HMS Thetis – on the eve of war – and HMS Truculent – sunk in the Thames after colliding with a Swedish tanker in January 1950 – both with heavy loss of life, as well as many other submarines accidents and experiences, played a significant role in the lessons taught.

Using the tank, submariners are expected to escape without breathing apparatus - they use a specially-designed escape suit to breathe as required.

During the peak of usage in the 1960s and 1970s, around 4,500 submariners every year made the daunting ascent – it’s thought the escape tank has been used more than 150,000 times in its 66-year life.

Today the tank is just one element of the UK’s submarine rescue capability, which also includes the Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (who leap from aircraft into the water to help crew who’ve escaped from a boat as taught in the SETT), and NATO’s Submarine Rescue System ‘Nemo’, also based in Faslane.

The Royal Navy stopped pressurised ascent training in the 900,000-litre tank in 2012, but still uses the facility for non-pressurised drills and teaching.

In the SETT’s existence, only one British boat – HMS Artemis – has been lost (she sank at her moorings in an accident in 1971, ironically just a stone’s throw from the tower), without any casualties. In its place, opening later this year, is the Submarine Escape Rescue Abandonment and Survival Training Facility (SMERAS TF). The team will be moving en-masse from Gosport to Faslane, leaving a skeleton team behind on the south coast.

“2020 marks the end of an era, so it’s a poignant moment for all of us,” said Lieutenant Commander Gareth ‘Griff’ Griffiths, in charge of the team.

“We’re looking forward to carrying the lessons of our past many years into the future of submarine escape, rescue, abandonment and survival training.

“Our success is due, in no small part, to our commitment to one another and the unique perspective of being submariners.”

At the heart of the replacement complex at Faslane is a huge ‘abandonment and sea survival training environmental pool’ where various weather conditions and sea states can be replicated in the safety of an indoor pool.

As for the SETT, it will be preserved as it is a listed building, protected by law for its national and international role in submarine safety. n

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

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11 12:00 22.01.19

THAI CAVE RESCUE CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM AS NAVY SEAL DIES FROM INFECTION The dramatic rescue of the 12 boys and their coach from the Tham Luang cave complex in Thailand tragically claimed the life of one Thai Navy Seal at the time, and now it has sadly killed a second more than a year on.

Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara contracted a blood infection during the dramatic rescue, and had been in and out of hospital receiving treatment ever since, but his condition worsened after the infection spread and he died at the end of December.

He is the second navy diver to die in relation to the rescue. Former Thai Navy Seal Lt Commander Saman Gunan was the first casualty, who ran out of air and drowned in the midst of the daring rescue attempt, as he was shuttling tanks of compressed air in and out of the cave system. Petty Officer Bayroot was buried at the Talosai mosque in southern Satun province.

DEAD SCOTTISH SPERM WHALE PUT UNDER GUARD TO STOP TOOTH LOOTERS A young male sperm whale which became separated from its ‘bachelor pod’ and subsequently grounded in the Moray Firth, sadly dying a few hours later, had to be put under guard due to fears of people © WDC/Charlie Phillips stealing the animal’s teeth.

The 15-metre, 20-ton whale, which was first seen in difficulty near Ardersier on Monday 6 January, was being watched over by members of the Coastguard and British Divers Marine Life Rescue, but unfortunately could not be saved.

Charlie Philips, a field officer of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation organisation, said: The whale, which was otherwise in good health and had been feeding well a week or so before its death, was examined and a port-mortem revealed it may have had a brain problem.”

“At the time of the stranding, we also had Coastguard officers on the scene acting as ‘policemen’ because all stranded whales belong to the Queen, and people have a habit of trying to steal sperm whale teeth because they are quite valuable.”

Dr Andrew Brownlow, from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, was involved in the port-mortem, and explained that sperm whales that become stranded on the east coast of the UK tend to be teenage males, whose normal feeding grounds are in the deep ocean trenches between Scotland and Norway, and that this individual had probably made ‘a navigational error’.

He said: “When it comes to the middle of winter and they are thinking of heading back down to their breeding ground in the Azores, it seems they make a navigational error and rather than go through the Pentland Firth and through the Minch and down the west coast of Scotland, they end up in the North Sea, which is not a great habitat for them, as there are no real food sources.”

According to the Highland Council, the whale was subsequently buried on Wednesday 8 January after being moved to farmland to minimise public health concerns.

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MIDLANDS DIVE CHAMBER LAUNCHES DIVE LECTURES 2020 IN AID OF BITE-BACK Join us for an evening of escapism, adventure and laughter, with great speakers and most importantly, fundraising for a great cause. Dive Lectures 2020, brought to you by the Midlands Diving Chamber in aid of Bite-Back, will take place on Wednesday 1 April, at the Macready Theatre, Rugby School.

Bite-Back are dedicated to shark and marine conservation, and aim to:

© Kim Davidsson

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Taking to the inaugural stage is camera operator and explorer Katy Fraser. Having spent her career producing work for her independent film company, She Dives Tech, Katy has now exploded onto the Natural History diving scene with her unique concepts and ideas, working with BBC and Silverback Films LTD. Midlands Diving Chamber are also pleased to present Leigh Bishop, shipwreck explorer and pioneer of deep-wreck mixed-gas diving and regarded as one of the most-accomplished wreck divers in the world. Entrance will be free, so please ensure that you help the MDC to fill up the Bite-Back buckets on the night.

Tickets will go extremely quickly, so register now to avoid missing out on your place, and if you can’t go, then give your ticket back for re-distribution.

Date: Wednesday 1 April 2020 | Time: 7pm (doors open at 6pm) Location: Macready Theatre, Rugby School.

Ticket registration here: www.eventbrite.com/o/midlands-diving-chamber-29096889389

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Angels among us.

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The Bahamas Ministry of Environment and Housing implemented a ban on the importation of single-use plastics nationwide on 1 January.

The purpose of the ban is to reduce plastic consumption in order to reduce plastic pollution across the country.

Reducing the proliferation of plastic in the island communities will create a healthier environment that will serve to prevent massive landfill fires, reduce litter on the streets and beaches, and improve the general health of the nation.

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is blessed with some of the clearest water in the world, making it especially attractive for snorkellers and divers exploring the abundant marine and coral life. The low-lying islands of this archipelagic nation are, however, especially vulnerable to climate change and the plastic ban is part of the government’s response to the global phenomenon that is devastating the environment by shifting weather patterns and creating monster storms like Hurricane Dorian. The goal is to improve the country’s survival rate by reducing the likelihood of these types of storms, rising sea levels, and other challenges that the small-island state faces as global climate changes at an unprecedented rate. By acting today, the Bahamas aim to reduce the potential risk, cost, and devastation that all could face tomorrow. It is hoped that the plastic ban will play a key role in conserving the health of the world’s third largest barrier reef and its marine life. The ban is being implemented in phases to allow the public to make a smoother transition to life without the ‘4Bidden Four’ single-use plastic products, which are: • Single-use plastic bags • Plastic utensils • Plastic straws • Styrofoam containers and cups On 1 January, the importation of these items into the country was completely banned. Business owners can offer consumers these items from their current supply without charge, except for plastic bags, until 30 June 2020.

Businesses are permitted to charge a fee of $.25 to $1 to consumers for plastic bags and biodegradable bags during this period (1 January – 30 June 30 2020).

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EMERGENCY DECLARED AS GALAPAGOS ISLANDS UNDER THREAT FROM SUNKEN FUEL BARGE The government of Ecuador had to put emergency procedures into action to try and limit the impact of a major fuel spill in the Galapagos Islands at the end of December.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site – recognised as one of the most-fragile ecosystems on the planet – was under threat from 600 gallons of diesel which was on a barge.

The Orca barge was being loaded with an electrical generator on Sunday 22 December in a port on San Cristobal Island when the crane doing the lifting tipped forwards and on to the boat, causing it to tip over and sink, with the crew leaping into the sea as the drama unfolded. One person was injured in the incident.

Alarmingly, this was not the first incident with this vessel – it previously sank in February 2018 in a port on the Guayas River due to a weight imbalance.

On Monday 23 December, Ecuador’s presidential communications office released a statement saying that the response operation by the Emergency Operations Committee (COE) had ‘controlled’ the spill.

Personnel from the Galapagos National Park (GNP), the official nature reserve authority, and the Ecuadorian Navy established containment barriers and oil absorbent cloths around the fuel spill.

Speaking to reporters at the time, Galapagos minister Norman Wray explained that work was underway to remove the diesel, and that the generator – which was intended to provide energy on Isabela Island, which is currently facing energy rationing – would be replaced as soon as possible.

MAURITIUS SNORKELLING ACCIDENT CLAIMS DOMINO’S PIZZA UK BOSS Domino’s Pizza UK chief finance officer David Bauernfeind died in a tragic snorkelling accident on Boxing Day in Mauritius while on a festive holiday with his family.

Comprehensive details regarding the fatal incident involving the 51-year-old, who had been with the pizza franchise since October 2018 and lived in Bath, have yet to be disclosed, but local newspaper reports suggested he was found floating by the captain of a yacht. His wife had raised the alarm, reporting him missing before his body was found in a lagoon off the coast of Belle-Mare on the east of the island. Mr Bauernfeind was taken back to shore and a post-mortem was conducted at Victoria Hospital in Candos – local newspapers said the cause of death was recorded as asphyxia due to drowning.

Domino’s chief executive David Wild led tributes to his colleague, saying: “We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic news.

“On behalf of our Board, our colleagues and our franchisees, we send our heartfelt sympathies to David’s wife Nicolette, and daughter Ornella, as well as his wider family and friends.”

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Those who get their fix from trailing giant manta rays or observing graceful whale sharks will be elated to swim in Belize’s waters. Let your camera capture the smile of a Loggerhead turtle, or swim alongside a friendly nurse shark. Belize boasts underwater marvels that urge to be discovered. So dive in and explore the Great Blue Hole, one of the famous atolls or any of the hundreds of islands. Here, there is no wrong choice.

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NOAA DECLARES $97 MILLION MISSION TO SAVE FLORIDA KEYS REEF The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has declared one of the largest investments in coral restoration in the world as it aims to restore seven reefs within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Central to the ambitious effort is a focus on how much stony coral remains on the reef surface. While Florida in the past has had anywhere from 25 percent to 40 percent coral coverage, more recently this has suffered a massive decline to just one or two percent. The reasons for this are many – there has been agricultural pollution and sewage leaks, as well as overfishing, not to mention areas that have just been over-used by visitors. Add to that the damage wreaked by hurricanes, as well as stony coral tissue loss disease, and it all adds up.

It would be easy to think that such a cataclysmic decline signals the end of these beloved reefs, but NOAA is refusing to back down from a challenge, and has launched Mission: Iconic Reefs, which is targeting seven well-known reefs throughout the Keys – Carysfort Reef, Horseshoe Reef, Cheeca Rocks, Sombrero Reef, Newfound Harbor, Looe Key Reef, and Eastern Dry Rocks – with the aim of bringing them back from the brink. A target of 25 percent coral cover has been declared.

The ambitious plan has been split into phases. Phase one aims to get coral cover back to 15 percent within ten years. It is expected to take five to seven years at least, and will cost $97 million. Phase two will last a further ten to 12 years, but has not been costed yet.

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20

DIVING INDUSTRY MOURNS THE LOSS OF AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES’ WAYNE HASSON The diving world has been rocked by the passing of one of the industry’s longeststanding and most-influential figures – Aggressor Adventures’ President Wayne Hasson.

Wayne, who was a 200-ton USCG Captain, SSI, NAUI and PADI instructor, SSI, SDI, TDI and React Right Instructor Trainer, and Platinum Pro 5000 Diver, sadly passed away in January after a prolonged battle with renal cell cancer.

Wayne will forever be associated with the global Aggressor brand, after spending 35 years connected with the company, but before he became a part of the diving fraternity, he was a United States Marine. He actually discovered the joys of the underwater world during off-duty passes, scuba diving in Vietnan, Japan and North Carolina.

He was then the first captain of the Cayman Aggressor, way back in 1984, and his greatest passion was sharing the ocean world with tomorrow’s explorers – children.

He served on the Board of Director for the Sea of Change Foundation and the Oceans for Youth Foundation, and had been honoured with numerous awards – Legend of the Sea by Beneath the Sea, Sea Hero (for diving back to the next generation of divers), and in the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame for his contributions to the scuba industry.

Our sincere condolences go out from the Scuba Diver team to his wife Anne, and his family and friends.

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El Gouna - El Gouna Paradisio - Soma Bay - Safaga Coral Garden - Tulip - Moreen Beach - Wadi Lahmy Bali Lovina - Bali Candidasa - Flores Mauritius - Sardinia - Rosenheim

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 Q: I have been diagnosed with EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, not sure which type but either classical or hypermobile). I get a lot of pain in my joints, muscles and nerves (and sometimes pins and needles in feet and hands).

I also have bulging discs in my neck, occasional bouts of sciatica, and a winging shoulder blade (which causes a lot of thoracic nerve pain on a regular basis). Should any of this stop me from diving? Carrying tanks, weights, etc, while diving didn’t seem to bother me in the past. Also, I was wondering if you think joint instability/EDS-type defects would predispose you in any way to DCS? I know there won’t be any research on something like this but I was just wondering about the physiology of it all and if you could see a link in theory.

A: Collagen is found all over the body, being the major constituent of ligaments, tendons, bones and cartilage. The word actually means ‘glue producer’, referring to the boiling of animal joints to produce glue. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of genetic disorders, whose common feature is defective or inadequate amounts of collagen. Two doctors (you can probably guess their names) discovered Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) in the early 1900s. The commonest type involves so-called ‘hypermobile’ joints, contortions of which were the stock-in-trade of Victorian circus performers.

And so to diving. The issues I would anticipate are several. Due to the laxity of the joints, dislocations are common, so hauling your wet self and gear up a ladder in choppy waters might put you at high risk of a popped shoulder or hip. Degenerative joint disease can occur, which might render the joints more susceptible to damage from microbubbles in the long term, similarly to commercial divers. The pins and needles you experience could present us with the old diagnostic conundrum – is this your EDS or DCI? So being very aware of your pre-dive condition takes on extra importance. The other

possibility is mitral valve prolapse (MVP), where the defective collagen renders one of the heart valves very floppy. MVP is quite common (five to seven percent of the population), and in general quite benign, but it can sometimes cause chest pains, palpitations, and breathlessness.

I don’t think any of this rules out diving completely, but sensible precautions and regular check ups would flag up any potential problems before they became apparent underwater.

Q: On a trip to Thailand last summer my buddy had a case of terrible dizziness which has put her off diving completely.

She was just recovering from a cold when we dived, had a bit of trouble descending but got down to 20m okay.

The dive was fine but on the way up she looked like she suddenly panicked, thrashing about in the water. Luckily we were at about 5m so she surfaced but missed her safety stop. She was choking and said she felt drunk, and vomited on the boat afterwards. It all went away quickly so we didn’t think it was DCI (hope we were right!). Trouble is, I really want her to get back on the horse but she’s frightened it might happen again. What do you think the problem was?

A: This has all the hallmarks of alternobaric vertigo. The left and right middle ear spaces are never perfect mirror images of each other, so it’s usually the case that one ear equalises slightly out of sync with the other. If for some reason one side clears and the other doesn’t, then different signals from each side are sent to the brain, and the poor thing can’t work out which pressure is ‘right’. Vertigo is the end result: the whirling sensation of spinning and drunkenness is the classic consequence, and nausea and vomiting often follow. Once the pressures in the ears become equal, the stimulus stops and the condition resolves (so I don’t think this was DCI either).

It’s impossible to guarantee it won’t happen again, but this is one very good reason not to dive with any hint of congestion.

TRAGEDY AS CAVE DIVER DIES IN ONE OF UK’S LARGEST SYSTEMS More than 40 members of the Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) and the Cave Diving Group (CDG) were scrambled to search for a cave diver missing within one of the UK’s largest underground cave system, but sadly he was found dead inside.

The emergency response was triggered after the diver – who was reported by the police to be in his 60s and from the Lancashire area – was reported as being late to return from Lancaster Hole, in Cumbria, on Saturday 5 January. The ‘Hole’ is part of interconnecting limestone caves which span Cumbria, Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales, and are known as the Three Counties System. A CRO spokesperson said: “We searched from the point where the cave diver entered Lancaster Hole

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downstream passage, which is a long, submerged stretch of cave which floods in wet weather. Other entrances and possible exits were also searched by team members and a cave diver, in case the diver had emerged from the system elsewhere.

“Unfortunately, while conducting his underwater search, the rescue cave diver discovered the missing diver, approximately 60 metres into the sump. The casualty was immediately brought back to the sump pool chamber and removed from the water, where it was apparent that he was deceased. All team members were then instrumental in conducting a lengthy and difficult extraction back to the surface of the fell, where the casualty was then handed over to the care of Cumbrian Police.”

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AVAILABLE 12TH MARCH

Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia

GO DIVING SHOW 2020

Report from the most-exciting event on this year’s diving calendar, which took place at the Ricoh Arena at the end of February

COLD-WATER ESSENTIALS

The 2020 season might be round the corner, but the water is still cold - Mark Evans extols the virtues of winter diving in the UK

YOU AND ME IN THE MALDIVES Byron Conroy and Lena Kavender continue their Maldivian adventure, this time visiting the newly opened You and Me resort

ABOVE 18M: DORSET

Stuart Philpott revisits the innovative Portland Underwater Curiosity Park to see the latest developments

TECH: SOLOMON ISLANDS

After 23 years, Pete Mesley finally fulfils a longheld desire to explore the sunken remains of the USS Atlanta in the Solomon Islands

TEST EXTRA - EXCLUSIVE!

Bunaken National Marine Park

As the water is cold, it’s the perfect time for the Test Team to head to Vivian to rate and review a selection of budget regulators

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Byron Conroy and Lena Kavender board the majestic Emperor Explorer and venture off on an action-packed itinerary taking in some of the best dive sites in the Maldives PHOTOGRAPHS BY BYRON CONROY

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The vast salon

Stingray fly-over

O

ne of my favourite moments in regards to a liveaboard experience is waiting for the pick up before boarding the ship. That’s when I get the exciting task of guessing who else of the people around me I will be living, dining, and diving with for the next week. I find the best technique to spot fellow passengers already at the airport is to analyse suitcases, T-shirts or watches. You can typically identify a diver by one of those three items. While waiting at the Emperor Divers meeting point at a crowded Male airport, my partner and I spotted a couple around our own age accompanied by some Ursuit dive bags. I happily noted we would have some Finnish divers joining us!

A liveaboard experience is so much more than diving. It’s a place where you get to know new people and hopefully make some friends with the same passion for diving and lust for adventures. My bucket list always tends to get a lot longer at the end of the week as fellow liveaboard guests tend to have a lot to share in terms of previous travels, experiences and recommended dive destinations.

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At the meeting point we were greeted by cruise directors Gabriel and Maria from Argentina. From Male harbour we were transferred by a traditional Maldivian dive boat, referred to as the Dhoni, before reaching the majestic-looking yacht Emperor Explorer, which was to be our home for the week. Once on board and with a chilled welcome drink in hand, we sat down in the saloon for Gabriel’s briefing and a crew and guest presentation.

Emperor Explorer (www.emperormaldives.com) was built in 2019 and we were truly impressed by this 42-metre vessel.

It’s spacious, luxurious, holds two bars with extensive drink menus and skilled bartenders, and oh, I almost forgot to mention the spa Jacuzzi. Yet the best part are the cabins. As we all know, liveaboard cabins have a tendency to be pretty tight and basic, with a tiny toilet where you can hardly move.

We entered our cabin and realised that this was far from the truth here. We were thrilled to see a spacious double bed plus a single bed, a wardrobe for storage, desk for our cameras, and a large private bathroom with a five-star hotel-looking shower with complimentary toiletries.

We spent the first afternoon and evening getting to know the other guests, filling out the beloved diving safety paperwork, having a fantastic dinner cooked by chef ‘Baby Anthony’ and a happy hour beer in the sunset bar. Diving was to start tomorrow morning with a 6.30am briefing.

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Huge shoal of snapper

Manta rays

Turtle

WHO SAID CHECK-OUT DIVES ARE DULL?

I woke up well before my alarm went off and trust me, this only happens when I have a full day of diving ahead. It turned out we were doing the first dive at a manta cleaning station called Lankan Reef, located in North Male Atoll. Gabriel started by briefing us on the general dive procedures and then moved on to tell us about the dive site. We learned that there had unfortunately only been occasional manta sightings here this season, however since it was a check-out dive, the main focus anyway was to make sure everyone got a nice and easy dive with a chance to sort out weighting, equipment and dive teams.

Sabre squirrelfish

DHONI DIVING

The main vessel has no dive deck, instead all diving is done from the Dhoni, which holds all the tanks, compressors, toilet, sundeck and everything you need for the diving. In most other places, the typical way to dive from a liveaboard is to either dive directly from the main vessel, or to have a small tender/ dingy acting as a shuttle to and from the dive site. I´ve been on quite a few liveaboards around the world, including working on one myself, and I now have to say I wish more liveaboards used Dhonis. It’s such a comfortable way to dive, no awkward cramped up backward rolls or ‘oh damn, my fin strap snapped!’ halfway through the bumpy tender ride. It also gives a lot more space on the main vessel by not having a dive deck.

A short ride later and the Dhoni had arrived at our dive site Lankan. We geared up and did a giant stride into the water.

While slowly diving along the reef wall I heard someone banging their tank and as I looked up a manta flew above my head! My partner and I ascended towards the top of the reef and we made it there just in time for the show. No less than 11 huge manta rays were circling around the cleaning station.

They kept swimming back and forth, doing circles and loops.

Our one-hour dive time limit was up in what seemed like a few short minutes. Back on the boat, Gabriel and Maria told us the previous record for this season was four mantas at this site, and today we’d had 11. What an incredible check-out dive!

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Vast shoals are a Maldivian specialty

SHARK MANIA

The day continued with two dives in the Rasdoo Atoll, seeing several good-sized grey reef sharks and eagle rays on both. In time for the night dive, we had made our way south and were now in the North Ari Atoll. The cruise itinerary for our trip was called The Best of the Maldives and includes North and South Male Atolls, known for beautiful pinnacles, grey reef sharks and eagle rays; Rasdoo Atoll for pelagic encounters; North and South Ari Atolls for whalesharks and mantas; plus Vaavu Atoll, famous for shark channels and nurse shark dives.

At Miyaru Kandu and Fushi Kandu, we had the pleasure of doing two channel dives. A channel is where the open ocean connects with the shallower water of a lagoon, allowing water movement between the two. At incoming current, the nutrient-rich water coming from the deep is funnelled between the atolls, providing food for smaller fish which, in turn, attracts pelagic-like sharks. During our two dives here, we saw well over 50 reef sharks, but when the timing is right, there can be several hundred sharks patrolling these channels.

The Explorer has plenty of space

Despite being two to three metres long and weighing as much as a human adult, the nurse sharks of Alimatha Jetty reminded me of puppies wanting to cuddle up in your arms 28

Nurse shark

NURSE SHARKS AT NIGHT

I’m typically not a huge fan of night diving on a liveaboard.

After three nice day dives I’m quite happy to enjoy an hour or two with a good book while watching the sunset. I also find night dives to sometimes get a bit messy, with many boats going to the same places as night sites preferable should be shallow and with none to small current. However, the night dive offered at Alimatha Jetty was supposed to be something very special and for sure I was not missing out on this one.

We arrived to Alimatha, located in Vaavu Atoll, in the afternoon. Being such a unique site we were to do an afternoon dive followed by a night dive. This, we were told, would give us the chance to observe two different behaviours from the resident nurse sharks living here. Gabriel told us there would be a lot of sharks and that they would come close. The truth is, there were hundreds of sharks and they would quite literally hug you and slap you around at the same time. Despite being two to three metres long and weighing as much as a human adult, the nurse sharks of Alimatha Jetty reminded me of puppies wanting to cuddle up in your arms. It seemed these guys were yet to learn the rule of no touching!

This was an experience I will remember for a long time, and it also provided a great and unique opportunity for underwater photography.

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MALDIVES

Submerge with Prodivers Maldives

LHAVIYANI ATOLL Famous dive spots such as Kuredu Express and Caves are reachable by boat within a few minutes. The Lhaviyani Atoll is an absolute must if you want to see big fish. Schools of grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks and eagle rays can be seen on a scooter dive through the channels!

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SOUTH ARI ATOLL The South Ari Atoll offers some of Maldives' best dive spots and a enormous diversity of marine life. Strong currents provide the atoll with enough nutrition so that even manta rays and whalesharks can be seen all year round.

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Vibrant reef adorned with colourful corals and sponges

THE BIG FISH

The following morning, we dived the 7th Heaven in South Ari Atoll. In Gabriel´s briefing, he mentioned a stunning wall painted with soft corals in all the colours of the rainbow, with soft coral-covered overhangs and beautiful caverns full of schooling reef fish and moray eels.

The Dhoni took us to the site and I geared up. The second I was ready with my mask on and ready to jump, someone shouted whaleshark! I jumped, looked down and the whaleshark was right there underneath me. It was a young shark, five to six metres long, slowly and peacefully swimming along. I was having a magical moment where I could only see this majestic animal and everything else around me disappeared. A few minutes later I woke up from my whaleshark trance realising I should probably find my dive team (which by the way was just beside me in the same dream-like state of mind).

BBQ UNDER THE STARS

Eagle ray

As mentioned, a liveaboard experience is not just about the diving. It´s also a social event and a chance to see and experience new things. One night, the incredible crew of Emperor Explorer arranged a BBQ dinner under the stars on the local Island of Dhangethi. Despite being just 900 metres long, it´s the capital of the South Ari Atoll and inhabited by about 1,000 people. We arrived at the tip of the island on a paradise-looking beach with sand white as sugar and fine as flour. It was a funny feeling to feel the steady ground under your feet after close to a week of living on the ocean. A local artist had created a real-size whaleshark and a manta ray in the sand, lit up by candles in the dark. The BBQ dinner was fantastic and consisted of freshly caught snapper and emperor, chicken, beef and sweetcorn. Alongside all this, our chef Baby Anthony and his team had prepared pizza, pasta, salad, sauces, bread, tropical fruits and a mouth-watering fruitcake to finish off the meal. What a fantastic way to end the day!

THE FISH FACTORY

Bannerfish

On the last day, the Emperor Explorer was steaming back towards the Male atolls. The last dive of the trip we did was at the Fish Factory, and it turned out to be probably my favourite dive of the week. As the name suggests, there was a fish factory and the workers simply throw the inedible parts of the fish back into the ocean. Massive tuna heads and other fish scraps rest on the reef and sand of the island. This, of course, attracts a lot of other marine life looking for a free meal.

This site is like swimming in an overcrowded fish tank. Stray more than three metres from your buddy and you won’t be able to see each other for all the fish! Bannerfish, surgeonfish and oriental sweetlips in thousands. The fattest giant moray and honeycomb moray eels I´ve ever seen, living up to five of them in the same hole. Schools of 12 stingrays constantly making loops around the area. Sometimes guitar sharks and even tiger sharks can be seen here. The Fish Factory is an everyday Christmas dinner buffet for the marine life of the Male atolls. An incredible sight - and what a way to finish a fantastic week of diving! n

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Q&A: Sarah Richard Scuba Diver chats to Sarah Richard, the founder of Girls That Scuba, to find out how she first got started in diving, and what drives her passion regarding women in the sport PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SARAH RICHARD

Q: When did you first get into diving, and how did you discover the sport?

A: My first dive was in 2009 in the Maldives – I was hooked at first dive and knew, even at 19 years old, that I needed scuba diving to be a big part of my life from then on!

Q: You worked your way up to Divemaster, and were based in some exotic locations – where did your professional diving career take you?

A: My first professional job was in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia the wreck-diving capital of the world. It was quite a big jump, from recreational diving on the opposite side of the world to penetrating wrecks in Micronesia, but I embraced it and learnt so much there, from working on a liveaboard, to dealing with technical divers. After that I travelled around the Middle East, mainly diving the Red Sea, and it was then I started to build Girls That Scuba.

Q: You got into Blogging through Coffee then Travel, how did that start?

A: I started a travel blog when I was 23 on my first big backpacking trip. I travelled from Argentina to Mexico all on bus (minus one flight from US – Mexico). It took me eight months and 15 countries. As I travelled solo through Central America, I realised not many solo female travellers were writing about their experience, so I set up a blog and went about sharing my adventures online. A large part of that included scuba diving around these destinations, again something that was even less covered. After a few years the demand for scuba-diving content was rising and I decided to launch a dedicated site on diving, focusing on female empowerment and female issues in diving with more of a community feel - and Girls That Scuba was born.

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Q: How did Girls That Scuba come into being?

A: Alongside seeing a demand for real-life scuba content, I noticed females weren’t really recognised or risen up within diving. I had personally experienced sexist behaviour in diving and knew that if I did more, women would have too. I started GTS as a private Facebook group in 2016 – a place where women could connect, celebrate each other and discuss problems or issues they were facing. Fast forward to 2020 in our fourth year, Girls That Scuba is now the world’s largest female dive community, with a network of over 700,000 members and followers.

Q: What is your most-memorable moment while diving?

A: It’s hard to pinpoint one moment. The first-ever time I saw a shark (during that backpacking trip in Panama), bumping into a group of six manatees on a safety stop in Mexico, current dives in Komodo, or freediving with pods of dolphins in Egypt. A lot of my favourite moments have also been in boats, or on the surface - I don’t need to be submerged in water to be in my element, just on it.

It was quite a big jump, from recreational diving on the opposite side of the world to penetrating wrecks in Micronesia, but I embraced it and learnt so much there 33

GIRLS THAT SCUBA AT GO DIVING SHOW Sarah will be hosting a panel discussion on the Main Stage at the GO Diving Show on Saturday 22 February and Sunday 23 February.

SATURDAY Sarah will be joined on stage by technical instructor Eleanor Stewart, 2017 European Rolex Our-World Underwater Scholar Mae Dorricott, cave diver Rannva Joermundsson, and aquatic performer Sarah Daily.

SUNDAY Sarah will be joined by upcoming filmmaker Inka Cresswell, technical and cave diving instructor and archaeologist Gemma Smith, and inspirational young diver Grace Westgarth.

Book your tickets now – visit: www.godivingshow.com/dive-showtickets/ and use the code MAG2020 for a special 2-for-1 ticket offer!

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After a few years the demand for scuba-diving content was rising and I decided to launch a dedicated site on diving

Q: On the flipside, what is your worst experience while diving?

A: Unfortunately, they’ve only ever been with people, not animals or water conditions. Bad divers are dangerous to everyone around them, it’s why training and learning should always be a constant in your diving career.

Q: What does the future hold for Sarah Richard and Girls That Scuba?

A: Oceans the limit for Girls That Scuba! We are still only three years old and we still have a lot more women to reach in diving, but we hope that with talks like ‘celebrating women in diving’ at the GO Diving Show we can show a younger generation how awesome it is to be a Girl That Scubas. Last year, we launched our GTS trips where we take groups of women (we also do mixed trips) to some of the best dive destinations in the world, and not only dive, but create strong bonds, and help empower each other and learn along the way.

I’m so excited to be hosting seven of these trips myself this year, and have another four trips run by incredible GTS women too. n

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ELLIE STEWART

THE WORLD’S YOUNGEST-EVER

SSI EXTENDED RANGE TRIMIX INSTRUCTOR

F

our years ago, I was begrudgingly coerced into participating in a BSAC Ocean Diver course by my parents, who simply wanted to get me out of the house for a week one summer. Four years later, I am working full time as an instructor, and have just qualified as the youngest-ever SSI Extended Range Trimix Instructor worldwide.

For me, diving was a pastime that had never crossed my mind to try, essentially because like most, I deemed it inaccessible and certainly not for UK waters. However, after qualifying, I fell quickly and irreversibly in love with the sport.

Suddenly being able to break the barrier of the surface and immerse myself in the captivatingly hostile yet beautiful sub-aquatic world was radical to me. I soon realised my love for passing on my knowledge and inspiring others to share my love for the sport, so began my professional training.

My curiosity in the redundancy and self-reliance of the twinset configuration and the intricate physics and physiology behind technical diving is what drove me to pursue my XR Foundations programme. Initially, I found the transfer from a single set to twins very uncomfortable and difficult to adjust to. I was disheartened, as I had expected myself to instantly demonstrate the same aptitude that I had achieved in a single set. I completed my SSI Open Water Instructor Training Course in December 2017. By this time, with much perseverance, my proficiency in a twinset was growing and it was fast becoming my preferred way to dive, and I soon went on to gain my XR Trimix diver qualification.

Psst! Here is another one of those GODiving codes! CjRCR

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My XR Instructor certification was my primary goal for 2018.

With this is mind I spent the whole year working to secure myself all the prerequisites and logging as many staged decompression dives as I could. I was in the water every day, logging over 150 dives in less than eight months and teaching over 50 recreational courses. Once the season had ended, I had more time to focus on my own training. I loved challenging myself with problem solving. I had always excelled at stress tests and was intrigued by the idea of task loading my brain and pushing my body to new limits in order to perform. The desire to become an instructor in this discipline stemmed from my passion for learning and I had always found teaching consolidated my knowledge and enhanced my understanding. While teaching novice, recreational divers is arguably demanding in itself, I wanted a new challenge, something that wasn’t so routine and straightforward.

SEE ELLIE LIVE!

To see Ellie on the Main Stage at GO Diving on Saturday 22 February, you need to book your tickets now! www.godivingshow.com/dive-show-tickets

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RECOGNISING AND CELEBRATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCUBA DIVERS The Next Generation section is aimed squarely at keen kids and talented teens, those youngsters who have embraced the underwater realm and are driving new blood into the diving fraternity. Tune in each month for Case Studies, reports, kit reviews and articles from our diving youth.

Got a story to share about a young diver? - Email: mark@scubadivermag.com to be included in a future edition of The Next Generation!

My Extended Range Trimix Instructor seminar focused me on adapting the skillset I already knew well, to a very clean, disciplined, high-standard and control. This was nothing I was unfamiliar with as I had gained a fair bit of experience of in-water teaching at a recreational level. However, with the XR skills being far more complex, not only focusing on

DIVING WITH AUTISM

CLASSES IN IRELAND

In July of this year, Dive Academy (www.diveacademy.info), started looking into the possibility of offering introduction to scuba diving classes for people with autism.

This was prompted by a PADI article from 2018 entitled ‘How Scuba Diving Can Help People With Autism’. This article and further research pointed to the proprioceptive feedback of wetsuits acting like a ‘giant hug’, and that sensory freedom while under the water, where visual and auditory distractions are minimised, has a calming effect.

Ennis Voices for Autism (EVA) is a support group for parents in Clare who have an autistic family member. Over the years, EVA began to realise one of the better ways to support parents was to organise autism-friendly/accessible activities with local providers. Many families can become socially isolated as people with autism may often have sensory

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capability of performing the demonstration skills themselves, but also performing them with precise trim, stillness and neutral buoyancy. The biggest challenge for me was the self-control required to not cut corners and let the standard of performance slip. There is such a jump from becoming a technical diver to a technical instructor, and it highlights the bad habits you have slipped into and it takes a lot of discipline to correct them. For me, the biggest sense of achievement came from the in-water teaching exam itself, and being able to suitably identify and correct students’ mistakes throughout.

Since gaining my qualification, I have now worked in Egypt for nearly a year as a Technical Instructor for the Red Sea fleet of worldwide liveaboard company Blue O Two. I lead both technical and recreational excursions across the Red Sea, from the Northern Wrecks, Straits of Tiran and all the way down to the offshore Marine Parks and Deep South. I have also had the great privilege of recently being made an ambassador for Mares XR. My job provides a great platform to test out and promote the high-quality equipment Mares XR produces, meanwhile documenting and photographing the process across social media. I am also very excited to be appearing on the Main Stage at the GO Diving Show this February along with some fantastic female divers from Girls That Scuba and celebrating women in diving. By a panel discussion hosted by Girls That Scuba founder Sarah Richard, we hope to be able to influence and inspire the younger generation of female divers. n

challenges, which can make accessing typical activities extremely difficult. It quickly became apparent that in supporting children accessing activities, this not only helped parents, but the families as a whole, to socialise, and allows an autistic person to flourish and enjoy an activity they may not have been able to access typically.

Dive Academy got in touch with EVA, where the organiser, Michelle Mannion, offered plenty of advice. Their next step was to organise an open day, where they invited members of EVA and the broader ‘Autistic Paddies’ group to talk about scuba diving, the potential benefits for people with autism, and how they might structure a programme.

Following the open day, EVA generously offered to fund up to 20 places for their members to avail of a pool-based trydive at Dive Academy. The dive school now has a regular schedule of trydives for kids with autism, and so far 11 kids have taken up this offer, and more are booked in for the coming weeks.

More details can be found at www.diveacademy.info/en/ scuba-with-autism-in-ireland

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Destinations magazine Editor-atLarge Walt Stearns was left awe-struck when he went diving with the biggest predator on the planet off the Caribbean island of Dominica PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALT STEARNS

HuKrq

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T

he poem Whales Weep Not! by D.H. Lawrence begins like this: ‘They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains the hottest blood of all, and the wildest, the most urgent’. Well, I am no whale, but my blood was certainly pumping hot through my veins in step with the wild beating of my heart as I urgently put every ounce of energy into trying to keep with a ten-metrelong sperm whale.

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), or cachalot as they are also called, are the largest member in the family of toothed whales. Mature males (referred to as bulls) can reach impressive lengths between 16 metres to as much as 20.5 metres. Adult females (referred to as cows) run significantly smaller, averaging 11 metres in length. In either case, what we have is the largest living toothed predator on the planet.

In-water encounters with something this large is an undeniably awe-inspiring experience. But, if there one thing that I have learned from prior encounters with whalesharks, humpback and pilot whales is that when something this large appears to be hardly moving, it’s still likely moving faster than you! The notion of pulling any further ahead was becoming more futile by the second, with every breath through my snorkel coming in a torturous series of gasps.

Sperm whales are not the most-elegant-looking member of the whale and dolphin family. The most-obvious feature one cannot ignore is their giant bulbous head. Referred to as the melon, this portion of the whale’s body can encompass up to 40 per cent of its overall length. It is that same massive head region where the name sperm whale originated. During the heyday of 18th century commercial whaling, whalers mistook the enormous region known as the case, which contains a white oily liquid, as the whale’s seminal fluid.

Sperm whale and her calf

In-water encounters with something this large is an undeniably awe-inspiring experience.

But, if there one thing that I have learned from prior encounters with whalesharks, humpback and pilot whales is that when something this large appears to be hardly faster than you!

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HOW BIG DO SPERM WHALES GET?

Although there is some disagreement as to the accuracy of the New Bedford whaling fleet logs during the mid-1800s, which was the height of Yankee whaling, records of adult males taken up to 24 metres in length is very compelling. Particularly compelling is the historical account of one such bull sperm whale that sunk the American whaling ship Essex in 1820 by ramming it. This is the very same account that inspired Herman Melville to incorporate the attack into the storyline of his literally classic Moby Dick in 1851.

Sperm whales have tiny eyes

Dirty jokes aside, the spermaceti organ, which possesses as much as 2,000 litres of this fluid, serves the whale as a highly specialised directional amplifier devoted to sound generation.

Like all toothed whales and dolphins, sperm whales emit a wide range of high-frequency clicks for echolocation.

This allows them to see using sound, while a different set of clicks and whistles are used as a means for vocalised communication. What makes the sperm whale unique is that they can essentially pump up the volume, hammering out as much as 230 decibels (re 1 µPa m) in a single burst underwater, making them the loudest sound-producing animal on the planet.

In big animal encounters, what most of us hope for is a demeanor of mild curiosity rather than an air of partial indifference as the animal barely registers you on their radar.

Well, be careful what you wish for!

After managing to take in a deep enough breath to drop down several metres for a more-desirable camera angle, the

view through my camera’s viewfinder during the whale’s ohso-casual pass became essentially a wall of black. And I was using a full-frame fish-eyed lens, through which objects are closer than they appear. Peeking over the top of my camera housing, I realised that the side of the whale’s head was less than an arm span away. Then, the whale began to turn its body slightly more broadside to get into better view of me. In that moment, the encounter had turned from a hard-pressed swim to a stationary stare-down in which time seemed to come to a standstill, with the whale gazing at me.

You know the adage ‘the eyes are the window to your soul’. If Shakespeare had met a sperm whale, he might have paraphrased it differently in this case, with ‘an eye is a keyhole to the soul’. This peculiar point of view (excuse the pun) is due to sperm whales having unusually small eyes in relation to their massive bodies. The eye was not much larger than a golf ball.

But behind that small eye is one of the largest brains in the animal kingdom - more than five times larger and heavier than our own. I marvelled at the fact that something with such a large brain is also capable of showing complete benevolence to humans. This truck-sized creature could have easily squashed me like a grape, but instead spent a few moments puzzled by how the pathetically poor-swimming creature next to it even got here.

The spell was broken by the sound of my camera’s shutter working in rapid-fire succession, ripping through 12 frames at a rate of three frames per second, with most of the shots taken just a foot from the whale’s body. Then, with a single beat of her tail, she surged far ahead, leaving me with nothing to do but watch her continue on her leisurely course.

Catching my breath on the surface, our Dominica whale guide Arun ‘Izzy’ Madisetti edged up to tell me ‘it’s the way some encounters go. Some days they play it easy, other times it’s like racing a Ferrari with a mule cart’.

Snorkeller dwarfed by a sperm whale

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DOMINICA, THERE BE WHALES HERE

Dominica is located between the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, midway down the Lesser Antilles island chain.

Nicknamed the Nature Island, much of Dominica’s 300 square miles of mountainous terrain remains cloaked in rainforests filled with endemic flora and fauna, rivers and waterfalls. The island’s volcanic origins remain in the form of geothermal vents that release boiling water around parts of the island.

Some, forming hot springs, are safe to soak in.

I understand that the diving on Dominica’s leeward side, particularly down south of Dominica’s capital city of Roseau, is considered among the best in the Eastern Caribbean, with dramatic drop-offs adorned with sponges and corals. But that’s a story that will wait for another time, because I was there for the sperm whale encounters. Dominica has the unique distinction of being one of only three really accessible places in the world where you can swim with these majestic, open ocean giants.

THE DRILL

Sperm whales are pelagic in nature and typically on the move.

They have a range that spans all major oceans, but there are cases such as Dominica where they may stay put for a time. Dominica’s own cetacean research and management programme has collectively identified and cataloged up to 30 different year-round resident pods of sperm whales, with each pod comprised of family units of four to seven individuals living co-operatively together as they protect and nurse their young. Absent from these groups, except during mating season in the winter, are the larger mature males. They generally live solitary lives and will sometimes form bachelor groups as they range further afield in colder waters where larger prey resides.

The enormous fluke of a sperm whale

Swimming with these giants typically involves long periods of tedium randomly interrupted by bursts of excitement and anticipation. First, after getting off the dock each morning, the boat crew must determine where the whales are at. This means going six to 12 miles offshore, as this is where the whales hunt squid in the deep waters of the Grenada Basin that lies off the western side of the Lesser Antilles archipelago.

During the hunt, sperm whales will dive for 40 to 50 minutes at time, with surface intervals of ten to 20 minutes in between. Sperm whales are the second-deepest diving air breathing animal on the planet, exceeded only by the Cuvier’s beaked whale. They can plunge as deep as 2,250m.

While down, they may travel up to half a mile or more before surfacing, so the trick is to be there when they come up.

To determine where to be, our guides would hang a directional hydrophone overboard to listen for the clicks the whales make during their dive, using that information to identify the direction the whales are working.

Once a whale surfaces, the captain then slowly coasts the boat a few hundred metres ahead of the whale’s path, affording swimmers a chance to slide in with minimal noise and wait for the whales to make the next move.

Dependent on their mood, interactions with these big girls can run from as short as a few seconds to as long as an hour.

These longer sessions most often to take place when a calf in the two- to four-year-old range is present.

To make sure encounters are kept as low-impact as possible, in-water whale excursions are limited to three snorkellers plus a whale guide at any one time, and require a permit, which is issued on a limited basis

by Dominica’s Dept of Agriculture and Fisheries.

To ensure everyone gets a fair shot, groups are usually limited to six people. This actually works better for underwater photographers than it does for the whales, as it reduces the probability of getting in each other’s way for the shot. As for the whales, the presence of swimmers is likely old hat, as this programme has been going on for a number of years.

Close encounters of the whale kind

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Underwater

and out of this world

If you’re looking for a Caribbean dessnaaon with a difference, then look no further than Dominica.

Unspoiled and unforgeeable, the seascape surrounding the island is as breathtaking as its towering mountains bathed in tropical mists. Submerse yourself in world of volcanic vents and plunging sea walls, reefs teeming with colourful sponges and water lilies, towering pinnacles and alluring caves. So get beyond the beach — and reach into the heart of Dominica's azure coloured coastal waters laden with life-renewing splendour.

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CATEGORY-4 POO-NADO

Sperm whales are not the ferocious, loathsome creatures of lore. In fact, there has never been an incident of a whale injuring anyone in Dominica. But there is one danger to keep in mind. As a wildlife photographer, one strives to capture the majestic beauty of their subject. Sometimes you achieve that goal. Other times, things don’t go well, which was the case during one particular interaction we were having with a mother and her relatively older calf (roughly two to three years of age). At first, everything we hoped for was taking place, with the calf highly inquisitive and playfully rolling around, while mum just remained as placid as can be.

Beaks from diamond squid - primary prey for sperm whales off Dominica

Dominica is known as The Nature Island

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What I witnessed next could fittingly be described as a high-powered explosive inside a fully loaded septic tank. This happened just as the calf reached an inverted position during one of those rolls, and decided it was time to take a poop. In a nanosecond, my thoughts turned to ‘holy crap!’ Before I knew it, my instincts had kicked in, with me hastily back peddling to stay clear of the rapidly growing whale poo-nado!

FINE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WEAR IT

What do sperm whales and high-priced perfume have in common? If you don’t want to know, read no further.

For centuries, the manufacturing of fine perfume relied on a vital ingredient called ambergris, for its properties as a highly efficient fixative that made the scent in a given perfume last a significant amount of time. For a long period of time, the origin of this substance remained a mystery. This was largely because the only source for ambergris was in the form of large dull-grey to almost-black coloured nodules with a strange waxy texture that washed up on shore. It wasn’t until the advent of large-scale whaling in the 1800s that ambergris was discovered to be a byproduct of a sperm whale’s digestive system.

The irony of this was not lost on Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, who pointed out in the story that ‘fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale’.

When freshly extricated, ambergris starts off having a very foul fecal odor. But as it ages it acquires an earthy, somewhat sweet fragrance liken to rubbing alcohol without the vaporous chemical astringency. Although the use of ambergris has been mostly replaced by more readily available synthetics, such as ambroxan, ambergris is still very much in demand. This is evident by the going rate for aged ambergris, which can run as high as US$20,000 per kilogram, making it the most-expensive shit in the world.

I guess the lesson to be learned is that when one of these behemoths decides to defecate, it’s never going to be in small measure. Nor should we forget that this is nature in all its grandeur and splendour. And when you are in the company of giants, expect the unexpected. n

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ABOVE

Lawson Wood explores the Burnmouth Caverns off the southeast coast of Scotland, which he reckons have enough marine life to keep divers (HmYb5) of all levels occupied PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAWSON WOOD

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R

The seabed here is littered with small, storm-washed, rounded stones and pebbles and with just a little care and empathy for the critters, which usually like to stay hidden, there is another world waiting to be discovered

eturning from a dive in the Burnmouth Caverns off the southeast coast of Scotland (next stop – England), I had had a wonderful 70 minutes in around 12m, barely moving a couple of metres with a Plus 8 extreme close-up lens attached to my standard 60mm macro lens on my Olympus OMD camera.

I had barely stepped off the dive lift at the end of the dive and sat down to remove my gear when one of the other divers on the boat approached me to ask what I had been photographing. She had stopped by on the way into and out of the cavern and hung around on the periphery to watch me, but quickly losing interest at being unable to see what had piqued my interest so much, she had moved on to other larger and easier to see marine critters. She asked what was so special about those particular pebbles that I was looking at, as there certainly wasn’t anything else to see!

Once dried off, I took my camera out of its Nauticam housing and looked at my ‘pebbles’. First off, there were several different kinds of squat lobster and crabs, some barely the size of a match head, and the largest perhaps a child’s fingernail. There were two different species of porcelain crabs, tiny cowries, miniscule edible crabs, minute swimming crabs, a microscopic nudibranch covered in bobbly bits, several species of baby starfish, juvenile flatfish with amazing camouflage, and a new crab that I hadn’t seen before. Then, hiding in plain sight, was a miniature cuttlefish only 8mm long! Wow! I love this site. The seabed here is littered with small, storm-washed, rounded stones and pebbles and with just a little care and empathy for the critters, which usually like to stay hidden, there is another world waiting to be discovered. Remember to always replace any stones that you turn over, taking care not to squish any sensitive critters.

The Burnmouth Caverns have the equivalent of a who’s who of crusty critters as I haven’t even started to mention the juvenile shrimps, edible crabs, lobster, three different swimming crabs, a dozen nudibranchs, burrowing anemones as well as the usual dahlias and beadlet anemones, seven varieties of starfish, including three different brittle starfish, small clumps of Devonshire cup-corals, different baby flounders, blennies and gobies and, in fact, there is so much of everything that the only conclusion that I am coming to is that this location is a fabulous natural hatchery consisting of three huge sheltered caverns topped by some of the highest cliffs in mainland Scotland.

Devonshire cup corals Ebalia Tuberosa

TIDAL CONSIDERATIONS

Burnmouth Caverns

There is no tidal flow or any current inside the caves, but there can be wave surge that may kick up the smaller sand particles and reduce visibility. Once you leave the cavern it is recommended that you stay underwater until you are away from the cavern entrance before deploying your SMB and terminating your dive, as there may be some current.

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Beadlet anemone Long-clawed porcelain crab

Harlequin shrimp

in an ever-decreasing size of empty shells. And then there were the tiny king scallops with shrimps all around them. What on earth were baby scallops doing directly against the shore at the entrance to a cavern in the southeast of Scotland! The other rarity was finding a Pogge (Agonis cataphractus). This curious little fish (similar in look to a small scorpionfish) has numerous little fleshy appendages under its chin and should you manage to catch one by the tail, it will appear catatonic and never move.

So, how do you know what to look for specifically? Most sites here have a mixture of substrate from hard rocky reef to on-shore bedrock, rocky reef boulders, pebbles, coarse sand and even soft silty mud, and each of these habitats not only yields its own challenges photographically, they also yield an amazing variety of different critters which enjoy their specific habitat, yet are found in all of them. Once you get your head around what to find where, then the results can be quite astounding. In this location you should also consider the open water, kelp forest, scrap metal from various ship’s wreckage, and huge soft coral-encrusted boulders.

Painted goby

The different angles of the amazing rock strata have formed caverns over thousands of years, which cut well into the coastline. There were rumours that the larger cavern, known as Dove Cave, had an underground link to historic Gunsgreen House over a mile away, but this has not been discovered – yet!

There are around 62 different species of crabs found around British waters, with the larger proportion being quite small and in this location, there were more than your fair share amid the pebbles, most of which were baby juveniles, resulting in even smaller critters than usual. Both the broad-clawed and the long-clawed porcelain crabs are found here, and at least three different juvenile squat lobster, with Galathea strigosa being the most colourful with brilliant red and blue markings. Hermit crabs (of course) were everywhere

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AQUAMARINE CHARTERS

Aquamarine Charters at Eyemouth run by Derek Anderson has a couple of boats and goes to the Burnmouth Caverns regularly. www.aquamarine-charters.co.uk GO DIVING CODE __> tr4Mc

Who is looking at who?

Grey seal

Lawson Wood

Most sites here have a mixture of substrate from hard rocky reef to on-shore bedrock, rocky reef boulders, pebbles, coarse sand and even soft silty mud Here in the Burnmouth Caverns, I have concentrated on the gravel and pebble beds that are wave washed just inside the entrance to the caverns, as this suits my hunter/gatherer/ finding new critters instinct.

Working in close and making sure that there is nothing vulnerable underneath me, I can stretch out and let my elbows support me and take the strain of my camera. A quick look with my small Lume Cube movie light to help pick out the natural colours, I could then focus on what the light pics out and then start to compose my photographs with the best angle to show off the critters to their best advantage.

I still can’t help myself and more than ever, I still take in

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two cameras, with my OMD micro four/thirds as my main camera, and an Olympus Tough as my back-up, which more regularly became my main choice of camera and my (not so big) housed camera system as my number two. This type of compact camera is actually perfect for this kind of underwater photography, particularly with its microscopic focus setting, telephoto lens and supplementary ring flash, it was actually better to operate in the very confined space that I had in these underwater caverns. There is an old saying to ‘stop and smell the roses’, all of us scoobie-dooers should perhaps just settle down a bit, perhaps not swim quite so far or as fast, and lean in a bit closer to look at our wonderful pebbles. n

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Image by Pete Mesley

THIS YEAR, ESCAPE THE ORDINARY.

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#EquipmentForAdventure

#OceanPositive

Sharm el Sheikh is finally back on the diving map for UK divers, with the lifting of the direct-flight ban after four long years. Mark Evans celebrates the news with a look at why Sharm is such a diving hotspot PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS AND STUART PHILPOTT

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T

he Egyptian Red Sea is a hotspot for European divers for several reasons. One, while only a five-hour flight away, it has a great year-round climate. Two, it boasts some of the best diving in the world. Three, it represents exceptionally good value for money, both land-based trips and liveaboards.

There are resorts and marinas scattered throughout Egypt, from Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula, to El Gouna, Hurghada, Safaga, El Quseir and Marsa Alam, not to mention a wide variety of liveaboards visiting reefs and wrecks closer to land, as well as heading for the offshore marine parks. However, one place which has always held a special place in the hearts of British divers is Sharm el Sheikh, on the Sinai Peninsula. Many divers have got Sharm in their logbooks, whether they were learning to dive, simply visiting to sample some of the superlative diving that can be accessed from this resort, or climbing the rungs of professional training.

So when restrictions on direct flights from the UK to Sharm el Sheikh were put in place following the tragic downing of the Russian Airbus A321 by terrorists in October 2015, it was a massive loss for both British divers and the diving industry – and all of the affiliated businesses which relied on UK divers – in the resort.

Which is why the news of the flight ban being lifted back in October last year was met with such a joyous welcome from everyone connected with Sharm el Sheikh. Red Sea Holidays was swift to announce direct flights from Birmingham from mid-December, TUI followed suit with flights from Birmingham, Gatwick and Manchester from mid-February, and now EasyJet has thrown its lot into the pot, saying they will have two flights a week from Manchester from 7 June, and flights from Gatwick from 30 September.

But why is Sharm el Sheikh, and in particular the resort area of Na’ama Bay, such a firm favourite that keeps drawing people back? Even through the flight-ban period, hardcore fans just made their way to the resort via Cairo, Turkey or other countries that were still flying in just to get their Sharm ‘fix’.

We take a look at some of Sharm el Sheikh’s highlights.

Raccoon butterflyfish

Lionfish stalking anthias

Vibrant soft corals characterise Sharm’s reefs

Often swept by strong currents, this brings in pelagics such as barracuda, jacks, tuna and sharks, eager to feast on the rich diversity of reef life living on the steep walls SS THISTLEGORM

It would be hard to write about diving out of Sharm el Sheikh without mentioning the Thistlegorm. Sunk by German bombers in October 1941, this veritable underwater museum can vie for the title of ‘world’s best shipwreck’ with any rival from around the world, thanks to its cargo holds being chock-full of Allied military supplies, including motorcycles, Bren carriers, aircraft wings, trucks, trailers, rubber boots, Lee Enfield rifles, and ammunition of all shapes and sizes.

Measuring over 128 metres in length and lying mostly intact and upright in 30-32m, it has suffered over the years from some careless mooring and pilfering divers, but it is still a force to be reckoned with. It can be visited by a dayboat from Sharm, though this will entail an early start, but it is such an awesome wreck dive, it is well worth the effort.

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LOCAL REEFS

However, while the likes of the Thistlegorm, Ras Mo and the Tiran reefs are the undoubted stars of the area’s diving offerings, it would be wrong to overlook the so-called ‘local dive sites’, such as Near Garden, Middle Garden and Far Garden, Temple and Ras Katy. These reefs and pinnacles are swarming with parrotfish, clownfish, fusiliers, goatfish, triggerfish, crocodilefish, blue-spotted rays, lionfish and myriad other Red Sea favourites, and it is akin to being in a giant aquarium. This is the beauty of the Red Sea - even in relatively shallow, sheltered waters, there is an explosion of colour and marine life all around you, making it the perfect place for novices to spread their wings.

Typical Red Sea reef off Sharm

CONCLUSION

I make no excuse for the fact I am an Egypt addict. I have been to the country over 50 times, and can’t wait for my next ‘fix’. I don’t know if it is the friendly people, bright sunny skies, arid conditions, clear blue waters, myriad varieties of fish, stupendous wall dives, amazing wrecks or a combination of several of these, but whatever it is, Egypt holds a special place in my heart. I am constantly waxing lyrical about this diving paradise, and I for one can’t wait to get back to Sharm el Sheikh. I can hear a Sakara Gold and apple shisha on the Roof Bar at Camel calling my name… n

RAS MOHAMMED NATIONAL PARK

At the tip of the Sinai Peninsula lies the Ras Mohammed National Park, and Ras Mo, as it is known by many, is home to some of the best dive sites in the entire Red Sea, never mind just around Sharm. Shark and Yolanda Reefs are perhaps the best-known, but Jackfish Alley and Anemone City are also well worth checking out. At Shark and Yolanda, you can drift around a vertical wall dropping into abyssal depths, marvelling at vibrant corals adorning the reef while also keeping an eye on the blue for everything from trevally, barracuda and batfish to rays and various species of shark. Hit this reef in late-June, through July, and you will be enveloped in a veritable ‘fish soup’, as massive shoals of barracuda, batfish, unicornfish and grouper turn up for breeding season, bringing in their wake all kinds of pelagic hunters.

Anemonefish and their host anemones are a Red Sea regular

THE STRAITS OF TIRAN

Located north of Sharm, you find the famed Tiran Reefs Jackson, Woodhouse, Gordon and Thomas – which are named after the 19th century English cartographers who drew the first nautical map of this region. These reefs, which sit as solitary pinnacles in the Gulf of Aqaba – though while Gordon and Jackson are fairly circular, Thomas is more of an oval, and Woodhouse is long and thin – attract all manner of marine life. Often swept by strong currents, this brings in pelagics such as barracuda, jacks, tuna and sharks, eager to feast on the rich diversity of reef life living on the steep walls.

Yellow boxfish

I make no excuse for the fact I am an Egypt addict. I have been to the country over 50 times, and can’t wait for my next ‘fix’ 56

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2020

EXHIBITOR GUIDE WHAT’S ON

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MAKE IT A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER! 21-23 FEBRUARY 2020 RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY

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Belize has the second largest living barrier reef in the world running the entire 185-mile length of the country and is revered among scuba divers and snorkellers. But there is much more – 3,000 foot-high mountains, cascading waterfalls, jungles and wildlife, and dramatic Maya sites and rich culture.

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Beuchat was created in 1934 in the rocky coves of Marseilles, on the Mediterranean coast in southern France

by Georges Beuchat. Today, Beuchat keeps a strong leadership in wetsuits and offers products for scuba diving, snorkelling, spearfishing, freediving and outdoor swimming.

Caribbean Fun Travel is the UK dive specialist for GRENADA - BONAIRE - CURACAO - ARUBA - SABA - SAINT MARTIN – CAYMAN ISLANDS – SAINT LUCIA – GUADELOUPE – ANTIGUA. We work with the dive centres on island and know how the diving works.

BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE (TBC)

CPS PARTNERSHIP (20)

www.bdmlr.org.uk

www.cpspartnership.co.uk

Founded in 1988, British Divers Marine Life Rescue is the only charity covering England, Scotland and Wales dedicated to the rescue of marine life such as whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals. Our trained volunteers respond to emergency call outs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

CPS Partnership is a dynamic distribution company bringing a host of highquality diving manufacturers into the UK market, including Waterproof, Tusa, Tovatec, Metalsub, Light & Motion.

Although we only supply to the trade we are happy to advise end-users on our products and provide details of stockists.

BRITISH SUB-AQUA CLUB (BSAC) (22)

CRESSI SUB (54)

www.bsac.com

www.cressi.com

BSAC’s mission in life is simply to grow the nation’s love of scuba diving. As a not-for-profit organisation and the National Governing Body for diving and snorkelling in the UK, BSAC supports its diving family of clubs, individuals and volunteers in their pursuit of fabulous and safe diving.

Cressi is a Family Owned Company that creates premium watersports products for people that love the water and the sea. Our goal is to create the highest quality products. Our priority is that everyone that uses a Cressi product, will enjoy his or her watersports experience.

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TOURIST BOARD (32)

DAN EUROPE (18)

www.cbvitourism.co.uk

www.daneurope.org

The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board are considered to be ‘BVI Concierges’.

Proud experts, we are here to assist in any way with your holiday whether its land- or water-based; diving, snorkelling or excursions. Let us help you plan your holiday of a lifetime.

DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network Europe) is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers.

Founded in 1983, DAN Europe exists to provide expert information and advice for the benefit of its members and the diving public.

BUDDY DIVE RESORT (39)

DISCOVER DOMINICA (34)

www.buddydive.com

www.discoverdominica.com

Your Buddies on Bonaire welcome you!

An unhurried, unspoiled natural paradise offering spectacular sunsets, gentle breezes and crystal clear, turquoise waters. Buddy Dive is known for its casual atmosphere, spacious accommodations, and a dive operation that keeps the needs and wishes of its guests in mind.

Dominica is designated The Nature Island, where beautifully green landscapes, fascinating wildlife and adventure activities await travellers of all kinds. Dominica is a world apart from the similarlynamed Dominican Republic, with a never-ending list of outdoor activities for adventurers.

BUNAKEN OASIS DIVE RESORT (AP1)

DIVE INTO INDONESIA (AP5)

www.bunakenoasis.com

www.diveintoindonesia.com

The Bunaken Oasis offers guests a truly luxurious diving vacation, unparalleled within the Bunaken National Marine Park.

Every element within Bunaken Oasis has been carefully designed to cater for guests looking for a special resort, with our experienced staff offering unbeatable service in all areas.

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

Dive Into Indonesia proudly presents two diving resorts in two of the most-incredible locations in the world - Ambon and Lembeh.

Both resorts are run with the same philosophy - the bestvalue, world-class service and world-class diving without compromise. Whether a seasoned pro or just starting your diving journey, we will ensure an unforgettable holiday.

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DIVE WORLDWIDE (29)

Since 2001, the team at Dive Worldwide have been creating tailor-made diving holidays for people from all walks of life.

They are unique to the UK dive market in offering remote and far-flung destinations, and they only work with the mostprofessional local operators/dive centres. The team’s passion for conservation percolates through the entire company.

www.diveworldwide.com

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DIVERSE TRAVEL (61)

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When you’re looking for a holiday company that works with you every step of the way, welcome to the Diverse Travel team. We totally understand the importance of getting your diving holiday right. Trust in us to create your best memory-making holiday. Choose from liveaboards and resorts around the world.

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www.diversetravel.co.uk

EXPLORE MESOAMERICA (38)

Discover the dazzling arrays of corals and marine life of the world’s second-largest barrier reef, in the crystal-clear waters of Honduras’ Bay Islands. Show special buy one get one free – find us at booth 38 for a chance to win a dive trip for two to Honduras!

www.explore-mesoamerica.com

FINNSUB (60)

Finnsub is a technically oriented diving company. In 2009, we introduced our ‘Advanced Technologies’ division and began producing the highest quality and most-advanced LED diving lights in the world. FINNSUB produce wing and harness systems which are constantly renewed, with high quality, precision manufacturing and unique design.

www.finnsub.com

DREAMERS DIVE ACADEMY TIMOR (AP2)

FOURTH ELEMENT (53)

www.timordiveacademy.com

www.fourthelement.com

Dreamers Dive Academy Timor is a small dive operation situated within the Coral Triangle. Timor Leste is home to a stunning reef system. Most noteworthy is the extensive marine biodiversity with unspoiled corals, the resident Cetaceans and the Blue and Sperm whale migration.

Cornwall-based Fourth Element has been designing high-quality clothing with a simple, diving-orientated style since 1999.

Our recent work and products have centred on our responsibility towards the environment in which we dive, and live. We make exceptional diving garments, many using recycled materials - see you on the stand!

DUTTONS DIVERS (B6)

GIRLS THAT SCUBA (90)

www.viviandivecentre.com

www.girlsthatscuba.com

PADI five-star centre Duttons Divers is based out of Vivian Dive Centre in Llanberis, North Wales, and as well as a picturesque dive site, they also offer recreational and pro training with on-site Course Director Clare Dutton, trips in the UK - both shore-based and on their own RIB - and abroad.

EAGLE DIVERS (B2)

Located in one of the best scuba diving destinations worldwide, Eagle Divers Egypt benefits from luscious coral reef, excellent visibility and the kind of marine encounters most only dream of during any normal dive day. Maximising your time, enjoyment and safety underwater is at the heart of our service.

www.eaglediversegypt.com

Girls that Scuba is a community of inspiring women who are passionate about scuba diving.

We range from the scuba instructor, the beginner, the never-put-on-a-scuba-mask, to the full-time ocean activist, and everyone in-between.

GREAT ESCAPES DIVING HOLIDAYS LTD (62)

Great Escapes Diving Holidays is an independent travel company run by experts with over 30 years combined experience. We specialise in bespoke holidays to selected dive resorts and liveaboards throughout the world’s most-stunning locations, with added tours to enhance your travel experience.

www.greatescapesdiving.com

EGYPTIAN STATE TOURISM (47)

GRENADA TOURISM AUTHORITY (59)

www.egypt.travel

www.puredivinggrenada.com

The Egyptian Red Sea is world-renowned for its rich marine life, soft and hard corals, iconic shipwrecks and abyssal walls, and with a wealth of resorts, including Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam, as well as liveaboards, there is something for everyone.

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Grenada and Carriacou are an all-yearround scuba diving destination. A superb variety of dive sites attracts divers from around the world.

More than 50 sites offer something for every enthusiast. Our dive sites are just a short boat trip from the island’s sandy beaches and ideally suited to divers of all levels and ages.

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

HALCYON DIVE SYSTEMS (8)

Halcyon Dive Systems is a recreational and technical scuba equipment manufacturer. The company began as a group of divers who knew exactly what they wanted, but could not find it in any dive store, which led to them designing wings and lights to satisfy themselves, and this progressed to supplying other discerning divers.

www.halcyon.net

MALTA TOURISM AUTHORITY (3)

The Maltese Islands boast an abundance of reefs, stunning caverns, caves and spectacular wrecks. The water surrounding the Mediterranean archipelago is known for its azure blue colour. Whether you’re an experienced diver or a beginner, the diverse dive offering appeals to all levels.

www.visitmalta.com

KENT TOOLING DIVING PRODUCTS (B8)

MAGIC RESORTS (AP16)

www.divingproducts.co.uk/shop

www.magicresorts.online

We are a family run company who manufacture various types of 316 Stainless Steel Scuba Diving Accessories, ranging from Ratchet Reels, Rebreather Stands, Cages, also various types of backplates. Our products suit both Technical and Recreational Divers.

Magic Resorts Philippines – the best getaway for your diving holiday. With 2 resorts on 2 different islands, it gives you the perfect opportunity to explore the best of the Philippines. Experience Western quality combined with the world-famous Filipino hospitality, discover the most exciting critters and dive with whalesharks!

KUBI DRYGLOVES AND EXPEDITION PRODUCTS (78)

MARES (S26)

www.KUBIstore.com

www.mares.com

The KUBI brand name and range of products was founded in 2002. KUBI was developed, designed and produced by Peter Kubicka.

KUBI Dry Glove Systems are the choice of many divers and drysuit manufacturer around the world, so come & see us for a chat & see the products for yourself.

Mares is a long-established dive equipment manufacturer producing a broad range of high-quality, top-rated gear for recreational divers, tech divers, freedivers, snorkellers and spearfishing enthusiasts. From regulators, BCDs, drysuits and dive computers to wetsuits, masks, snorkels and fins, and much, much more, Mares has something for all levels of diver.

LEMBEH RESORT (AP12)

METALSUB (20)

www.lembehresort.com

www.cpspartnership.co.uk

The Lembeh Strait’s incredible marine biodiversity and sheer abundance of unusual critters has led to it being named the “Critter Capital of the World”. Lembeh Resort’s secluded location on Lembeh Island ensures guests an exclusive and relaxing stay. Tropical gardens and exotic fauna form a stunning backdrop while luxury and elegance come as standard.

LOCHALINE CHARTERS (B1)

Lochaline Boat Charters, Diving the Sound of Mull and Beyond, providing boat charters, accommodation and catering in the Sound of Mull and surrounding areas. Both our boats have onboard compressors. We pride ourselves on giving the complete diving package. Well known dive sites available from Lochaline which are included in our daily charter rates.

www.lochaline-boats.co.uk

MAGMADIVE (51)

Magmadive’s story begins underwater between the tectonic plates back in 2009, where company founder David Ramsay submerged into some of the clearest water on Earth. Inspired by the rugged elegance, awe and natural splendour of what he saw, he went on to create his own brand that embodies these very elements into its service.

www.magmadive.is

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

Metalsub has been a dive light manufacturer for 25 years. Metalsub is a Dutch manufacturer of precision scuba diving equipment. All Metalsub products are made exclusively with marine grade aluminium and other sea waterproof materials so they can be used in the most severe diving conditions.

MIDLANDS DIVING CHAMBER (58)

The Midlands Diving Chamber, a Hyperbaric decompression chamber offering NHS funded recompression to divers with Decompression Sickness (DCS) together with other Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) treatments.

Midlands Diving Chamber specialises in Diving Medicine.

www.midlandsdivingchamber.co.uk

MIKE BALL DIVE EXPEDITIONS (AP15)

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions is Australia’s leading liveaboard dive company and is synonymous with world-class dive sites and exceptional customer service. Our three-, four- and seven-night expeditions visit a wide range of sites within the Great Barrier Reef and remote Coral Sea.

www.mikeball.com

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MIFLEX HOSES (78)

NAUI WORLDWIDE (31)

www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk

www.naui.org

Your first port-of-call to find out more information about the award-winning KUBI dryglove system or the lightweight but durable Miflex braided hoses, as well as innovative gear such as the Aquasketch scrolling slate, Omniswivel hose adaptors and diving fittings, Thermalution heated undersuits and accessories, and much more.

National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is a scuba diving training agency. We create training materials for all types of diving, including Scuba Diving, Nitrox, Freediving, Tech Diving, Cave diving, Public Safety Diving.

MUREX DIVE RESORTS (AP12)

NAUTILUS DIVING (71)

www.murexdive.com

www.nautilusdiving.co.uk

Murex Manado’s strategic location offers easy access to the stunning coral wall sites of the Bunaken Marine Park as well as muck diving in Manado Bay. Murex Bangka is set on a private white sand beach and offers exquisite reef diving around the North Sulawesi coastline.

Nautilus - manufacturer, importer and distributor of premium diving brands. Our ethos has always been one of quality and service. Choosing the right brands to ensure products are designed and manufactured to the highest standards enables us to offer service and after sales to match.

MV VALKYRIE AND MV VALHALLA (42)

OCEAN LEISURE CAMERAS (65)

www.mv-valkyrie.co.uk

www.oceanleisurecameras.com

Orkney diving holidays on award winning liveaboard MV Valkyrie and MV Valhalla, dive German Fleet wrecks of Scapa Flow, Shetland and Norway. We promise that our boats MV Valkyrie and MV Valhalla will always be safe, warm, dry, clean and comfortable for you. On board we believe that customer service should be top of our priorities & we are constantly changing and improving the boat for our guests.

Ocean Leisure, London’s premier watersports superstore, is home to Ocean Leisure Cameras, where you’ll find the most-comprehensive line up of underwater photographic equipment and expertise anywhere in the UK. We’re easy to find too!

We’re right next to Embankment Tube station and a short walk from Charing Cross.

MY ADVENTURE INDONESIA (AP3)

OCEAN QUEST NEWFOUNDLAND CANADA (28)

www.myadventureindonesia.com

www.oceanquestadventures.com

The waters of Indonesia are quite rightly famed around the planet for their rich biodiversity. My Adventure Indonesia is your gateway to this paradise - we operate and manage two Indonesian phinisi boats and liveaboards, the Benetta and the Amaya Explorer.

Ocean Quest, multi-award-winning eco company, for 21 years diving the Bell Island Mine and World War Two shipwrecks, along with huge icebergs and majestic whales. Just across the Pond to Canada’s youngest province, but Great Britain’s oldest colony!

Truly a ‘Dive into history’.

NAMMU TECH (64)

OTTER WATERSPORTS (79)

www.nammu-tech.com

www.drysuits.co.uk

We are a small team of technical divers, instructors and technologists who are passionate about diving and using innovative technology and design to improve and enhance the diving experience and specialise in making customised technical and sidemount dive equipment.

Otter Watersports was set up in 1986 by the late-John Womack Senior, and soon became a family business, with John Junior taking over the day-to-day running in 2012. Otter drysuits are used by explorers and technical divers pushing the limits who need equipment they can depend on, and their legendary customer service is second to none.

NARDI COMPRESSORI (71)

PADI (19)

www.nardicompressori.com

www.padi.com

Nardi Compressori was founded in 1965 by family GHIOTTO & NARDI in Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza, northeast of Italy and today counts over 30 employees. Today, Nardi Compressori manufactures and distributes its models in over 100 different countries with a production of over 30,000 units per year.

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PADI is the world’s leading diver training organisation, issuing 25 million certifications over 50 years. With more than 6,500 dive centres and 135,000 PADI Professionals across 183 countries and territories, you’ll find PADI diver courses and diving services almost everywhere.

We are PADI, the way the world learns to dive.

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

PARADISE DIVING SCHOOL MALTA (69)

REGALDIVE (30)

www.paradisediving.com

www.regaldive.com

Paradise diving is located in the north of the island ideally situated to reach Gozo, Comino and parts of Malta by boat. The dive centre and lido were purpose built, with its own private beach for non-divers. We offer a large selection of courses from beginner to instructor

PELAGIC FLEET (92)

Pelagic Fleet is an adventure travel P E L G I C company determined to explore the FLEET Mexican open ocean. Experience the best big animal encounters on board our signature vessel, the Solmar V, or on our brand-new boat, the Socorro Vortex. Also join us on a day trip Pelagic Safari expedition off Cabo!

www.pelagicfleet.com

The friendly Regaldive team is made up of dive professionals, divers and travel enthusiasts with many years of experience between them. They are well qualified to find the perfect diving holiday to suit your needs, and are passionate about travelling and diving.

RNLI (ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION) (37)

With the right training, experience, equipment and conditions, scuba diving can be phenomenal. Our marine environment rivals some of the best in the world, offering a fascinating range of wrecks and wildlife around our coastlines to enjoy. There are risks involved and we’re here to help you dive safely.

www.rnli.org

POSEIDON DIVING SYSTEMS UK (17)

ROBIN HOOD WATERSPORTS (70)

www.poseidon-uk.com

www.roho.co.uk

Poseidon has been a manufacturer and innovator of cutting edge diving equipment for over six decades. We are developers of market leading equipment for all categories of divers from military to recreational.

PRODIVERS (7)

Prodivers have been exploring the Maldives for more than 30 years.

Since opening on Kuredu back in 1988, the company has grown into one of the largest dive operators in the Maldives, now running out of Hurawalhi, Innahura, Komandoo, Lily Beach and Vakarufalhi as well, allowing them to offer six very-different diving experiences.

www.prodivers.com

Established in 1981, we stock a full range of dive kit from all the major suppliers, including Apeks, Aqua Lung, Mares, Scubapro, Fourth Element and many more. If you’re just starting out in diving or have years of experience, we have you covered with both equipment and courses.

ROBIN HOOD WATERSPORTS (70)

Roho has been manufacturing drysuits for over 31 years, so we really understand the needs of divers.

We make drysuits for all divers, diving in all conditions.

Whether it’s for diving the wrecks in Scapa Flow or a lightweight travel suit for Malta, we’ve got you covered.

www.roho.co.uk

RAID (15)

ROOTS RED SEA (52)

www.diveraid.com

www.rootsredsea.com

RAID is the world’s fastest-growing diver training agency with satellite regional offices, dive stores and instructors waiting to provide diver services to you across the globe. RAID is also the first diver training agency to offer a complete range of online diver academic programmes from beginner to instructor examiner.

Roots Red Sea is a small, friendly resort aimed at scuba divers, snorkellers and those who want a quiet, peaceful and relaxed atmosphere combined with excellent diving on tap.

Managed by British-owned Pharaoh Dive Club, their simple mantra is to deliver the holiday the guest wants and treat everyone the way they would like to be treated themselves.

RED SEA DIVING COLLEGE (B5)

SANTI DIVING (8)

www.redseacollege.com

www.santidiving.com

Diving in Sharm el Sheikh is an amazing experience, choosing to dive with us the ‘original and still the best’ multi-award-winning Red Sea Diving College will make your Red Sea diving experience an unforgettable one. Whether you want to learn to dive, or are already a qualified diver, look no further.

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

SANTI Diving is one of the world’s leading producers of diving equipment.

The company produces high-quality diving equipment used by divers to ensure safety, simplicity and comfort.

The product range includes drysuits, heating systems, undersuits, accessories and afterdive.

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SCUBA ADVENTURES (41)

SEE BEES DIVING (S14)

www.scubadivestore.co.uk

www.sea-bees.com

Here at the Scuba Dive Store we only supply Aqua Lung and Apeks diving equipment. We believe in selling only the best equipment to our customers. Because we only supply Aqua Lung and Apeks, the Scuba Dive Store are able to supply the complete range of equipment all at competitive prices.

SCUBA DIVER (23)

Scuba Diver magazine is headed up by a well-respected and highly experienced team of keen divers, and each month seeks to pack the magazine with an eclectic blend of informative articles, in-depth interviews, unbiased equipment reviews, useful hints and advice and much more, with dedicated sections on freediving and technical diving. L0s8q

www.scubadivermag.com

SCUBA TRAVEL (66)

Scuba Travel has been arranging awardwinning holidays for over 20 years. Our experienced team are committed to crafting memorable diving holidays. We create bespoke itineraries that are as individual as you are. Join the thousands of travellers that trust Scuba Travel to make their dreams come true

www.scubatravel.com

Are you planning to spend your diving holiday here in Thailand?

We are here to make your dive trip the most outstanding experience you could ever imagine! For 20 years we have been providing day trips, dive safaris and courses from our base in Phuket.

SHEARWATER RESEARCH (43)

Founded in 2004, Shearwater designs and manufactures dive computers and rebreather electronics in Richmond, Canada.

After enjoying wide acceptance in technical diving circles, Shearwater gained popularity among recreational divers. Our dive computers have a reputation for being reliable, userfriendly, and easy to read underwater.

www.shearwater.com

SILADEN ISLAND RESORT AND SPA (AP14)

Siladen Resort & Spa is an exclusive boutique dive resort located on Pulau Siladen, a lush tropical island in the heart of the Bunaken National Marine Park, a protected ocean area known worldwide for the richness of its waters and the epicentre of global marine biodiversity.

www.siladen.com

SCUBAPRO (46)

SKEGNESS AQUARIUM (67)

www.scubapro.com

www.skegness-aquarium.uk

Scubapro is the world’s premier manufacturer of scuba diving equipment.

For over 50 years, Scubapro has led the industry in dive equipment innovation, and in doing so has changed the face of diving. Come and check out all the latest products for 2020 and beyond.

SEADOG PRODUCTIONS (4)

Seadog Productions is an independent broadcast and creative video production company in Bristol.

Founded by Monty Halls, our dynamic team works with brands, businesses and charities to produce creative, story-led video content that you won’t need to push on your audience - they will seek it out.

www.seadogproductions.co.uk

SEA SAFARI CRUISE (AP9)

Sea Safari Cruises offer a wide range of diving liveaboard activities within the Indonesian Archipelago. Using traditional rigged Bugis Phinisi Schooners, our boats give you plenty of space to relax. Whether it is in the air-conditioned comfort of the large saloon or lazing under the shade of one of the ship’s huge sails, you will find it easy to unwind.

www.divingseasafari.com

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Skegness Aquarium is an exciting family attraction in Skegness! Based on the story and characters in Treasure Island.

Join us as we take you on a journey underwater through a fantasy Pirate World of Lost Treasure, Sunken Ships and fascinating marine life, making us one of the top family days out in Skegness.

SOLITUDE LIVEABOARDS AND RESORTS (AP7)

Solitude is all about redefining quality service and professionalism in world-class dive destinations. Whether it be at our land-based resorts in Lembeh and Anilao, or our liveaboards operating in Palau, Philippines and Indonesia, we’re dedicated to making every scuba-diving trip an unforgettable experience for all!

www.solitude.world

SSI (SCUBA SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL) (S26)

For more than 45 years, SSI has provided training, certification and educational resources for divers, dive instructors, dive centres and resorts around the world. Started in 1970, SSI has expanded to include more than 30 service centres, and is represented in more than 110 countries with over 2,800 locations.

www.divessi.com

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

STRAND LINE STUDIO (B7)

TWO FISH DIVERS (AP4)

strandlinestudio@hotmail.com

www.twofishdivers.com

As a keen scuba diver who has seen the impact first hand, I am passionate about trying to remove unnecessary plastic from the environment. I’ve started developing my own line of products to help remove single-use plastic from our bathrooms, helping you easily switch to naturally lovely, plastic-free products that work.

Two Fish Divers operate five tropical island dive resorts in Indonesia, with locations in North Sulawesi, Bali and Lombok. Britishowned-and-run, this five-star PADI Instructor Development Dive Resort specialises in small groups (no more than four guests per dive guide) and long dives - they just ask you to surface after 75 minutes or on 40 bar.

STUART COVE’S DIVE BAHAMAS (35)

VMS REBREATHERS (16)

www.stuartcove.com

www.vmsrebreathers.com

Before you start learning more about our company, there is one thing I would like to clear up – there is no location called Stuart’s Cove…(yet)… Instead the company carries my name (Stuart Cove), to reflect the quality and personal attention that you will receive from my staff and I each and every day.

VMS Rebreathers design and manufacture the RedBare CCR, sporting the simplest all-round resource monitoring available. The RedBare CCR simplifies the benefits of CCR diving, in a unit made and fully supported in the UK. Visit us on stand #16 to claim your 10% discount on a new RedBare CCR exclusively at GoDiving.

SUB AQUA ASSOCIATION (SAA) (44)

WAKATOBI DIVE RESORT (27)

www.saa.org.uk

www.wakatobi.com

The SAA is a recognised diver training agency in the UK. The training is delivered by volunteers who want to pass on their love of diving. Our aim is to provide the right environment for members to continually develop their skills through a structured approach to diving and safety.

Wakatobi Resort, in Sulawesi, Indonesia, is one of the planet’s most-secluded and pristine tropical destinations, offering what many claim is some the ‘best diving in the world’. Located 1000km east of Bali, the resort and dive yacht, Pelagian, is the first choice of discerning divers worldwide.

SUBMARINE MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS (84)

THE WOODLAND TRUST (77)

www.smp-ltd.com

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

SMP is a firmly established commercial diving equipment supplier. We deliver a diverse selection of workable solutions. SMP designs and manufactures gas compression equipment and breathing air distribution systems for companies in a wide range of sectors.

We want to see a UK rich in native woods and trees. For wildlife. For people.

Help us plant trees, protect woods and inspire people. Wee have 500,000 members and supporters, and more than 1,000 woods of our own you are free to visit anytime across the whole of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

SUUNTO (60)

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (26)

www.suunto.com

www.wwf.org.uk

We stand for adventure.

It‘s about always looking to mentally or physically challenge yourself, whether it’s a long run, a tough climb or a deep dive.

Above all, adventure is a mindset. It‘s about new experiences and just getting out there, regardless of the size of the challenge.

The World Wildlife Fund is the world’s leading independent conservation organisation. The WWF’s Mission- to create a world where people and wildlife can thrive together, and to conserve nature and reduce the threats to the diversity of life on Earth. We’re finding ways to help transform the future for our forests, rivers and seas.

TASIK RIA RESORT, SPA AND DIVING (AP6)

XDEEP (71)

www.tasikria.com

www.xdeep.eu

Tasik Ria is a family owned and run resort that offers not only luxury and comfort, but also a high level of warmth and hospitality.

Bunaken National Park is just a 45-minute boat ride away, and Tasik Divers offers sublime service, while the Matana Spa can sooth all your stresses away.

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM

XDEEP leads the market in wing innovation and design. With the Stealth 2.0 and NX Series wing systems exceeding all expectations and becoming the default market product, XDEEP cemented their position as a leading innovator in the buoyancy market by combining functional design with appealing aesthetics.

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DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: EUROPE DAN Europe is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers.

WWW.DANEUROPE.ORG

MEDICATIONS

AND FITNESS TO DIVE Our medical staff often receive questions on whether it’s safe to dive while taking a particular medication. Even though there is not a straightforward answer to this question, here we provide some useful indications

D

AN (as any other medical organisation) does not keep a repository of data on how medications are affected by the diving environment. No formal research trials about the influence of drugs on human divers in an underwater environment can be conducted, out of ethical concerns. Anecdotal reports of dive accidents are of limited value in assessing if it is safe to dive while taking a particular drug. Several physical and physiological factors are always involved, so it is extremely difficult to isolate a single variable.

However, by considering elements such as the medical condition being treated, the physical demands on divers while underwater, and known facts about a drug from clinical trials conducted on land, sound advices can be provided about the suitability of diving while taking medications.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

Most divers asking DAN advices about medications and diving are concerned about new side-effects occurring at depth. It is possible that certain drugs might potentiate (enhance) or be potentiated by the narcotic effect of nitrogen. A diver should consider this possibility if planning to dive deeper than 24m while taking a drug that warns against drinking alcohol or operating heavy machinery.

Aside from this theoretical concern, most drugs are not suspected to incur specific biological hazards due to immersion, pressure or breathing-gas mixture. It is understandable for divers to be apprehensive about new sideeffects occurring during a dive, but the more important issue to medical professionals is whether the underlying medical condition might make diving less safe. The injury or illness being treated is much more likely than the medication to exclude someone from diving.

Reduced physical fitness is not uncommon among people treated for medical conditions. Although diving itself is a relaxing activity for most recreational divers, lifting and wearing heavy equipment as well as entering and exiting the water can cause fatigue. Divers should always have sufficient

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physical capability to fight currents, perform a long surface swim or help a buddy in case of emergency. They should not be at increased risk of barotrauma due to congestion, and they should not have symptoms such as numbness, tingling or pain that might be confused with decompression sickness (DCS) after a dive.

Furthermore, it is important to consider whether a diver has experienced any side effects from a medication, how long he or she has been taking it and what other drugs the diver is taking. Before diving while taking a particular drug, the person should have experience with it on land. For most prescription medications, 30 days is recommended to ensure the dosage is correct and reveal any side-effects the diver is likely to experience. At least one doctor should be aware of all medications an individual is taking to minimize the risk of drug interactions. A diver who experiences any side effects that could cause distraction or decreased awareness underwater should not dive.

These are general considerations, but there are also some specific questions and points for discussion relevant to particular types of medications, which should be addressed during the physician’s evaluation, as well as in the diver’s selfassessment.

Orthopedic pain medications and muscle relaxants • Could pain or impaired mobility cause distraction or physical limitation during a dive?

• Might heavy dive gear exacerbate an injury?

• Could side-effects of prescription-strength pain relievers diminish a diver’s alertness or awareness?

• Might soreness, numbness or tingling be confused with DCS after a dive?

Neurologic drugs • Are the diver’s physical capabilities diminished?

• Has the diver ever experienced a seizure?

• Could any drugs the diver is taking cause side-effects that might be confused with DCS?

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Psychiatric medications • Might symptoms or a drug’s side-effects impair judgment, behavior, awareness or ability to handle stress?

• Is the patient’s condition managed successfully or in remission?

Gastrointestinal drugs • Is the patient at risk for gas trapping that could cause barotrauma on ascent?

• Is the diver dehydrated due to vomiting or diarrhea?

Cardiovascular drugs • Does the patient have the cardiovascular health and exercise capacity to safely dive?

• Is a stress electrocardiogram (EKG) needed to confirm good cardiac fitness?

Respiratory medications, including inhaled corticosteroids • Is there any reason to suspect air trapping or impaired ability to breathe while diving?

• People with asthma should undergo an exercise challenge test, which consists of pulmonary function testing before and after exercise in a clinical setting.

Decongestants, antihistamines and intranasal steroids • Is the diver congested (and therefore at increased risk of barotrauma)?

• Has he or she been congested recently?

• If the medication wears off at depth, will it cause a problem?

• How might the potential sedative effect of antihistamines affect the diver?

Hormones, insulin and medications used to treat diabetes • Are the patient’s hormone levels stable and close to normal?

• Is the diabetic diver at risk for hypoglycemia with exercise?

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• Divers with diabetes must have good health and fitness and be experienced managing blood glucose levels while exercising.

Antibiotics • Does the patient have an illness or infection that might be complicated by diving?

Chemotherapy drugs • Is the person physically fit to dive?

• Lung cancer warrants particular consideration.

• Medical ports are generally not a problem, but they should be padded well.

These points should be considered in the context of both the symptoms of the medical condition and the side-effects of any drugs used to treat it. The focus should be on whether any of these factors might lead to impairment of a diver’s physical capabilities, awareness, reaction time or judgment.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it highlights some of the concerns that accompany certain medical conditions and the drugs used to treat them.

Any medical condition or medication should prompt a diver to seek a physician’s approval prior to diving. As always, DAN is available to discuss the relevant concerns of injuries, illnesses and the medications used to treat them. If you have questions, email DAN at: medical@daneurope.org n

DAN MEMBERSHIP

Before leaving for your next dive adventure, make sure your DAN membership is still active. If it isn’t, join DAN, or renew your membership at: www.daneurope.org

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY GETTING MOTION BLUR INTO YOUR IMAGES

Following his last article on shooting shoals, Martyn Guess provides some insight into, and also tips on getting, motion blur into your images PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS

W

hile this technique has been available for use underwater for a long time, it seems to have had a resurgence in the last few years and there have been many winning ‘Motion Blur’ images in major underwater photography competitions in this timescale. As cameras have become more sophisticated and provide the ability to change settings such as ISO in smaller increments and over a wider spectrum, it has become easier to control the additional light getting to sensors created by slowing speeds down.

Getting motion into your still images is a relatively easy technique to accomplish and can provide a very different look to your pictures, bringing the subject more to life for the viewer. So much in our world is constantly moving that sometimes a still shot does not really do the subject justice, or portray it as we would really like. By slowing shutter speeds down, we can easily introduce a look to our images that show the motion of the subject (see image 1). The technique is also useful for hiding details in the frame that we might want to exclude or dim down, such as other divers, structures or other fish life, as the background will be blurred. It is also a lovely technique to use to introduce an abstract perspective, or an Image 1. By slowing the speed down we can show motion in our still images of moving subjects. 1/8th Sec F20 ISO 100

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image that is moving towards a painted or more-artistic affect (see image 2). The technique can be applied to both wide angle and macro subjects, although the latter is harder to perfect due to the limit size and also the narrowness of macro lenses.

It is important in certain images, particularly if the main subject is Image 2. Slow motion images can wildlife, say a produce a more-artistic look. Dusk shark or a fish, dive. 1/8th Sec F16 ISO 160 that elements of the subject are still sharp. If everything is totally blurred, then these type of images don’t work. I normally try to make sure that the eyes and facial features of the main subject, if shooting wildlife, are sharp (Image 3). For other types of images where I am trying to create a more ‘arty’ look, I am not so much worried about sharpness and therefore the slow shutter techniques and camera settings are changed slightly.

The way to achieve motion blur is firstly to understand some settings on your camera. All DLSR and mirrorless cameras these days allow you to set up the flash to fire at the beginning or end of the exposure. When using fast shutter speeds, the difference between the two settings is minute, but once you start using very slow shutter speeds the difference between the flash firing at the beginning or the end of the exposure is significant. The default normal setting is for the flash to fire at the beginning. However, rear curtain

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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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synchronisation is the normal, go-to setting for slower speeds and is the one I have set all the time on my camera. This is on the basis that at normal higher speeds, the difference between front and rear curtain is not distinguishable. If a subject, say a fish, swims through the frame of my camera and I have rear curtain set up and I am using a slow speed, say 1/8th of a second, then when I press the shutter holding the camera still, the exposure starts and the flash goes off at the end of the exposure. The image shows the movement of the fish through the frame and then when the flash goes off at the end of the exposure, the fish is frozen and facial details should be reasonably sharp. The fish looks like it is swimming forwards with blurred streaks behind it (see image 4). If I had used front curtain, then the fish would have been frozen at the beginning of the exposure and the slow speed section of the exposure would produce streaks in front of the fish which would look a little odd and give the impression perhaps that the fish was moving backwards!

For faster-moving subjects, however, front curtain synchronisation does come in handy. Imagine trying to hold your camera still and taking a photograph of a racing car going past you. The chances of you getting the car fully in the frame are very remote and therefore rear curtain has its limitations, as you will find that a lot of your images are only of part of the subject. The natural inclination when shooting the racing car is to try and move with it – this is called panning. So, when composing your picture, you want to be able to capture your composition quickly, which means using front curtain and letting the flash fire at the beginning of the exposure to freeze the subject, then the rest of the Image 4. Rear curtain with camera held still 1/8th Sec F20 ISO 100

Image 3. Caribbean shark image showing movement while retaining a sharp eye.

1/15th Sec ISO 100 F18

BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS

Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for nearly as long. He has been very successful in National and International competitions and regularly makes presentations to camera and photography clubs and diving shows as well as The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP) and other underwater photography groups. Today he shares his passion and knowledge - As well as teaching underwater photography courses he leads overseas workshop trips for Scuba Travel and his articles regularly appear in Scuba Diver magazine.

exposure will capture the movement. By quickly panning your camera with the subject and overtaking it ideally, the streaks of motion blur will be behind the subject and you will also be able to freeze the subject. I use this setting and technique when I want to introduce motion blur to, say, images of sharks. To achieve this look in your images you can use a slightly faster speed than you would normally use for rear curtain, say 1/15th sec, and then pan the camera through the subject and overtake it. The point I normally press the shutter for a large fish, or a shark or similar, is when the camera is pointing at the pectoral fins or gills. That way you know that you will at least have the head in the shot (see image 5). This is one of those techniques which you have to practice and use by trial and error. You will get used to swinging the camera and also how fast to pan. I use this technique on shoals as well as individual subjects (see image 6) to give a different look to my shoal image portfolio.

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11th July 2020 ÂŁ1495 inc flights from Gatwick

Relaxed Red Sea

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

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Image 5. Pike taken with the camera shutter depressed as the panning camera passed the gills to make sure the head was in the shot. 1/8th Sec Panning with Front Curtain. F16 ISO 200

MY ESCORTED TRIPS

Want to learn how to take or improve your underwater images? Why not come on a photo specific trip? These trips are meticulously planned to the best destinations at the best time of year where the conditions should be perfect for building a portfolio of great images. The workshops, which are for all levels of experience but mainly aimed at people with a few trips under their belts, include classroom sessions and presentations as well as in-water help and guidance, all done in a relaxed and non-competitive friendly environment. As I sit here writing this article on a bleak post-Christmas day, I am thinking about my trip to Dumaguete in the Philippines in May to shoot macro and wide-angle subjects. It’s frogfish season then, and we will spend time at Apo Island with the turtles. There is a Northern Red Sea trip in June 2020 to photograph the shoals at Ras Mo and take in other sites with an open-deck policy, so great for photographers. There are also trips to Lembeh in October 2020 and back to the Red Sea at the end of November. Bali in August 2021 is now live, with other 2021 trips are currently being planned.

Please contact the Scubatravel team or check out their website for details. www.scubatravel.com Image 7. Front curtain panning shot at dusk for arty look.

1/18th Sec F16 ISO 200

Image 6. Front Curtain panning image.

1/10th Sec F22 ISO 100

When using a fisheye lens and dome port it is easier not to use the viewfinder and simply swing the camera through the scene in front of you. It becomes quite liberating as you swing the camera back and forth and will give you a good work out too!

Be aware that, adopting the rules of the Exposure Triangle, you have to compensate for using a slow shutter speed as you will otherwise be letting a lot more light onto the camera’s sensor. Use smaller apertures or reduced ISO, or a combination of both. You will also need to use lower strobe power settings so as to not burn out the subject. The technique is more difficult to use in shallower brighter conditions, so definitely a technique to consider using on dull and overcast days, or make sure you can compensate enough on bright sunny days by going deeper. I also tend to use it a lot on dusk dives for moody arty type shots (see image 7).

As to how slow to go, you have to try shots and adapt. My normal range is between 1/6th sec and 1/15th, with the faster speeds used for panning shots.

If you are using a compact camera then the slow speed technique is still worth trying as long as you are using the camera in manual and have full control of the settings. If you can’t change between front and rear curtain, then check which setting the camera uses and use either the panning or still techniques I have outlined. Next time you go diving with a camera look out for subjects which might work with some motion blur added. The effect will definitely give a different look to your images and will also, I can confidently predict, create more interest. I have a sticker on the back of my camera housing to remind me to look for suitable opportunities for slow motion shots in the hope that I might find a competition winner! Happy diving all! n

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GET IN TOUCH TODAY TO BOOK YOUR UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURE

Underwater photographer DAN BOLT relays his UW adventures from UK diving escapades in south Devon and western Scotland, through to hair-raising snorkelling encounters with manatees over in Florida – to Lorna Dockerill PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN BOLT

Corals and Caves on

Hurricane 21st May 2020 ÂŁ1425 inc flights from UK ESCORTED BY MARIO VITALINI

Holiday highlights... Mario Vitalini will teach you to work with natural light and wide angle photography, as well as the secrets of amazing fish portraits and using strobes. He will help you build a stunning selection of classic Red Sea images, from the decks of the stable steel hulled Hurricane. There are 18-21 dives over the workshop, as well as all park fees included, 12lt tank/weights and FREE Nitrox.

+44 1483 411590 www.scubatravel.com/photography Book your holiday with the...

DAN BOLT DAN BOLT

Award-winning photographer Dan Bolt first learned to dive with Torbay branch of BSAC back in 1987 when he was 13 years old. Some years were spent with Brixham SAA/BSAC as well as the branch at his university in Cheltenham, and he is now a member of Totnes BSAC. Much of Dan’s spare time is spent exploring new diving and snorkelling sights, from the shore and from his kayak. These methods have given him a new perspective on the UK coastline and in-land sites.

Over the past few years, Dan has written a number of articles on diving, snorkelling and marine life in the UK. He also contributes images to The Wildlife Trusts and Seasearch freely for use in their campaigning for protection for the UK’s coastal waters. See more of Dan’s work on his website at: www.underwaterpics.co.uk or on Instagram at @DanBoltPhoto

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11th Sept 2020 £1295 excluding flights

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 +44 1483 411590 www.scubatravel.com/photography

Q: Favourite location for diving and underwater photography?

A: If I had to choose just one spot, it would be Babbacombe in south Devon. I’ve been diving and snorkelling there for more than 30 years and it never ceases to amaze me with the variety and abundance of marine life that can be found here throughout the year. Getting to know its character as the season changes is a real privilege too. But, if I were allowed to widen the area, it would be the sea lochs of western Scotland for the sheer majesty of the scenery both above and below the water.

Q: Most challenging dive (and why)?

A: One of the most-iconic marine species we have in the UK are basking sharks, and I’ve had a couple of trips to the island of Coll in Scotland to try to nail a decent shot of one - failing both times. The challenge is manifold – firstly, the weather in a Scottish summer can be less than perfect (to say the least). Secondly, baskers don’t like to be disturbed; a competent skipper will put you in a good position but it’s up to you to read the situation and swim into the ideal spot for a close pass. The final challenge is resisting the urge to swim towards, or with the shark – if you do this it will close its mouth and turn away from you, ruining any potential photographic opportunities. I have another trip booked for this summer… I’m hoping it’ll be third time lucky for me!

Q: How did you get started in underwater photography?

A: I learned to dive when I was 13 years old in the days when underwater photography was still a niche and expensive past-time. A few years later some cheaper (film) camera models were becoming available, and to be honest it was the gadgetry of it all that first attracted me. But I quickly became hooked on the ability to capture the stunning marine life that I was seeing, and this still drives me today.

Q: What came first - diving or photography?

A: Actually, snorkelling came first! We had a beach hut when I was growing up and my summer holidays were spent rock-pooling and snorkelling in the sheltered waters of Torbay. When I was old enough to learn to dive that was all I wanted to do, and I’ve not stopped since.

Q: What’s in your underwater photography kitbag?

A: It may be easier to ask what isn’t in my kit bag! I’m a micro four-thirds shooter and have an Olympus OMD EM-1 in my trusty Aquatica housing. The small size of this set-up suits my snorkelling and kayaking adventures while still giving me the ability to capture professional-grade shots.

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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Q: Who are your diving inspirations?

A: In the 1990s, I trained as a freediver and got involved in running a few international freediving competitions in the UK and Cyprus. This period was when I first started to try and take properly thought-through photos, rather then just snapping away at anything that moved. So my early influences were taken from Zena Holloway, Fred Buyle and Dan Burton. Latterly when I became aware of the talented British underwater photography scene, Alex Mustard and Peter Rowlands became (and still are) huge influences and mentors for me.

Q: Which underwater locations or species are still on your photography wish list and why?

A: In the UK I’d love to see a wolf fish. They are a cold water species so we don’t have them in Devon, but they are known from a few locations in Scotland.

Internationally I’d love to dive around Vancouver Island in Canada. This is cold-water diving at its best and the marine life looks like it’s on steroids. Plus, there’s whale-watching and the giant Pacific octopus to see too.

Q: What advice do you wish you’d had as a novice underwater photographer?

A: Underwater photography is a journey, not a destination.

And the more time you take to learn not only the craft but also time to observe the marine ecosystem, the more accomplished your imagery will be. Don’t rush. To this day, I still see images taken by my peers and think to myself, ‘Damn, I wish I would take shots like that!’

Q: Hairiest moment when shooting underwater?

A: Some years ago I visited Three Sisters Springs in Florida to photograph the manatees that congregate in the warm springs over the winter. Some of these gentle giants actively seek out human contact for a good scratch of their algaeencrusted skin. While I was at the bottom of the spring (it’s a snorkel-only site, so I was breath-holding) taking shots of one individual who was having a snooze, a large female swam over and sat on top of me to get my attention! Having a tonne of blubber on top of you while holding your breath is not a good situation to be in. But some gentle scratching made her shift her weight and we both floated to the surface so that I could breath and she could get some well-needed scratching from me. (Please note: the rules around manatee interaction have now changed, my actions were permissible at the time).

Q: What is your most memorable dive and why?

A: Earlier this year, I had the immense privilege of travelling to Sri Lanka to photograph whales. This was a snorkel/freediving photography trip which was carefully conducted under license from the Sri Lankan government. Nothing can prepare you for that first moment when you come face to face with a whale; the speed, majesty and sheer scale is hard to comprehend – it certainly makes you feel like a small insignificant speck in a large ocean! We were so lucky during the week to photograph seven species of whales and dolphins, making it a trip I’ll never forget. n

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20th June 2020 £1395 inc flights from UK

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 +44 1483 411590 www.scubatravel.com/photography

BEYOND TECHNICAL

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‘RUSTY RUSKY’ Pete Mesley is a regular visitor to the enormous ocean liner Mikhail Lermontov, and here he takes us on a whistlestop tour of New Zealand’s iconic tech-wreck PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETE MESLEY / WWW.PETEMESLEY.COM

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

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

If you carefully angle yourself up into the opening, you are confronted by hundreds of faces staring down with their perfect blue eyes

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THE CORAL TRIANGLE’S NEWEST DIVING NATION!

Timor-Leste

If you love easy shore diving, big coral gardens, macro critter hunting and the biodiversity that the Coral Triangle brings, look no farther than Timor-Leste for your next diving adventure. Don’t believe us? Speak with an operator today to learn more!

Aquatica Dive Resort www.aquaticadiveresort.com Atauro Dive Resort www.ataurodiveresort.com Compass Diving www.compassdiving.com Dive Timor www.divetimor.com Dreamers Dive Academy www.timordiveacademy.com

TL_half.indd 4

24/01/2020 09:46

DISCOVER

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O

n the morning of Saturday 15 February 1986 The Lermontov is smothered in at midnight, the 155-metre, 20,000-tonne marine growth Russian ocean liner Mikhail Lermontov departed Wellington to cross the treacherous Cook Straight for Picton at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound on the northern coast of the South Island. It had been chartered to travel company CTC for a summer cruising season in the South Pacific.

The following day she departed Picton at 3pm for Milford Sound on the southwest coast of the South Island. Captain Don Jamison, a Marlborough Sounds harbour pilot, was to remain aboard the vessel instead of leaving her at Long Island, so that he could be available to pilot the vessel into Milford Sound. A total of 743 people were on board. Of the 372 passengers, 327 were Australians, including five children, 36 British, six Americans, two Germans, and one New Zealander. Of the 348 crew members, 330 were Russian, 18 were British, another nine were Australians, and there were 13 British CTC staff members in transit.

The weather was overcast with heavy rain and a 25-knot southerly wind, which was not conducive to sight-seeing, but Captain Jamison continued with taking the huge vessel very The eerie sight of close to shore, as he had been doing since hundreds of dolls coming aboard. This finally proved fateful when the ship struck rocks at Cape Jackson.

The situation was further exacerbated by the failure of the Russian Captain Vorobyov to initially accept DIVING THE LERMONTOV assistance as the vessel rapidly took on water, and they The lure of the Mikhail Lermontov is becoming far stronger, limped towards Port Gore, where the mighty liner steadily and more and more people are venturing into the depths of its slipped beneath the surface, thankfully with just one fatality holds and passageways these days. Dubbed by Richie Kohler as among the crew, though the evacuation of all of the guests ‘the Andrea Doria of the South Pacific’, the Mikhail Lermontov sits in 36m of water lying hard to starboard. She rests in Port was rather fraught!

Gore, off the top of the South Island in New Zealand.

The port gunnel of the ship lies in just 12m of water, and not far from the shotline is a stairwell leading to the ‘Winter Garden’ on the Salon Deck. The Winter Garden plays host to many rooms which are now accessible by the windows, which have been broken to gain access.

In the forward quarter of the Salon Deck is the social area.

There are a number of bars onboard. Nevsky Bar is situated on the shallow (port) side of the wreck, while Astoria Bar is on the deeper starboard side. Further forward is the Bolshoi Lounge. This is where the crew entertained the passengers with traditional Russian dancing and music.

Heading aft on the same deck, just past the cinema is the library. There isn’t much in the library, but in the lobby just outside is a set of stairs. Under these stairs, stacked from floor to ceiling, are all the same books - Fundamental Law of the USSR! Some light reading for the passengers!

There is much to Swimming further aft you drop down through a double see within the ship

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COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS • YGqXk There are still piles of VB Bitter, a popular Australian beer (only popular to the Aussies!) in the store room just behind the bar doorway (though the doors have long since gone) into the pool area. There is Neptune’s Bar, where you can enjoy a nice beverage while you cool off in the pool! There are still piles of VB Bitter, a popular Australian beer (only popular to the Aussies!) in the store room just behind the bar.

One of the stand-out dives of this massive wreck is what has been dubbed ‘The Dolls Room’ dive. Situated on the starboard side of the Lounge Deck near the stern of the ship, this dive is no walk in the park.

Swimming over the top of the swimming pool conservatory, down past a set of stairs heading towards the Atlantic deck, you are soon at the entrance way. As you enter the deck at mud level, all ambient light is soon lost and the darkness of the wreck engulfs you.

You make your way forward keeping the ceiling (the right wall now) hard to your right side. Soon this becomes apparent as you pass a major danger obstruction - the pool store room bulkhead that is hanging by only one hinge! Once you make your way past that, the signs that you are really close to the dolls is clear - a small pair of feet protrude out of the silt and a single limb makes an attempt to get attention. As you edge forward some more, you will spot something on the floor. Skin coloured. Is that hair? As you get closer, a little face will come into view. Haunting eye open. Staring. Divers all report the hairs on the back of their neck pricking up. All the hair used on these dolls was made using human hair, which often freaks people out even more!

As you push forward, there is an open door above your head, and fabric wallpaper strands hang down from the doorway like a spider’s web waiting to entangle its prey.

If you carefully angle yourself up into the opening, you are There are numerous bars and lounges in the Lermontov

The silty wreck demands respect

The interior is starting to deteriorate

confronted by hundreds of faces staring down with their perfect blue eyes. It doesn’t matter how many times I do this dive, I can’t but help but think about that infamous sinister doll movie – Childs Play - where the main actor is Chucky the doll. So when my light pans over these lifeless faces in the blackest part of the ship, my heart rate increases!

The engine room is another spectacular experience. Access is fairly easy through the skylights. Swimming into the main ventilation shaft, the most-powerful lights are quickly gobbled up by the vast expanse of darkness of the engine room space.

Then out of the abyss, the top of the engine covers come into view. These Salzer diesel engines powered the twin screws, giving her a cruising speed of up to 21 knots.

Make no mistake, this wreck is a lot of fun, but also extremely silty and dangerous. In the first three years of her sinking, three divers lost their lives. But this was all due to lack of proper equipment, experience and training. n

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What’s New

MARES XR SIDEMOUNT (SRP: £621 – COMPLETE SET / COMPONENTS SRP: £7-£260)

Mares has various options for those looking to venture into the world of sidemount.

The Sidemount Pure Light Bladder in the XR range is ten litres in capacity, and is made from 1200D ‘bulletproof’ ballistic nylon and 600D polyester exterior, with a black polyurethane inner air cell.

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The Sidemount Heavy Pure Bladder is 16 litre capacity, and made from the same durable materials.

Both have a fully modular trim - cave, open water, and wreck - amd there are no bungees to compress the body. There is no camel or cake effect with the pre-shaped internal bladders, allowing perfect flat trim.

They have a reversible low-profile dump valve and two-speed K-style inflator, and knobless puller.

Both of the bladders can be combined with a harness and either stainless steel or aluminium plates to create the Heavy Pure Sidemount Set or the Pure Light Sidemount Set. www.mares.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

FOURTH ELEMENT OCEAN DEBRIS BAG (SRP: £12)

Bring this bag with you on every dive. Small enough to be stashed in a pocket or clipped on externally, the bag unrolls to provide a handy way to get involved with cleaning up our dive sites. It can be quickly deployed and used to collect and remove rubbish from the water. After you have disposed of the waste responsibly, recycling it wherever possible, simply roll the bag up – which is made from 100 percent polyester - and stow it again for your next dive. www.fourthelement.com

SCUBAPRO D-MASK (SRP: £155)

SCUBAPRO HYDROS X (SRP: £699) The Hydros X is the world’s first frontadjustable BCD to offer a fully injection moulded Monprene® thermoplastic harness. This unique feature allows you to tailor the harness shape to perfectly fit your torso, creating superior comfort.

Add the full-sized backpack and stainlesssteel Super Cinch tank band and you also get excellent stability both on the surface and at depth.

The air cell and harness are modular and detachable. The bladder, made out of EndurTex high-tenacity nylon fabric, is extremely lightweight and durable while offering generous lift capacity, aided by lower back bellows. In the event of damage, every component on the Hydros X is detachable and easily replaceable. Its flat-buckled quick-release integrated weight system and rear trim-weight pockets work together to offer a more-comfortable and balanced ride when cruising the depths. The two big zippered cargo pockets offer great gear-carrying capacity and are easily accessible even when the weight pouches are fully loaded.

Two stainless steel D-rings provide clip-on points for additional gear. In addition, the Hydros X features a MultiMount Accessory Matrix with multiple D-Ring and mounting points that easily attach various dive accessories. www.scubapro.com

SHEARWATER RESEARCH TERIC (SRP: £1,017.96)

Sharing the design scheme of the new D-Series D420 regulator, the D-Mask is a sleek, premium mask well-suited for all types of diving. It is equipped with UV+420cut™lenses that filter out high-energy visible (HEV) light as well as UV light without affecting how colours appear underwater.

It is also the only premium mask that features an interchangeable lens system for optional optical lenses.

The D-Mask is available in black with blue accents to match the D420 regulator’s colour scheme. It comes with a choice of black or clear skirts in two sizes - Medium or Small - as well as a special wide fit.

Also included is a new black-on-black Comfort Strap, a black mask frame and an adapter for mounting a HUD hands-free dive computer. www.scubapro.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Shearwater Research’s innovative Teric wristwatch dive computer has taken the recreational and technical diving worlds by storm since its launch, and now the Canadian company has released its first-ever limited-edition version.

The limited-edition Teric has all of the usual features of the standard version, but with its matte gold bezel and striking red strap, it definitely has a real Ironman vibe about it, and there are only a limited number available, so don’t miss out! This exclusive combination comes with an eye-catching red ballistic case and a uniquely numbered metal gold-coloured certificate of authenticity, signed by the company founder, Bruce Partridge. www.narkedat90.com 83

Test Extra

SCUBAPRO HUD | SRP: £1,130 COMPUTER-ONLY / £1,325 WITH TRANSMITTER Mark Evans: There has often been talk about fighter-pilotstyle head’s-up displays for divers, but for a long time, it was just that - talk.

Then Oceanic launched the Datamask, which was marketed as a HUD mask, but was more an ‘eyes-downto-the-right’ mask. It had a small screen mounted into the bottom right-hand side of the mask, so you needed to angle your eyes down to the right to look at it. It made the mask bulky, you lost a lot of peripheral vision to your right-hand side because of the battery compartment and innards of the computer itself, and to be honest, it wasn’t that advanced a computer in the first place, so it seemed a lot of effort for little gain. There was no real benefit over glancing at your wrist and a normal dive computer.

Things went quiet in the world of HUD, until the launch of the innovative NERD by Shearwater Research.

Originally designed for use with CCRs, a second-gen model was released that could be mounted on a second stage regulator. This ground-breaking piece of kit was more what people envisaged when they said ‘head’s up display’. Thanks to clever technology and design, a small screen that was located in front of the right lens of the mask appeared as a much-larger display a couple of feet away when you focused on it, but when you looked ‘past it’, as it were, it all but disappeared. The NERD II was essentially the company’s tried-and-tested Perdix AI in a smaller form, so it was a well-specced computer in its own right, but with the advantage of being a genuine head’s up display computer.

The only downside was the computer being mounted on the regulator - fine when you are shore-diving or off a hardboat,

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but if you are in a RIB and need to de-kit for reboarding, you didn’t really want to see your precious and expensive computer disappearing beneath a pile of BCDs and cylinders, not to mention feet as other divers got back on board.

Now mainstream manufacturer Scubapro has got in on the act, with the Galileo HUD dive computer. The Galileo series of computers was well received when they first came on the scene, and later generations - such as the G2, currently in our long-term test stable - were equally welcomed with open arms by the diving fraternity. So the functionality was there, Scubapro just decided to engineer that into a head’s-up display product.

Like the Shearwater Research NERD, the Galileo HUD features a small OLED screen suspended in front of your right eye, which when you focus on it, essentially becomes a larger screen in front of you because of the precision near-eye optics. When you look ‘past

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it’, it all but disappears from your line of sight. However, the big different here is that the Galileo HUD mounts directly on to the mask itself, not the regulator. Because of the way it attachs to the central section of the mask, it can literally be swung up and completely out of sight, if so desired. A series of spacers lets you align it from side to side in front of your eye quickly and easily.

The Galileo series were among the most-simple computers to navigate around the menus, thanks to the screen displaying what the buttons did at any given time.

Now the HUD can’t quite manage that given its size and design, but an innovative push-wheel knob makes it almost as easy as, say, the G2. A short push takes you to the next stage in the menu while a long push takes you back a step (and it tells you this at the bottom of the display), and by dialling the knob you can scroll up and down the menu.

It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it and, because of a neat design, it is easy to operate even wearing thick neoprene gloves or drygloves.

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Test Extra

SCUBAPRO HUD | SRP: £1,130 COMPUTER-ONLY / £1,325 WITH TRANSMITTER

It is not only easy to use, it is also very well-specced. It has four modes - scuba, gauge (for tech diving - it is depthrated to 120m), apnea and CCR - and it has two algorithms to select from. You can go for the Predictive Multi-Gas Buhlmann ZH-L16 ADT MB PMG, or the ZH-L16 GF. The predictive algorithm programmes up to eight selectable gases, including nitrox and trimix, in scuba mode, plus two set points for CCR diving. To further personalise its functionality, you can incorporate microbubble levels and Profile Dependent Intermediate Stops (PDIS) into the algorithm. Via hoseless air integration with a transmitter, the HUD can monitor your tank pressure, and also show your true remaining bottom time (RBT).

The Galileo HUD also features a 3D full-tilt digital compass, which allows you to store three pre-programmed headings, and the 2GB memory means it can store 10,000 hours of dive profiles, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of space! When you do want to download your logbook, you can do this either using a USB cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth. And it is compatible with Apple and Android using LogTRAK. You never have to worry about running out of battery,

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YOUR DIVE DATA’S NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD.

NEW

GALILEO® HUD™ HANDS-FREE COMPUTER

Introducing the revolutionary mask-mounted, hands-free dive computer with a virtual, floating heads-up display, giving you more freedom to experience your dive. scubapro.com

This picture is for illustration purposes only. Actual product may vary due to product enhancement of the dive mask paired with the Galileo HUD hands-free dive computer.

Test Extra

SCUBAPRO HUD | SRP: £1,130 COMPUTER-ONLY / £1,325 WITH TRANSMITTER either, as the HUD has a rechargeable battery, and fully charged, this will give you some 20 hours of dive time.

A compatible mask mount is included in the box, and several existing Scubapro masks can be retro-fitted to hold the Galileo HUD, such as the Zoom Evo that came for the test. The brand-new D Mask has been designed from the outset to work with the HUD. However, the HUD will also work on many other brands of mask, so you might not have to dump your ‘old-faithful’ to be able to wear the computer.

So what is it like in use? Well, first off, it is very lightweight, and while visually it might look quite large sat on top of the mask, in reality you hardly notice it is there, especially once you are in the water. There is no real drag or heavy feeling.

It was quite handy being able to swing the HUD completely up and out of the way. When it is in place, it isn’t too noticeable, until you want to read your computer, but when I was taking photographs, I sometimes found it was easier to do this with the HUD flipped up out of the way rather than in the ‘down position’.

I had no trouble using the control knob to dial through the menu. It is a decent size, and I had zero issues finding and using it wearing 3mm gloves, 5mm gloves and even drygloves with a thick under-glove.

As stated before, it is relatively simple to get to grips with the HUD, as with the G2 and previous Galileos, and the screen display is very clear - all I had to do was raise my view point slightly and then the computer screen came into sight. This was literally a slight tilt of my eyes upwards, not a very exaggerated down-to-theright as with the old Datamask.

All of the prominent information is well displayed in the default setting. You can tweak the layout but I actually found the default setting was perfect for me. The green digits appeared nice and bright underwater and on the surface, and I liked how warnings came in orange and red - for instance, as you ascend, a green line extends up the side, but if you go too quickly, it goes orange, and if you continue to accelerate towards the surface, it goes red. No way you will miss that! I think that the NERD II had the edge in terms of sharpness of screen display, but the HUD is still very easy to see, and easy to control/use, and I like how it is actually mounted on your mask rather than on your regulator. You can detach it quickly and easily from the mask, and it comes in a neat case along with the charging cable, transmitter (if you opt for the full set) and mask mount. www.scubapro.com

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HEATED VEST FLEX 2.0

Test Extra

BARE EXOWEAR | SRP: £39.95 - £249.95

Mark Evans: Bare have built up a well-deserved reputation for quality exposure protection, be that drysuits, undersuits or wetsuits, and the innovative Exowear range looks set to add another string to that already loaded bow.

Exowear is one of those products that crosses boundaries, and even Bare themselves say that it has been designed for divers, but also snorkellers, kayakers and stand-up paddle board enthusiasts, but you could add jetskiers, boaters, windsurfers, etc, to that list quite easily.

I’d even say that it goes further than that, and could be used by other sports fans, such as mountain bikers, hikers, etc, when the temperatures plummet.

So what is it? Well, in the words of Bare, it is ‘a lightweight, layerable and neutrally buoyant exposureprotection garment that provides maximum thermal warmth and protection against the harshest elements’.

When you first get it out of the box, Exowear feels like an extremely thin neoprene wetsuit material, but closer inspection shows that it is more-akin to soft-shell jackets, except that it is extremely stretchy. Look inside, and it has a super-soft, fluffy fleece interior - and it is here that the ‘magic’ happens.

Bare utilise so-called Omnired technology, which basically sees 13 thermo-reactive minerals embedded into the fabric, and these in turn convert outbound body heat into infrared energy and reflect it back to the body, allowing the user to main their optimal body temperature, and thus keeping them warmer for longer. According to lab tests, Exowear has slowed thermal loss by 36 percent compared to diving in swimsuits and rash guards alone.

This may sound a bit Harry Potter, but it actually works!

I have used Bare neoprene gloves and hoods in the past with the Omnired technology woven into the material, and I was astounded at how warm they kept my hands and head respectively. The 5mm gloves, in particular,

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were extremely effective - I was doing hour-long dives in single-digit temperatures and my hands were still warm at the end of it. And now Bare have put this technology into the Exowear range. As we stated previously, initially it feels like an ultra-thin neoprene wetsuit, but it is actually made up of three layers - an inner later (featuring the Omnired technology), a membrane, and then an outer layer. Together, these make up a product that is water repellant, windproof, breathable, quick-drying, wicking, and anti-microbial.

I said before that it was very stretchy, and the secret is in the four-way stretch design. This is a more-superior knit fabric than two-way stretch, since it stretches in both directions - crosswise and lengthwise - rather than just in one direction. This translates into it being extremely easy to get on and off, and there being zero restrictions GO DIVING CODE __> otjQ8

Aqua Lung ocean ambassador and National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Greg Lecoeur

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Available at better dive dealers worldwide. aqualung.com | @aqualungdivers

Test Extra

BARE EXOWEAR | SRP: £39.95 - £249.95

to movement - you literally don’t feel like you are wearing anything.

The Exowear comes in a wide selection of styles, from full suits - as I tested here - to long-sleeve tops, front-zip jackets, vests, pants, shorts, hoods, gloves, and socks.

They also come in male and female versions. The range is designed in that it can be layered up according to conditions. Thus, the front-zip jacket can be combined with a vest, or long-sleeve top, when it gets a little cold, or be used alone in warmer temperatures.

The great thing about the Exowear range is that it can be used wet and dry. So take it with you to use as a standalone product on your next warm-water diving trip, or to add under your 3mm or 5mm wetsuit if somewhere a little colder - the Med in winter, for instance - but you can also wear it under your drysuit, as an ultra-warm base layer.

Now as I wasn’t heading off anywhere sunny to go diving, unfortunately, I decided to test out the full suit under my Fourth Element Argonaut Stealth drysuit. Now my normal undergarments with this trilaminate suit is the Halo 3D undersuit, sometimes with the X-Core vest if

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it is really chilly. However, to give the Exowear a proper workout, I just wore the full suit under the Argonaut - in temperatures around 7 degrees C! Now this far exceeds what it is designed for - it would be ideal worn as a base layer under a normal undersuit, for example - but I wanted to see how it coped, and I was impressed. Initially on entering the water, I could feel the cold of the water more than normal, as you’d expect given the thickness of the Exowear, but within five minutes, after some vigorous finning to get the blood flowing, I was surprised at how warm I felt, and the suit maintained this feeling for a good 45 minutes, before the inexorable cold started to take its toll. If I had put this under my Halo 3D, I would have been exceptionally warm.

The full suit is very comfortable, with foot stirrups to stop the legs riding up, and a sturdy Velcro closure at the top of the zip near your neck.

So the Exowear gets the thumbs up from me as an extremely versatile all-rounder, which is handy to have in your dive bag for use both in this country and abroad. www.baresports.com

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24/01/2020 10:29

Long Term Test XDEEP FRAMELESS MASK

Mark Evans: Polish brand xDeep have earned a reputation for top-quality BCDs, and its foray into the world of fins also garnered plenty of fans. Now the company is branching out into mask territory. The xDeep mask comes with a black or clear silicone skirt, and can either have clear or tinted lenses. www.nautilus-diving.co.uk

INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2020 Suggested retail price: £60 Number of dives: 0 Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins

SCUBAPRO G2 Mark Evans: First dives with the G2, and the familiarity I had on the surface with the unit - after my long history with the Galileo Sol - continued underwater. It is just so simple and intuitive to use, with the screen displaying what the buttons on the top activate at that particular time. For instance, what is one of the things you are most often going to do on your computer? Change the O2 setting, right? Well, with the G2 - as with the Galileo series - when you go into the menu, the initial highlighted next stage is the O2 setting. One more click and you are at the stage where you can INFORMATION Arrival date: December 2019 alter the mix, and set the Suggested retail price: £759 PPO2 max. Just so easy Number of dives: 3 to use.

Time in water: 2 hrs 10 mins www.scubapro.com 94

ROHO X-FLEX SOLO Mark Evans: The Solo is well equipped with all the essentials spacious Techstyle thigh pockets, BDM dry zip, Apeks valves, braces, neckwarm/ protector but it is also designed, as RoHo say, to be ‘the ultimate in comfort and flexibility without compromising durability’.

To this end, it has 4mm neoprene-lined boots, and tough Melco kneepads. www.roho.co.uk

INFORMATION Arrival date: July 2019 Suggested retail price: £829 Number of dives: 0 Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins

MARES GENIUS Mark Evans: The Genius pairs up with the Mares LED Tank Module, which is innovative in itself, having an LED on the end which shows the level of gas in the cylinder by colour - flashing green for full, red when you are on reserve, etc. The monster screen on the Genius and the little symbol of your cylinder on the right-hand side, showing in ‘real time’ the level of gas remaining, as well as in bar (or PSI) above, means it is very easy to keep track of your gas usage. And with the INFORMATION Arrival date: August 2019 LED Tank Module, your Suggested retail price: £711 buddy can see when you Number of dives: 28 are into your reserve too.

Time in water: 27hrs 20 mins www.mares.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

AQUA LUNG BALI Mark Evans: The Bali has been languishing in the storage room for the last couple of months, due to no jaunts to tropical climates. So it is a good opportunity to take a look at some of the finer details of this lightweight 3mm wetsuit. One place where I have always found wetsuits to start to ‘go’, whether that is the stitching or the neoprene beginning to tear/split, is at the bottom of the zipper.

There is a lot of strain on this area when you are pulling the zip closed, and Aqua Lung have added a handy little webbing tab, which you can hold securely with one hand while you pull your zipper closed with the other. This removes any ‘pull’ on the INFORMATION Arrival date: October 2019 stitching, etc, and will Suggested retail price: £112 prolong the life of your Number of dives: uebL4 wetsuit.

Time in water: 18 hrs 45 mins www.aqualung.com/uk

BEST DIVERS ALDEBARAN TORCH SET

APEKS VX1 Mark Evans: I have always been a firm fan of blackskirted masks, but the white VX1 has totally won me over.

I was initially ‘forced’ into full-time usage of the Apeks mask after my oldfaithful Hollis M3 bit the dust due to an unfortunate tank-mask interface while I was out in Grenada, but you know what - white is right. I still do like black-skirts on masks, but now white is up there with them. Regardless of colour - you can also get it in black, and a soon-to-be-released new colour scheme the VX1 is one of the most-comfortable masks I have used in a long time. The skirt, which is quite stiff, but INFORMATION Arrival date: September 2019 equally flexible where it Suggested retail price: £69 needs to be, just moulds to Number of dives: 62 your face with ease.

Time in water: 60 hrs 45 mins www.apeksdiving.com/uk

AQUA LUNG AQUAFLEX

Mark Evans: So, we got the Aldebaran torch wet, and our first impressions? It is bright! That large head - it is a pretty chunky, solidly-built torch - certainly delivers a punch. Even on a lower power setting it was still giving out a vivid beam, but on full power, it certainly sliced through detritus in the waters of Vivian Quarry. That INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 detachable lantern handle Suggested retail price: £300 is comfortable in a gloved Number of dives: 1 hand as well.

Time in water: 1 hrs 10 mins www.bestdivers.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Mark Evans: So the Aqua Lung Aquaflex has reached the end of its stint in the Long Term Test stable, and it has proved itself to be a warm, comfortable and - most importantly extremely easy to get on and off. We had both the male and female variants on test, and both Ross Arnold and Penney Evans can testify to how toasty the suits kept them. Penney even took it for a spin in UK waters! The colour schemes are eyecatching but not in your face. A good suit if you are in the market for a 5mm. www.aqualung.com/uk

INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 Suggested retail price: £260 Number of dives: 136 Time in water: 134 hrs 45 mins 95

ANTHONY’S KEY RESORT STUART PHILPOTT VISITS THE AMERICAN DIVING FAVOURITE OF ROATAN

INDONESIA ADVENTURE 1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD VOYAGE FROM KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

DIVING ON A BUDGET

THE SCUBA DIVER CREW GOES CAMPING ‘N’INDONESIA ADVENTURE DIVING IN DORSET 1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD VOYAGE FROM KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

TECHNICAL: DEEP DIVING NEIL BENNETT EXPLORES THE MINDSET NEEDED TO SAFEL Y MASTER TECHNICAL DIVING

DIVE LIKE A PRO: BCDS HANDY HINTS ON HOW TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE HUMBLE BCD

Deeply

INSPIRATIONAL GEMMA SMITH TALKS AB OU DIVES, BEING A STRONG T EPIC TECHNICAL ROLE MODEL, AND FIGHTING BACK TO FITNE SS AFTER A SERIOUS ACCIDENT

Something for EVERYONE EAT FOR WHY MALTA AND GOZO ARE GR ELS LEV D AN ES DIVERS OF ALL AG OF CERTIFICATION

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+

TECH: Truk Lagoon

‣ Shoot Like a Pro ‣

Aussie roadtrip, part two

Regulator maintenance

#31 | £3.25 9

‣ Scholar ‣ Red Sea overview

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ISSUE 30 | AUG 19 | £3.25

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ANTHONY’S KEY RESORT STUART PHILPOTT VISITS THE AMERICAN DIVING FAVOURITE OF ROATAN

E INDONESIA ADVENTUR 1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD VOYAGE FROM KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

DIVING ON A BUDGET

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WHAT’S YOUR WATCH?

INDONESIAN EXPEDITION

WE EXPLORE THE SHIPWRECK CAPITAL OF THE ATLANTIC

THE TEST TEAM RATES AND REVIEWS WRISTWATCH-STYLE DIVE COMPUTERS

ADRIAN STACEY FINISHES HIS 1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD ADVENTURE IN RAJA AMPAT

INDONESIA ADVENTUR E

THE SCUBA DIVER CREW GOES CAMPING ‘N’ DIVING IN DORSET

1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD VOYAGE FROM KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

TECHNICAL: DEEP DIVING NEIL BENNETT EXPLORES THE MINDSET NEEDED TO SAFELY MASTER TECHNICAL DIVING

DIVE LIKE A PRO: BCDS HANDY HINTS ON HOW TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE HUMBLE BCD

ALEX MUSTARD

SHOOT TO WIN

THE MAESTRO OFFERS SAGE ADVICE ON CREATING COMPETITION-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS

ALL AT SEA

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Aussie roadtrip, part two

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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

DIVING DOWN UNDER PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIM HILDEBRANDT

I

n December 2019 and January 2020, I decided to travel to where my scuba-diving passion first formed – Down Under! I took the opportunity of having a few days spare in between Scholarship experiences to visit my fellow Rolex Scholar from Australasia, Joanna Smart, in her home - Tasmania.

World-renowned for the diversity of wildlife animals living there, I was very enthused about visiting the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, who rescue and rehabilitate native marsupials, mammals, birds and reptiles alike.

And of course, Joanna and I couldn´t wait to go for our first-ever dive together! Joanna introduced me to the beautiful temperate underwater world of Tasmania at Eaglehawk Neck on the Peninsula of the Tasman National Park. On our first dive together, we dived the colourful sponge gardens at The Thumbs, and on the second dive we explored the stunning underwater arches and caverns of The Cathedral.

From Tasmania, I then flew to Port Lincoln, from where I departed to the Neptune Island onboard Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. Here, I wanted to learn about responsible and safe great white shark diving from RFSE as one of the world´s leaders in this field.

Having never seen a great white shark before, it was an incredibly magnificent moment when the first shark manifested itself out of the blue of the South Australian Ocean. Peacefully and gracefully, the three-and-a-half-metrelong shark glided through the water, and appeared and disappeared several times throughout this dive. And because RFSE has thoroughly been documenting every sighting for many years, we were able to identify this shark as ‘Flat White’.

Flat White then graced us with her presence many times more in the following days, both on the surface and while on dives in the bottom cage. What a special experience it was!

On the sea-journey towards the Neptune Islands, we also had the opportunity to stop at a colony of Australian sea lions, who we were able to swim and interact with. These ‘puppies of the sea’, as they are called by many, really lived up to their names, zooming around us, eyeing at us and even jumping joyfully out of the water right in front of us. These playful encounters felt even more special to me because I had seen the misfortunes of so many pinnipeds in the rescue and rehabilitation facilities which I have been able to work with throughout my Scholarship year. It really showed me how intelligent and precious marine mammals are and let my determination to contribute to the well-being of them grow even stronger.

Kim Hildebrandt

And lastly, what better way would there be to end the year 2019 than to return to the place where I first learned scuba diving - the Coromandel Peninsula on New Zealand´s North Island! Here, I had spent a year abroad when I was at High School, and I had joined the Mercury Bay Area School´s Marine Academy. This meant one day of the school week was spent on the boat rather than in a classroom, completing two dives a week, gaining dive experience and accomplishing the PADI Open Water, Advanced and Rescue Diver certifications. What an amazing programme, which is still running in collaboration with Dive Zone Whitianga, who immediately and heartily invited me to come dive with them again, too!

I also couldn´t wait to explore another one of New Zealand´s fantastic dive sites, even ranked by Jacques Cousteau as the best sub-tropical diving in the world, with Dive! Tutukaka - The Poor Knights Islands. These islands have an incredibly rich bio-diversity, with even tropical fish being found here who, every year, are swept to the islands by the Eastern-Australian Current. Pelagic species and colourful macro life growing on the rugged walls, arches and caves create stunning dive sites. What I was mainly there for, though, was to gain more experience diving in a twinset, to prepare for potential further training courses in technical or cave diving in the last few months of my Scholarship year, and I was generously supported by GUE Instructor Jamie Obern from Techdive NZ with gear and some refresher training as well. n

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