Scuba Diver March 17 - Issue 1 by scubadivermag

PELAGIC MAGIC

WHALESHARKS AND MANTAS GALORE IN SOUTH ARI ATOLL IN THE MALDIVES

INTRODUCING ‘DUXY’

THE UNDERWATER PHOTO GURU EXPLAINS HOW TO GET BETTER IMAGES WHATEVER YOUR RIG

TURKS & CAICOS

ABYSSAL WALLS, VIBRANT CORAL GARDENS AND SHARK ENCOUNTERS

Cornish

CREAM WHY CORNWALL IS SO POPULAR

FINNING TECHNIQUES HOT TIPS TO HAVE YOU LOOKING LIKE A PRO

HIGH-END

EXCLUSIVE

TECHNICALLY

FREE WORLD’S FIRST FREEDIVING EXPEDITION TO TRUK

REGS RATED

& REVIEWED

Komodo

‣ Our-World Underwater Scholar ‣ Philippines

ISSUE 1 | MARCH 17 | £3.25 03

9 772514

205004

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preference. The service and support was downright luxurious!” T. Marshall Manson

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EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to the first issue of

MAGAZINE. I am excited to share this new adventure with you, and hope that you find plenty of informative and inspirational material in the following pages. For long-time readers of the now sadly defunct Sport Diver EMEA magazine, my presence on page 5 will seem pretty much the norm, given my 18 years at the helm of that particular title, but for those who don’t know me, I’ve been diving for over 32 years, actively involved in the dive industry for nearly two decades, and a journalist since I was 18 years old (which seems an awfully long time ago!). So what does Scuba Diver offer you, the reader? Let’s see, as well as in-depth reports from diving locations right here in the UK, to Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, further afield to the Maldives, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and even dream destinations like Truk Lagoon and Galapagos, there is also a comprehensive news section bringing you the latest from the global diving industry. You will also find helpful hints and advice in our Dive Like a Pro feature, where experts from all the main training agencies will impart their many years of knowledge, and unbiased, detailed reviews of the newest diving equipment in our extensive Gear Guide pages. Each month, you will be able to delve into three dedicated sections - underwater photography, where resident photo guru Paul ‘Duxy’ Duxfield will be on hand to help improve your snapping skills; technical diving, with information on tech-diving courses, equipment and dive sites worldwide; and free diving, where in association with online free diving powerhouse Deeper Blue, we will be bringing you news, reviews and articles on everything apnea-related. MARK EVANS Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR IN CHIEF

MAGAZINE

Mark Evans Tel: 01691 661626 Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

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PUBLISHERS Rork Media Limited 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden London England WC2H 9JQ Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Sport 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.

PELAGIC MAGIC

WHALESHARKS AND MANTAS GALORE IN SOUTH ARI ATOLL IN THE MALDIVES

INTRODUCING ‘DUXY’

THE UNDERWATER PHOTO GURU EXPLAINS HOW TO GET BETTER IMAGES WHATEVER YOUR RIG

TURKS & CAICOS

ABYSSAL WALLS, VIBRANT CORAL GARDENS AND SHARK ENCOUNTERS

ON THE COVER Cornish CREAM WHY CORNWALL IS SO POPULAR

FINNING TECHNIQUES HOT TIPS TO HAVE YOU LOOKING LIKE A PRO

HIGH-END

EXCLUSIVE

TECHNICALLY

FREE WORLD’S FIRST FREEDIVING EXPEDITION TO TRUK

REGS RATED

& REVIEWED

Komodo

‣ Our-World Underwater Scholar ‣ Philippines

ISSUE 1 | MARCH 17 | £3.25 03

9 772514

205004

WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

PHOTOGRAPHER: JASON BROWN (BARDO CREATIVE)

p001_ScubaDiverMar17.indd 1

26/02/2017 10:45

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES

The tragic diving death of Sharkwater director Rob Stewart, and a survey of HMS Vanguard.

The rugged Cornish coastline is a hotspot for British divers from all over the country, with many making pretty epic journeys to access this southwest peninsula. There is one reason for this - whatever the weather ends up doing, you can generally get a dive in, because you can be on the north or south coast within 30-40 minutes.

08 News

30 Dive like a Pro

A panel of expert instructors from all the main training agencies focus on finning techniques.

40 Underwater Photography Resident photo guru Paul ‘Duxy’ Duxfield introduces himself and his aims.

62 Industry News

Up-to-the-minute news and information from the main dive training agencies.

74 Our-World Underwater Scholar Felix Butschek, the 2016 Scholar, talks about spending time running surveys in Patagonia.

24 Cornwall

34 Maldives

Stuart Philpott goes hunting whalesharks and manta rays in the diving paradise of South Ari Atoll in the Maldives. Living it up in the lap of luxury on two island resorts, Stuart is lucky enough to bag both his main targets, but also finds time to shoot some frogfish and explore a coral-covered shipwreck.

42 Komodo

Komodo is one of Indonesia’s main diving jewels, not only because of the quality of the diving, which can be a rip-roaring ride on wicked currents past stunning coral formations, all the while being buzzed by pelagics, but because you also get the chance to interact with the fabled Komodo dragons, the largest lizards on the planet.

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CONTENTS

50 Freediving: Truk (Chuuk) Lagoon

A team of expert freedivers from Performance Freediving International take things to the next level using diver propulsion vehicles and oxygen-rich gas mixtures to explore the shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon.

56 Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos comprise several islands, all with their own charms, that offer a gateway to some of the best diving in the Caribbean, blessed with abyssal walls, vibrant coral gardens and myriad varieties of fish life.

66 Philippines

Dr Richard Smith, a regular visitor to the Philippines, provides a comprehensive overview of the diving opportunities around Puerto Galera, Dumaguete, Malapascua and Anilao.

76 Technical: Malta

Jason Brown dons his twinset and stage cylinders to visit some of the wartime casualties lying on the seabed around the Mediterranean island of Malta.

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GEAR GUIDE 84 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New

New products recently released or coming soon to a dive centre near you, including the Aqualung Pearl, Fourth Element Riga, Hollis Katana, KUBI Alpaca gloves, and Typhoon Fathom.

86 Group Test

The Scuba Diver Test Team convened at Vivian Quarry in picturesque Llanberis in North Wales for its first group test of 2017, this time turning their attentions to top-of-the-line regulators from all the main manufacturers.

94 Long Term Test

The Scuba Diver Test Team gets to grips with a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Apeks MTX-R regulator, Aqualung Reveal X2 mask, Shearwater Research Perdix AI dive computer, Zeagle Halo BCD, and the xDeep NX Zen wing.

News

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. scubadivermag.com/news

Sharkwater film-maker dies after Florida tech dives

Canadian film-maker ROB STEWART, who was technical diving in the Florida Keys, is found dead after massive three-day air and sea search Photographs courtesy of SHARKWATER/RICHARD SIBBALD/RON COLBY/TIPPY BUSHKIN

The Canadian film-maker behind the multi-award-winning Sharkwater documentary was tragically found dead following technical dives in the Florida Keys. Rob Stewart, 37, was diving with Peter Sotis (an instructor who owns Add Helium, a dive centre in Fort Lauderdale) on a 70m-deep wreck named the Queen of Nassau, a 111-year-old steamship some six miles off Islamorada on Tuesday 31 January in what were reportedly good weather conditions. According to reports, he had resurfaced at the end of his third deep dive of the day around 5pm and given the okay signal but then, as the boat was turning around to pick him up and dealing with his buddy, who had apparently passed out after climbing back onboard, he went back under – and was not seen again. It’s not immediately clear what caused Stewart to go back underwater. The U.S. Coast Guard launched an extensive search for Stewart - who was diving on an advanced closed-circuit rebreather and wearing a drysuit while filming rare shark species at depth - and continued their efforts through Wednesday 1 February, by which time the search area had expanded to take in the whole Islamorada region and most of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary north to Key Largo. The US Coast Guard cutter Charles W Sexton was co-ordinating the search, along with a helicopter and airplane, and many local vessels and aircraft also joined in the effort. On Thursday 2 February, after searching fruitlessly for 72 hours, the efforts were called off in the late-afternoon. Just minutes later, an ROV operated by the Key Largo Fire and Rescue found Stewart’s body lying just a couple of hundred metres from his last-known position. Sharkwater premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and has since won more than 40 awards at film festivals around the world. His second film, Revolution, was the highest-grossing Canadian documentary in 2013 and won 19 awards from global film

BIOGRAPHY: ROB STEWART

Born in 1979, and raised in Toronto, Canada, Stewart began taking photographs underwater when he was just 13. By the age of 18, he had become a scuba diver trainer and then moved on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, studying in Ontario, Jamaica, and even as far afield as Kenya. He then spent four years travelling globally as chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s magazines, leading expeditions to some of the most-remote areas of the world. At the age of 22, he ended up in the Galapagos Islands, where he stumbled upon illegal long-line poaching of sharks for their fins. Right there and then he vowed to bring this to worldwide attention, leading to a four-year, 12-country odyssey that resulted in his iconic documentary Sharkwater in 2006, a no-holds-barred, in-depth expose of the brutal shark-finning trade. The years after the release of Sharkwater found Stewart riding the crest of a wave, pocketing a multitude of awards and continuing his battle to save our planet. His second film Revolution, which was released in 2012, built upon the threat to our very existence, which was alluded to in Sharkwater, and was similarly lauded by the critics. Stewart won just shy of 60 awards for Sharkwater – which has been seen by an estimated 125 million people worldwide - and Revolution, and was putting the finishing touches to his third documentary, Sharkwater: Extinction. Stewart had an enormous impact on conservation by increasing the awareness of the plight of sharks to a global audience, and his powerhouse presence will be greatly missed.

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festivals. His third film, Sharkwater: Extinction, was due out later in 2017. To honour Stewart’s memory, his family is collecting donations through WWF-Canada to continue his conservation efforts. To donate, go to: wwf.ca/robstewartfund

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The loss of staunch shark supporter Rob Stewart, who had probably done more singlehandedly to raise the plight of sharks to a global audience, is undoubtedly tragic, but when you look at the facts, it almost seemed inevitable that something would go badly wrong on that day in the Florida Keys. Stewart was without doubt an experienced scuba diver, but he was new to rebreathers, and any tech instructor worth his salt will tell you that even if you have logged thousands of open-circuit dives, when it comes to CCR, you are back to being a newbie again. So it seems bizarre that literally days after being signed off as a trimix diver, he embarked on the deepest dives he had ever attempted. And not just a single deep decompression dive, but three repetitive deep dives in the one day. The fact that his buddy – who was also his tech instructor – collapsed and needed emergency assistance after surfacing from that final dive shows that envelopes were being seriously pushed. A sad way for Stewart to round out his legacy. WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

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News Discover Palau’s ‘Secret Season’

Sam’s Tours, one of Palau’s premier dive centres, is offering special wreck dives from August through October with in-depth presentations on the wrecks of Palau and their wartime history. The ‘Secret Season’ is the perfect time to discover some well-protected wrecks and enjoy dives off the beaten path. For many years, the best time for diving in Palau has been promoted to be between November and May. This still holds true for the exposed outer reefs, home of pelagic species and sharks. With climate change, weather conditions have become much more unpredictable and even in the summer and early autumn months, the diving conditions can be perfect at most of Palau’s iconic dive spots. Regardless, many of the wrecks are located in the inner lagoons, closer to the city of Koror, and protected from wind and high waves, thus remaining a haven for divers. During the ‘Secret Season’ from August

through October, Sam’s Tours will be offering a weekly package that combines wreck and macro dives in the protected area of the Rock Islands and a leisurely kayak tour through the inner lagoons, nurseries for many reef fish and sharks in a pristine environment. In-depth presentations and detailed briefings on the wrecks’ history and their fate during World War Two will add to a better understanding of the dive sites and provide avoid underwater photographers with valuable tips on how to capture each wreck on lens. Historic photos complement the briefing sessions, turning each briefing into a history lesson. Some of the dive sites included in the one-week wreck packages are the 10,000-tonne Amatsu Maru, the largest shipwreck in Micronesia and the deepest Japanese wreck in Palau; the Chuyo Maru, a medium-sized Japanese coastal freighter on which the bridge still contains the remains of the brass compass and ship’s telegraph; and Chandelier Cave, a cave system made up of five separate, connecting chambers. Rates start from US$1,340 per person and include seven nights’ accommodation, four days of diving with Sam’s Tours, a kayak tour, and all transfers and lunches on activity days. For buddy teams, the second diver enjoys a 35 percent discount off the diving. www.samstours.com

HMS VANGUARD CAUGHT ON CAMERA

A group of divers, lead by Ben Wade and Emily Turton of Orkney dive boat MV Huskyan, are conducting an extensive survey of the wreck of HMS Vanguard in Scapa Flow under special licence from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). The initial findings have now been released. The St Vincent Class Battleship was at anchor in Scapa Flow on 9 July, 1917. At approximately 11.20pm, she exploded and sank with the loss of 843 men. There were only two survivors. Today HMS Vanguard lies just off the north coast of Flotta in Scapa Flow at a depth of approximately 34m. The diver survey began in October and will continue into the spring of this year. HMS Vanguard is a protected wreck under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and no diving is permitted on the site except under licence from the MoD. The survey team is made up of specialist divers, most of whom were part of the HMS Hampshire diving survey in June 2016. A full side-scan sonar survey of the wreck site has been conducted in partnership with Kevin Heath of Sula Diving. The aim is to complete a full photographic, 3D photogrammetry and video survey of the site. The team also welcome experts in munitions, explosive effects and weapons engineering, World War One naval history, marine biology, and underwater 3D visualisation. Emily Turton said: “The purpose of the survey is to tell the story of HMS Vanguard at 100 years underwater. We also hope to offer a sensitive contribution to the centenary commemoration in July this year. We are very sensitive to the historical importance of this wreck and are very aware of the loss of life, and the strict terms of the MoD licence granted to us.” www.scapa100.org

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GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE PREMIER NORTHERN EVENT FOR DIVERS www.eventbrite.co.uk www.theticketfactory.com

fter the success of the Great Northern Dive Show’s inaugural outing last year, the team is bringing the event back to Event City in Manchester on 8-9 April 2017. The centrepiece of the weekend show will again be the world’s largest portable dive tank, in which visitors can watch experts showing off their dive skills, or maybe be entranced by the resident mermaids! There will also be a ‘beach’ to keep the younger members occupied, where after a beach clean-up, there will be a treasure hunt for shark’s teeth, and a fashion show featuring the coolest divewear. Let’s not even mention mini ponies, Comic-Con characters, stilt-walking crabs and octopus, dinosaurs and even the odd Imperial Stormtrooper… There will be a smorgasbord of speakers at the show, including Mark Powell, John Kendall, Garry Dallas, and Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown, plus demonstrations, activities and a whole host of exhibitors, featuring manufacturers, tour operators, training agencies, conservation groups, dive centres and clubs. Tickets are £8 in advance if bought online (www. theticketfactory.com or www.eventbrite.co.uk) or £10 on the door for adults or just £5 for kids. Parking for visitors is free. www.thegreatnortherndiveshow.com Ruth Mort was the founder of The Great Northern Dive Show, and Scuba Diver caught up with her to get the inside-scoop on this blossoming event. Q: What was the aim of the TGNDS? Ruth: We wanted to get non-divers, divers, manufacturers, all agencies, dive shops, holiday companies and clubs under one roof to share their passion, skill and knowledge, to show all the different elements this sport offers from health, activity, conservation, training and holidays that are available once you become a diver. Only one percent of the human population is actually classed as a scuba diver, plus this is the only sport that really brings able-bodied and disabled people together, all expectations from its participants are the same, and we only have one label - ‘diver’. Q: How did you set out to make it different? Ruth: I wanted this to be a showstopper, from the moment the doors opened to the very last minute they close, I wanted people to see something outrageous, fun, interactive, exciting and loud. I want them to come and want to stay for the day. As well as giving people an opportunity to see how they could change their lives forever by realising the openings that are available when you are part of this sport; from living and working abroad, to who knows, maybe one day finding a cure in the ocean for some

horrible disease like dementia, or something like that. I know it sounds like a pipe dream, but who is to say it won’t happen? Of course, I wanted to share my love of scuba diving with my family, friends and dive buddies! Q: What would you like to see happen with the event in the future? Ruth: I would like to see more manufacturers get behind this show and support the dive shops, existing divers and newbies. I would love celebrities or sportsmen/women to be part of the awareness that is needed in the public domain, perhaps get some advertising from some sports manufacturers/ products/drinks so we can inject some more money into it, to highlight the benefits of being active at all ages and truly aware of our environment. Q: Why should people attend the TGNDS? Ruth: They should come and experience the activities, be part of the treasure hunt, the mermaid show, the dinosaur, the Stormtroopers, the fashion show, the talks, the availability of kit. They need to experience the awesomeness of something so different, that they will talk about what happened to them for the rest of their lives - perhaps they may event realise they can be something special and live up to their true potential if they join us! n PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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Vast marine reserve announced by Mexico

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto scored a major victory for marine life in the Baja California region when he announced a new marine biosphere reserve covering a broad area that includes the Coronado Islands near the border with the United States, and Todos Santos Island, the site of a famed surfing spot off the coast of Ensenada. The Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve is just one of three new marine biosphere reserves decreed as Mexico hosted the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cancun. Alfonso Aguirre Muñoz, director of the Ensenada-based Islands Conservation and Ecology Group, which worked closely with local fishing communities to promote the designation, said: “The area provides critical habitat for many species of marine birds, and the decree now legitimises the hard work done by civil society during so many years, with already tangible and relevant results.” The effort to restore the area’s marine bird habitat has involved private organisations and government agencies in the United States and Mexico, he said, including the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Audubon Society. “Conservationists around the world are extremely happy,” said Serge Dedina, mayor of Imperial Beach, the San Diego County border city, and executive director of the environmental group Wildcoast. “In the past, conservationists have always focused on the Gulf of California, but what we are showing is that the Pacific is equally important.” The Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve covers more than 2.7 million acres, an area that comprises 21 islands and 97 islets and the surrounding marine areas that serve as a habitat for marine mammals and seabirds, as well as commercially important fish and shellfish. The Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve complements protections already in place off the California coast, so there is now a chain of island conservation that extends from the US all the way to Mexico. A separate designation was made for the Pacific Biosphere Reserve, a 143-million-acre area that includes the Revillagigedo Archipelago, also known as the Socorro Islands, off the tip of Baja California Sur.

Voluntourism in the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are home to the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, and in this subtropical paradise, recreational divers can give back to the underwater ecosystem through ‘voluntourism’ experiences, including coral restoration and lionfish removal.

CORAL RESTORATION DIVES

Led by local marine scientists from Key Largo’s Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) and Summerland Key’s Mote Marine Tropical Research Laboratory, recreational sport divers can learn about environmental impacts on Keys reefs and get hands-on with restoration dives. During working dives to coral nurseries, volunteers clean and prepare corals for planting. Endangered base-building corals such as boulder, brain and star corals, plus two branching species, staghorn and elkhorn, can be propagated quickly to create new habitats. “This is something the average person can get their hands on and do,” said CRF Director Ken Nedimyer. “Volunteers can take the experience back to their home communities - it is a grass-roots way of giving people ownership.”

LIONFISH REMOVAL

The capture and removal of lionfish from Keys waters is another way visitors can help to protect the area’s underwater jungle. This invasive Indo-Pacific species preys on invertebrates and juvenile fish like grunts and hamlets, and steals resources from domestic species like grouper and snapper. To combat this, the Keys’ Reef Environmental Education Foundation has partnered with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the dive community to raise awareness about the importance of capturing and removing lionfish from Keys waters. Through annual events including the Florida-wide Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day each May, visiting divers can help efforts to eradicate lionfish, before dining on this tasty fish, which is widely served throughout the Keys. www.keysvoluntourism.com

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Visit our chosen UK dealers: UNDERWATER EXPLORERS Dorset www.dirdirect.com SIMPLY SCUBA Faversham www.simplyscuba.com SANTI STORE UK Cottenham www.santi-store.co.uk WRECK & CAVE Shepton Mallet www.wreckandcave.co.uk DIVEMASTER SCUBA Nottingham www.divemasterscuba.com VOBSTER Radstock www.vobster.com Full list of dealers available on our website.

News Book now for Cornwall ScubaFest

The Cornwall ScubaFest, that annual kickstarter for the British dive season, has been confirmed for the May Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 29 April-Monday 1 May), once again based at the Pentewan Sands Holiday Park. Manufacturers and distributors Huish Outdoors, Liquid Sports, Mares, Sea & Sea, Suunto and Typhoon are to be joined by the RNLI, which will be bringing their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;well-point kioskâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; along, so stop by and see how healthy you really are! British Divers Marine Life Rescue will be organising interactive demonstrations, which are sure to be popular, Sea Shepherd will be having a tent where you can help support their campaigns. There will be boats on hand to take you diving, and there will be an info point about local Cornish shore diving. BSAC SW Region will be conducting pool trydives, and there will be PADI Tech trydives using twinsets and sidemounts. SSI are providing freediving workshops and Dive Newquay will be doing the CCR try dives. PADI will be running a selection of courses over the weekend, for more information go to http:// padiproseurope.com/cornwall-scubafest-2017/ Entertainment has been laid on for three nights, including live bands, pirate fancy dress, quizzes, raffles and karaoke for the grown-ups, with face painting, beachcombing and treasure hunts to keep younger attendees occupied. To book your spot, or for more information about this jam-packed weekend, head to the website: www.cornwallscubafest.co.uk and follow the event on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ScubafestUK

INDEPENDENT STUDY CONFIRMS HEALTH BENEFITS OF DEPTHERAPY Photo credit: Dmitry Knyazev

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An independent Service Evaluation Study by the University of Sheffield Medical School has recorded a significant improvement in the general wellbeing and mental health of military veterans who have completed the PADI Deptherapy programme. Fifteen ex-Service personnel took part in the ground-breaking study by medical students from November to December 2016. Each of the 15 participants had experienced a variety of physical injuries as a result of combat, and some had recorded an additional diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The study was originally conceived by Hannah Higgins, a fourth-year Sheffield medical student, who is also Miss Scuba UK 2017. Participants were surveyed for the study using the established General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and semi-structured personal interviews.

Family members and health professionals who had observed the diving programme were also interviewed. 90% of those surveyed reported improvements in their general wellbeing and mental health, which were attributed, at least in part, to their participation in the Deptherapy programme. 60% of those surveyed reported an overall improvement in psychosocial wellbeing, most notably relating to anxiety levels, insomnia and depression. The study generated an 87% response rate. The study concluded that the Deptherapy Scuba Diving programme can offer significant therapeutic benefits for ex-Service personnel experiencing anxiety and PTSD, notably in terms of alleviating social dysfunction and symptoms of depression. The study additionally found that scuba diving enables those with severe physical impairment to perform alongside, and in the same manner as, an able-bodied person thus bolstering self-confidence and self-esteem. Until now, medical research into scuba diving as a prospective therapy for injury and disability has been very limited. This study, therefore, offers both considerable insight into the potential of scuba diving as a therapeutic aid, as well as independent validation of the actual benefits of the Deptherapy Scuba Diving programme for its members. Dr Richard Castle, Vice President of www.deptherapy.co.uk

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News LORD OF THE RING

How Martin Sampson of Anglesey Divers set about finding a lost gold ring. On 28 December last year I responded to a cry for help when a wedding ring bounced off the edge of a pontoon and sank to the bottom of Holyhead Marina. Owner Greg Cain explained that it was not just any ring, but a precious family heirloom that he was desperate to retrieve. My first reaction was ‘No chance’. Having made over 1,500 dives in Holyhead harbour I know the conditions very well. The bottom is predominantly mud with a covering of low density ooze that absorbs anything of weight. However, there are few pleasures greater than recovering the irrecoverable and there was just a chance that it had landed on top of something other than mud. Crucially, Greg had accurately marked and photographed the location. The marina pontoons are prone to movement, but Greg had narrowed the search area to just a couple of square metres. We were also blessed with settled weather but I knew that wouldn’t last and the underwater visibility would soon be ruined. The next afternoon, a falling tide gave me a shallower depth and favorable light penetration to mitigate a dull day. At the spot that Greg had marked I carefully lowered a single ankle weight from an SMB reel and tensioned the line. It was important not to do anything to disturb the seabed. To simply chuck the weight would have been like detonating a grenade in a flour mill. I chose to dive with my sidemount rig as this gave me effortless control over buoyancy and trim. Using the SMB line as a datum, I stayed about three metres away from it, descended slowly and hovered an arm’s length off the mud. I then inched towards the line. Hovering motionless I scanned the mud for clues - I really wasn’t expecting to see the ring at all, I was looking for a thin depression or hole in the mud from its impact. Ten minutes of concentration later, my torch picked up a tiny gold reflection in the mud about the size of the tip of a pen. My fingers looked huge in comparison and initially I buried it further, but when I tried again I felt the familiar shape of a ring. I was relieved - but not as much as Greg, who admitted that this was not the first time it had been recovered from the sea!

Truk on the rise

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Tailor-made holidays to Truk (Chuuk) are on the up as more divers look to tick off this bucket-list destination, says UK tour operator Diverse Travel. With some of the best World War Two wreck diving in the world, it’s hardly surprising that more divers are looking to add this to their diving collection. The area is a memorial to the ships and aircraft that sank in the natural lagoon, some deep and some shallow, thus giving all levels of diver the chance to experience a lifetime adventure. Nestled in the South West Pacific, here are sunshine days and a wondrous delight both above and below the water. This was once a World War Two Japanese stronghold where the Americans destroyed more aircraft and ships in a two-day attack than any other during the

war. Today these wrecks, over 60 ships and 250 airplanes, still carry their cargo, guns, ammunitions and explosives now covered with corals in warm, clear waters. Liveaboards are from £2,795 per person for a ten-night package based on twin-share, including return flights from Heathrow to Truk via Manila, accom, seven nights on board, dives and transfers. Resort prices start from £2,550 per person for a 12-night package based on twin-share, including return flights from London Heathrow to Truk via Manila, ten nights in Blue Lagoon Resort with breakfast and nine days’ diving with three dives a day and transfers. “Truk Lagoon has long been considered the Holy Grail of UK wreck enthusiasts,” explains Jim Yanny, Diverse Travel’s owner. “It has to be seen to be believed.” www.diversetravel.co.uk

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SPEED DEMON

Get to the bottom of all this.

Major Sergeants.

When it comes to variety and sheer numbers, no other dive destination can outflank The Florida Keys & Key West. Because with the only living coral reef in North America, we’ve really earned our stripes. fla-keys.com/diving Holiday Inn Key Largo

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Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages, Key Largo FREE Kayaks, bicycles, sailing, fishing, snorkel, sunsets w/ cottage $175 nt. 305-451-3438 keylimesailingclub.com

MEDICAL Q&A

News

Dr Oliver Firth has gained considerable experience in the field of diving and hyperbaric medicine since joining LDC in 2006. He is an Approved Medical Examiner of Divers for the UK HSE, and a medical referee for the UK Sport Diving Medical Committee. He is involved in the management of all types of diving-related illness, including recompression treatment, as well as providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for non-diving conditions. He remains a passionate diver and has participated in various expeditions and conservation projects throughout the globe. Q: I’m a novice diver so I hope this question doesn’t sound stupid. I’m a bit of an exercise freak and train with weights most days for at least two hours. Some of the lads at the gym are divers and were saying that you shouldn’t exercise when you dive as it might trigger the bends. Is this true? I’m booked on a dive trip to Egypt next month and I chose the hotel because it’s got a fantastic gym, although it’s expensive. Can I still do my weights, or should I bin it and do a liveaboard instead? A: With the obesity epidemic booming like Barry White on testosterone, we’re constantly being admonished from all sides for not doing enough exercise. Chomping on bacon butties after a five-minute bimble at Stoney doesn’t help either. On occasion though, diving can be a physically demanding sport - those tanks don’t carry themselves, and unexpected currents can put a sudden strain on the fittest of finners. But there are, as you say, concerns that exercise can increase the chance of DCI. How to balance the two? Like a good joke, it’s all in the timing. Vigorous exercise agitates and warms the blood, as well as causing shearing of tissues with movement. These factors are thought to produce ‘micronuclei’, which in essence are the beginnings of very tiny bubbles. These micronuclei can turn into bigger bubbles, or act as ‘seeds’ around which bubbles can form. And more bubbles means a higher risk of DCI. Luckily, about 98 percent of micronuclei vanish within six hours, so the advice is to leave a minimum of six hours after exercising before diving. Another (admittedly preliminary) study has shown that exercise 24 hours prior to diving might actually reduce the chance of DCI – the cause of this phenomenon is being investigated. So a workout 24 hours beforehand might be protective, but you should reduce the duration and intensity of any exercise closer to a dive, and avoid any from six hours before a dive. The other aspect is dehy-

dration – remember your fluids too. During a dive, the idea is to minimise your inert gas absorption – flapping around like an untrained seal will increase your nitrogen uptake and make bends more likely. On the ascent, however, there is now good evidence that light exercise will accelerate off-gassing, and can therefore reduce DCI risk. By light I mean leisurely finning, rather than hanging motionless on the shot line. What about after a dive? The same suggestions apply: strenuous gym sessions could cause more micronuclei to form, and gas might be liberated from muscles as the blood flow to them increases. Any post-dive workout should be gentle and at least six hours after the dive to allow sufficient time for micronuclei to disappear. Q: Just wanted some information, could you help please? I am currently half way through a trimix course overseas, and maybe the sun’s got to me, but I’ve decided to get a tattoo on my back. Is it still okay to continue with my course having just had a tattoo, and if not how long would I need to leave it? Thanks so much. A: Beckham-style wings? “APNEA” in bold Cyrillic up your spine? A pod of dolphins leaping playfully across your trapezii? I’ve seen plenty of tats in the course of doing daily dive medicals, some pretty cool, others just unfathomable. You need to be wary of needle hygiene in foreign parts as injections of blood and dirty ink are notorious for transmitting HIV, hepatitis B and other nefarious nasties. Freshly tattoed skin is quite raw and will tend to scab over, so ideally you need to wait until it’s fully healed up before getting wet. How long that is depends on your individual metabolism and immune system – it probably takes at least ten-14 days. Desperate divers who just can’t stay dry sometimes use thin layers of Vaseline and clingfilm to keep the water off their new design.

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Next month’s issue:

DIVING INTO HISTORY

Exploring Plymouth’s protected Coronation shipwreck

BUCKLE UP!

We head to the drift-dive capital of the world - Tobago

EGYPT’S SHIPWRECK HOTSPOT

The wreck graveyard of Sha’ab Abu Nuhas

PACIFIC PARADISE

Pt1 of Frogfish Photography’s Fiji odyssey

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LOAD OF BULL

Al Hornsby tangos with Mozambique’s bull sharks

SERIOUSLY WRECKED IN CYPRUS Are you ready for TDI’s Advanced Wreck Diver course?

GEAR GUIDE: MID-PRICE REGS

Regulators between £275-£475 rated and reviewed by the Scuba Diver Test Team

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TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! PELAGIC MAGIC

WHALESHARKS AND MANTAS GALORE IN SOUTH ARI ATOLL IN THE MALDIVES

INTRODUCING ‘DUXY’

THE UNDERWATER PHOTO GURU EXPLAINS HOW TO GET BETTER IMAGES WHATEVER YOUR RIG

TURKS & CAICOS

ABYSSAL WALLS, VIBRANT CORAL GARDENS AND SHARK ENCOUNTERS

CRUISING

Cornish

KOMODO

CREAM

HOT TIPS TO HAVE YOU LOOKING LIKE A PRO

HIGH-END

PHILIPPINES

WHY CORNWALL IS SO POPULAR

FINNING TECHNIQUES

The Fantastic

FOUR By DR RICHARD SMITH | WWW.OCEANREALMIMAGES.COM

or many years the diving scene in the Philippines played second fiddle to Indonesia, but with many great all-rounder destinations throughout the archipelago, the Philippines is fast becoming the big Asian dive destination of the moment. The diving is extremely varied across the country, attracting divers in search of animals both little and large, stunning coral reefs and great wreck diving. Here I’ll share my four favourite destinations, which are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the Philippines has to offer.

ANILAO, SOUTHWEST LUZON ISLAND

Anilao is the Philippines’ answer to Lembeh Strait, where multitudes of fascinating muck diving critters await the sharpest of eyes. There are a plethora of accommodation options all along the richly forested headland, which is just a few hours’ drive from Manila on the island of Luzon. Due to its proximity to the capital, and international airline gateway, it is a great add-on destination for another dive location in the country. Or, of course, it’s a great dive spot in its own right. The dive sites include intriguing soft coral and sponge reefs, black sand and rubble slopes. For the non-initiated diver, this might sound like a terrible collection of sites. In fact, for muck dive aficionados these are some of the richest substrates. Anilao accommodates many of the usual muck dive suspects such as hairy frogfish, seahorses, mandarinfish and even the rarer Rhinopias scorpionfish, Coleman shrimps, mimic octopus and other treats. Anilao and Lembeh Strait are, however, rather different. I have been to Lembeh Strait many times, but in Anilao I saw quite a number of species I had never seen before. One group that seem particularly well represented in Anilao are nudibranchs. I saw many species I had never even heard of beforehand, and many that I’d only seen in pictures. One, Allen’s Ceratosoma (Ceratosoma alleni), I had been hunting for years but never had the fortune of finding. On one dive in Anilao I saw three chomping their way through a glade of the soft corals that they mimic and feed upon. Dives are generally made from local-style outrigger boats, which quickly and easily navigate the waters between the mainland and some of the other sites on neighbouring islands. Night dives are great in the area and offer various highlights, from mandarinfish on the resort’s doorstep to black sand and silty sites that have resident bobbit worms and the like. Muck divers will undoubtedly love Anilao.

EXCLUSIVE

TECHNICALLY

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WORLD’S FIRST FREEDIVING EXPEDITION TO TRUK

S O U T H

South Ari Atoll is seen as a hotspot for whalesharks and manta rays, and as STUART PHILPOTT discovered, it is one of those few places that can actually live up to the hype Photographs by STUART PHILPOTT

T ISSUE 1 | MARCH 17 | £3.25 03

‣ Our-World Underwater Scholar ‣ Philippines

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Photographs by AL HORNSBY

& REVIEWED

Komodo

Seasoned dive photojournalist AL HORNSBY is left entranced by the underwater topography and marine life in the Komodo National Park, not to mention the fabled dragons

The Philippines offers a wealth of diving opportunities, RICHARD SMITH shares some of his favourites

REGS RATED

“Unimposing topside, just a wave-washed bit of rock breaking the surface, underwater, Cannibal is an extravagant surprise of nature - a huge, rock pinnacle utterly buried under a one- to two-metre-thick covering of the most-exotic, outrageously-coloured life imaginable”

SNAP HAPPY

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DO NOT FORGET TO PREP YOUR CAMERA FOR THE SEAPLANE TRANSFER, AS YOU WILL KICK YOURSELF IF YOU MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE THE MAGNIFICENT AERIAL VIEWS

“The oxygen-depleted deeper dives make the sharks hypoxic, so they often come into the shallows to recuperate, sometimes surfacing to gulp in air. Some sharks have even been seen sucking up divers exhaled bubbles!”

here can’t be many dive destinations in the world where whaleshark and manta ray sightings are virtually guaranteed all year round. During my trip to South Ari Atoll in the Maldives, Prodivers Dive Centre delivered exactly what they promised with some awe-inspiring results, all while being pampered at a luxury all-inclusive resort surrounded by a palm-fringed sandy beach. Whatever happened to my rufty-tufty Brit diver image? Vakarufalhi Island was my first port of call and I arrived in style via seaplane and boat taxi transfer. With all the check-in formalities completed, I ventured over to the dive centre located behind the reception building to meet Prodivers manager Antonio Ferraro. Antonio, Italian born and bred, was extremely friendly and approachable with a huge passion for life and the sea. He had been running the dive centre since 2009. His family lived on a neighbouring island, so Antonio had bought a speed boat to commute to and from work every day! The centre employed four full-time instructors and offered the full range of courses and daily guided dives to no less than 60 local sites. The 76-room four-star superior deluxe resort reopened in 2009 after much renovation work. Antonio said that before the changes the resort had been well known on the Italian market as a diver’s island with more than 70 percent of the guests specifically coming to dive. The new classier upmarket image had seen a down turn in divers. Antonio said the busiest period was between December and March. April, being much quieter, offered the best price deals.

26/02/2017 10:45

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CORNWALL is one of the most-popular diving spots in the UK, mainly due to the fact that it boasts coastlines to the north and the south, so in inclement weather, you can usually still get a dive in somewhere Photographs by MARK EVANS

Cornish

CREAM CORNISH TREATS MAKE SURE YOU SAMPLE SOME OF THE LOCAL DELICACIES WHILE VISITING, NAMELY SCRUMPTIOUS PASTIES AND, OF COURSE, THE DELICIOUS CREAM TEAS. NOW IS IT THE JAM FIRST AND THEN THE CLOTTED CREAM, OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND? I AM NOT GETTING INTO THAT ARGUMENT!

reat Britain is unfortunately renowned for its decidedly unpredictable weather conditions. In the middle of summer you can get caught in a torrential downpour of Biblical proportions, even if it had been gorgeous blue skies and warm sunshine the day before. This can mean that organising a dive trip to our shores is a risky proposition, especially if you are travelling an extensive distance to get to your chosen location. No one wants to spend hours in the car just to sit and watch the rain lash against the windscreen in gale force winds! That is where Cornwall plays a blinder. There are several reasons why this southwest county is one of the most-popular diving areas in the country, but first and foremost has to be the fact that it boasts both a north-facing and south-facing coastline, separated in some cases by as little as a 20-30 minute drive. This means that if a planned dive on the south coast is blown out, then it is more than likely you will be able to get wet somewhere off the north coast, and vice versa.

THE NORTH COAST

There are various hotspots along the northern coast where you can find shore-diving sites, or charter boats/dive centres to help you access offshore locations, but the main areas to look at include Newquay, St Ives and Padstow. Shipwrecks include the Princess Royal, a 2,000-tonne Scottish cargo vessel that sank in 40m after being torpedoed in 1918; the Syracusa, a 1,243-tonne schooner that went down in a storm in 1897 and now lies in 30m; the Sphene, an 815-tonne steam ship that sank in 25m in terrible weather conditions in 1946; and perhaps the most unusual, the St Chamond, also known as the Train Wreck due to its cargo of steam locomotives that litter the seabed around it in 28m. Reef dives that should be on your list are Poltexas Reef, a tidal pinnacle just off Newquay that is smothered in marine life; Newquayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Headland, an easy access shore dive which has plentiful seaweed and kelp beds hiding spider crabs, dogfish, pollock and other marine life; and Porthminster Reef (also known as The Carracks), near St Ives, which benefits from a shallow depth (15m) and lots of fish and invertebrate life.

WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT DEMANDS APEKS COMMANDS

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ENTERING ANOTHER WORLD A GREAT SPOT TO VISIT ON A RAINY DAY IS THE EDEN PROJECT, THE WORLD’S LARGEST RAINFOREST ‘IN CAPTIVITY’. THERE’S EVEN A WATERFALL INSIDE ONE OF THE GIANT GOLF-BALL-LIKE BIOMES! THE SOUTH COAST

Just like its northern sibling, the south coast is dotted with shore- and boat-diving sites, but benefits from a more-developed diving infrastructure. The main areas to focus on include Penzance, the Lizard, Falmouth and Plymouth (technically in Devon, but right on the border). There are a multitude of shipwrecks off the south coast, but highlights out of Plymouth include the James Eagan Layne, an American liberty ship that sank in 1945 after being torpedoed. She is now well broken up, but is covered in marine life, and makes a fantastic second dive after the nearby HMS Scylla, the UK’s first – and still only – artificial reef. A 113-metre-long Leander-class frigate, she was scuttled in March 2004 and was swiftly colonised by marine growth and fish life. As she is fully intact, penetration is possible, but beware, much of the inside is very silty, and there have been several fatalities in the past where divers have ventured inside without the proper training. Other cracking wrecks in this vicinity include HMS Elk, a fishing vessel being used by the Royal Navy which sank in 1940 after hitting a mine, and now lies in 30m-35m with large shoals of fish always surrounding her. Off the Lizard you can barely dive anywhere without coming across some sunken metal, and as well as the Mohegan (see below), one of the

better prospects is the Carmarthen, a 4,262-tonne cargo steamship which was torpedoed in 1917 and now lies well broken up in 20m. Reef dives to check out include Penzance’s Lamorna Cove, which boasts a plethora of marine life and is also an awesome night-diving location; Silver Steps, an easy shallow dive near Falmouth that can deliver seahorses and cuttlefish if you are lucky, as well as the remnants of several World War One German U-boats; Falmouth’s Pendennis Point, which offers dives to the east and west of a rocky peninsula, and is home to all manner of reef life, which finds solace in the numerous nooks and crannies; the Welps, a granite reef running southwest in Veryan Bay that drops to between 18m-25m and is truly spectacular; the Eddystone, a crop of rocks topped by a lighthouse south of Plymouth which provide some dramatic drop-offs and walls; and Porthkerris on the Lizard, which has a nice shore dive (Drawna Rock) as well as being a launching point to hit sites such as the Manacles, which features several extremely picturesque scenic dives including drop-offs and pinnacles covered in jewel anemones, sea fans, dead man’s fingers and plumose anemones, as well as numerous shipwrecks, including the tragic SS Mohegan, a passenger liner that went down in 1898, taking 104 people with her.

“Just like its northern sibling, the south coast is dotted with shore and boat diving sites, but benefits from a more-developed diving infrastructure” WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

“No one wants to spend hours in the car just to then sit in the car park and watch the rain lash against the windscreen in gale force winds!”

CONCLUSION

Topside, Cornwall is a truly breathtaking place and for divers who venture down for a week’s holiday, there is plenty to do on those non-diving days, including heading to top attractions like St Michael’s Mount, the Eden Project, Newquay Zoo, Trebah Gardens, Tintagel, Land’s End, Port Isaac and Geevor tin mine. Away from the crowds, the coastline is littered with small towns and villages, many boasting weathered coves and tranquil beaches. Aged pubs and ice cream parlours are a common sight and either of these can make for an enjoyable post-dive option during the day. Cornwall really does seem to have all its bases covered, but even then, particularly foul weather conditions can rule out diving on either side of the county. That’s when you can remember the most-important thing about UK diving - even if you’re blown-out, there’s always the pub. n

P.P.P.P.PICK UP

A PENGUIN OKAY, SO YOU’VE DIVED OR SNORKELLED WITH BASKING SHARKS, BLUE SHARKS, SEALS OR ANY OF THE OTHER DENIZENS OF THE CORNISH COASTLINE, BUT HAVE YOU DIVED WITH PENGUINS? WELL NOW YOU CAN, VIA A MINOR DETOUR INTO DEVON.

The Living Coasts (www.livingcoasts.org.uk), located right on the seafront in Torquay, is associated with Paignton Zoo, and as well as being home to various seabirds and fur seals, its main draw are the colonies of African penguins and macaroni penguins – and their dive experience day means you can get up close and personal with the birds in the penguin exhibit. The experience starts with a staff member escorting you inside, giving you a brief rundown on the day ahead, and then it is time to kit up. You are welcome to use your own wetsuit/drysuit and mask, but you are required to use the Living Coasts’ BCDs, regulators, cylinders and weights. Once you are all set up, the gear is loaded into a cart and rolled round to the penguin enclosure. There is a ‘penguin crossing’ where the birds can get from the ‘beach’ to the nesting rocks, and so while you are getting into all your equipment, it is quite common to have penguins coming over for a closer look at what you are doing. Getting into the 3m-deep tank involves a giant stride into the water – a weird feeling when you aren’t wearing any fins. The bottom is covered in fine sand, so the dive team have found that ‘walking’ is preferable to finning. As soon as you land on the bottom and begin to look around, you are dive-bombed by penguins. They move like lightning underwater, and until I got the hang of triggering my shutter a second before they were in the shot, I ended up with a lot of penguin backsides! The dive is scheduled to last around 40-45 minutes, and after ten minutes or so, you will be invited to feed the birds. Some take the sardines from your fingertips, others aren’t so forthcoming and you need to let go of it just before they make a pass. Eventually, the penguins get bored of you being in their tank and take off at speed to go play elsewhere. At this point, you will be given a suction cup and a sponge and set to work scrubbing the algae off the large display windows. This is done for two reasons – one, it helps the staff keep the windows clear for the viewing public, and two, you are now ignoring the penguins, which immediately spikes their interest and they come shooting back all over you ready for round two! After getting back into dry clothes, you can enjoy the rest of the day exploring the rest of the Living Coasts exhibits. The whole experience is priced at £175 (or £315 for two people), and lasts approximately three hours. The package includes the dive, admission, certificate pack (which includes a discount voucher that can be used in the café/shop) and one adult guest. To be able to participate, you need to be a qualified diver and aged 18 or over.

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DIVE LIKE A PRO

This month, our panel of experts tackle the subject of FINNING TECHNIQUES, and offer up a plethora of helpful hints and advice to get you gliding around like a dive god in no time PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS, RAID AND TDI/SDI

othing screams ‘dive guru’ as much as the sight of someone in a nice horizontal trim, effortlessly gliding through the water using a frog kick, and making fine manoeuvres such as helicopter turns and back finning seem a walk in the park. Getting a measured, smooth finning style in an array of techniques is what sets more-experienced divers apart from those just setting out on their underwater journey, but all it needs is practice, practice, practice. We asked a selection of highly qualified instructors from the main training agencies for their insights into this topic, and they came back with some useful hints and advice. PADI TecRec Instructor Trainer Martin Robson said: “If you want to learn to ‘frog kick’, practice on dry land first. Lay across a table or bench, ideally watched by an instructor who can coach you (a cave instructor would be ideal). Get videoed practicing in the water. I actually swim behind my students, holding their ankles and making their legs ‘frog kick’ until they get the feel of it. Practice just beneath the surface with your hands against the side so you don’t actually go anywhere.” Matt Clements, PADI UK Regional Manager and a PADI Master Instructor, explained: “Finding the right set of fins is key, you need to try a few different styles out. I tend to use the frog kick at a leisurely pace, which with subtle ankle movements allows for turning and back finning. Your fins should also allow for powerful kicks also for use against currents, or to get to your buddy in an emergency. To get the most out of the flutter kick, you need to kick from the hip and using the full range of leg movement.” Vikki Batten, who is Director of Rebreather Technologies, and a Training Supervisor and Instructor Examiner, at PADI said: “Simple fins give you the widest variety of fin strokes, so don’t worry about too many fancy bits unless you have an injury or weakness to compensate for. Most people don’t have good awareness of their finning technique, so get some training from an expert who can help you develop both powerful and subtle fin strokes.” Mark Powell, TDI/SDI Business Development Manager, said: “Most divers are only ever taught a single finning technique, the flutter kick. This is simple and easy involving the same leg movement as a front crawl stroke in swimming. However, it has a number of disadvantages, biggest of which is that it tends to kick up silt, even if you don’t touch the bottom. There are a number of other finning techniques, including the frog kick, helicopter turn and back kick. Each of these can be very useful in the right situation, and divers should be able to use the most appropriate kick for the situation.

TOP TIP!

GARRY DALLAS ON HOW TO REVERSE KICK

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“Frog kicks can be used as a replacement for flutter kick when swimming in silty conditions as all the force is directed backwards during the power stroke and so it avoids disturbing the bottom. Helicopter turns are very useful for adjusting your position in the water, or for turning around to check on your buddy. Back finning can be used to hold position or to back away when trying to take a photograph, approaching a reef or other delicate surface, or when trying to maintain your distance on a decompression stop. By expanding their repertoire of finning techniques, divers can gain a number of benefits. Using the right technique at the right time can help to reduce silt being kicked up on a wreck and, as a result, visibility of dives is increased. It can allow divers to switch from using one set of muscles to another and so reduce fatigue, and finally it can allow a much greater level of control over the diver’s position in the water. All of these can increase the enjoyment and comfort of a dive, and that’s something that should appeal to divers of all levels.” Sophie Heptonstall, National Diving Officer of the British Sub-Aqua Club, said: “Mastering different finning techniques can often be undervalued at the start of diver training when there are so many new skills for a diver to learn, however good basic finning technique is essential for economical, stress-free and relaxed diving at initial qualification level and becomes increasingly important with more adventurous diving. “When it comes to fins, comfort is important, particularly in the foot pocket to reduce discomfort in the water. The range of materials and style of fins now available are vast and it’s important to try different types to see how they perform in the water using different fin strokes. Ask shops, dive sites, clubs or friends if you can try different types before you buy a new pair. The rigidity and shape of the fins can make a big difference in effort and propulsion.” She continued: “Correct weighting and trim are the backbone for good finning technique. How you are positioned in the water makes a significant difference to a diver’s propulsion and efficiency. Practice your surface and underwater finning, if possible get someone to take video of you in the water so you can see your ankle, leg and fin positioning. This will help you work on improving your technique. “It is important to choose the right kick for the dive. The flutter kick is great for maximum propulsion where there is no risk of disturbing the sea bed or damaging marine life; the frog kick is useful for relaxed diving where there is little current and no risk of disturbing the sea bed or damaging marine life; the high flutter kick / high frog kick is a good technique for silty conditions or a confined space; and the reverse frog kick is a great alternative to pushing with the arms or sculling to back away from something underwater.” Garry Dallas, Director of Training for RAID UK and Malta, said: “Surfacing after an hour’s dive may feel like you’ve just undergone a strenuous workout at the gym. Not surprising, considering you’ve just burnt off around 650 calories - roughly equivalent to that well-earned hot chocolate and burger you’ll enjoy on your surface interval! “Have you ever paused to think why you’re so tired post-dive? Simply put, you’re working too hard underwater! Constant flutter kicking throughout a dive, trying to keep up with the diver on point, fighting the effects of each kick, and pushing a larger frontal surface area through the water all contribute to excess exertion and air consumption. “Spending nearly 20 years analysing diver’s kicks, I can put diver’s nemeses of correct effective finning techniques into perspective. For example, kicking from the hips uses the largest muscle groups (quadri-

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ceps and gluteus maximus) in the body, trending the forward or reverse bicycle kick, which is not very efficient. Having one stronger leading leg - noticed when asked to swim in a straight line without any point of reference - results in swimming in an arc or a circle! A graceful frog kick and glide is balanced, anti-silting, effective and effortless.” He pointed out: “Tech fins are not just for tech divers! Neutral or slightly negative fins rule! Split fins can still cause cramp. Equally, ankle weights do not stop your feet from floating, they simply hold your feet down without air in your boots. Having excess weight on your feet requires excess air to support them neutrally in the water to feel comfortable while hovering. Tim Clements, IANTD General Manager, explained: “IANTD places great emphasis on efficient propulsion. Moving through water requires 25 times as much effort as air, which when combined with the bulk of technical diving gear, means we either have to work smarter or harder to explore our diving objectives. This comes in several parts: streamlining, good trim and efficient propulsion. Let’s take a look at how we can improve how we can get more progress forwards (or backwards) for the same effort. Good propulsion also minimises silt disturbance and environmental damage in delicate caves or reefs and maximises positional control. “It is important to have several propulsion techniques. A full power frogkick might be ideal for making progress in a strong current, but fine control over position or attitude in cave navigation, photography or teaching requires either flutter, modified flutter or delicate back kick technique. Dolphin kick is another useful number, especially when modified into a single move forward. Knowing when to use each of these is a skill in itself. Underlying good propulsion is, of course, crisp buoyancy control - if you’re baling up and down in the water, then great propulsion technique is wasted effort. Whatever technique you use, practice it slowly, placing emphasis on accurate movement and thinking carefully about where you are pushing water with your fins. Don’t try and break the laws of physics!” He continued: “IANTD courses firstly require divers to be stable and streamlined, proceeding to work on trim and propulsion. Development of the last two often proceeds together for many divers, with a flatter profile making movement easier, but good propulsion makes the diver flatter. This ‘chicken and egg’ technique development is common, but it is also important to recognise the many situations that make good propulsion in ‘non-flat’ attitudes important - caves, wreck, reefs, teaching, photography, science, etc, can all take us away from a perceived ideal ‘spirit-level flat’. “IANTD aims to train divers for the many real diving scenarios they will encounter - the advice from us is to become proficient in many techniques. Also, pay attention to other factors that also help such as good trim, streamlining and buoyancy stability.

Finally, make propulsion part of your visualisation and post-dive team debrief to identify improvements or different techniques. Aim to self-improve beyond your formal training and reap the benefits in the enjoyment of your diving. If you would like to spend more time on propulsion with an instructor, then the Essentials course is for you.” GUE’s John Kendall said: “One of the things that most of my students find hardest is to unlink their finning and their buoyancy. By attaining a good flat body position, all the finning techniques become easier and more efficient, and don’t cause us to go either up or down. By far the best way of doing this is to keep your head as far back as you can, and your arms held out in front of you (think ‘Superman’). From this position we can then think about actually kicking. We want our kick to move the water horizontally behind us, anything else is just wasted energy, so a frogkick is a great starting point. Bend your knees and keep your fins parallel to the floor. Then move your feet apart, twist your ankles and bring the bottoms of your feet together. Then enjoy the glide before repeating. Don’t rush the kick, and ensure that the bottoms of your fins ‘push’ against the water. It is important to try and avoid allowing your knees to go up and down during this kick, the power comes from the calf muscles, not the thighs. Practice this kick very close to the bottom in a pool or on a platform, and you will feel your knees touching if you are using your thighs.” n

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Life’s short. Make every dive count.

I was booked into a beachside villa with outside bathroom. I originally had my eye one of the 12 water villas, but unfortunately they were all fully booked. Resort GM Thomas Venzin said ‘This is a typically classical Maldivian resort’. I noticed that there was no communal swimming pool. Thomas didn’t see the need as the resort was surrounded by a clear blue sea as warm as my bath water. Antonio said: “South Ari is one of the best places in the world for whaleshark sightings. Divers rarely leave without seeing one’”. We patrolled up and down the reef looking for any signs of whaleshark activity. I ventured up on the roof for a brief spell of shark spotting but the intense sunshine was just too much for me to bear. A shout came down from Antonio. A whaleshark had been sighted just below the surface heading straight towards us. We turned the boat around and gave chase, but the shark had disappeared from view. On the day there were at least ten boats searching for whalesharks, some with divers and others with large contingents of snorkellers. Whenever a boat found a shark everybody homed in on the area, snorkellers and divers jumping in everywhere. There didn’t seem to be any kind of etiquette. I thought the shark was supposed to be given some space? We headed in the opposite direction, hoping to find a whaleshark well away from the horde. I was sitting by my dive kit waiting for the signal. After 30 minutes of trawling back and forth the tension was beginning to get unbearable. Then the moment I got up for a swig of water and a slice of banana cake, another shark was sighted. We all kitted up at breakneck speed and jumped into the water ahead of the whaleshark. Antonio had already briefed me not to get in front of the shark as it would probably dive down out of sight, and to stay on the reef side so that the shark didn’t feel hemmed in. The visibility was around 20 metres so not crystal clear. I saw a blurred shape coming towards me and then a giant mouth and dorsal fin came into view. The mouth was closed and I couldn’t see any remoras attached to the underside. Later Antonio told me this was only a five-metre juvenile but it

looked big enough! I was finning hard trying to keep up. Carrying my housed camera in front of me didn’t help with my streamlining. I managed to fire off around five or six shots and then it was gone. I had chosen my 16mm lens and although this was perfect for big fish, I still needed to get close for a full-frame shot. We were also quite shallow so it was difficult to get the lighting right. Now that I had fine-tuned all my settings, I was hoping we would get at least one more chance. Biologists recently discovered that the South Ari whalesharks have some unique behavioural traits. They mainly feed on a type of plankton found in deep water. Remora fish don’t like deep water in the range of 600-1,000m, so this is why they are rarely seen attached. The oxygen-depleted deeper dives make the sharks hypoxic, so they often come into the shallows to recuperate, sometimes surfacing to gulp in air. Some sharks have even been seen sucking up divers exhaled bubbles! The next whaleshark was a good ten metres long and seemed far more relaxed. I managed to swim alongside the shark and even got sideswiped by its pectoral fin. I noticed some serious scarring along the shark’s mid rift probably caused by a propeller. More boats appeared overhead and I could see and hear snorkellers splashing into the water. An overzealous snorkeller kicked the whaleshark in the mouth, which frustratingly sent it fleeing into deeper water. On the day I saw three different whalesharks at sites Boda Finolhu Thila, Maamigili Beru and Dhidhoo Beru Faru. Although this stretch of reef was inside SAMPA (South Ari Marine Protected Area), I didn’t see any

“I was moving around with the manta trying to get the perfect composition, which some what upset certain parties. When we got back on-board I was asked to go outside for a punch-up, which is quite difficult to do on a boat!”

kind of management or policing. Most of my nocturnal activities revolved around night diving and to my surprise the 52-metre-long Kudhimaa wreck exceeded all my expectations. The artificial reef project was located off Machafushi island just 10 minutes boat-ride from the dive centre. The whole deck area was awash with bright orange cup corals, tentacles extended and feeding. I found a blue parrotfish encompassed in a protective membrane. Coral grouper were patiently being cleaned by shrimps. A large intimidating moray swam towards me, stopped for a picture, and then disappeared down a stairwell. Dive guide Fareed highlighted a number of colourful nudis in his torch beam. I definitely wasn’t short of marine life subjects. The 40-minute, 20m-deep dive flew by. My only regret was not going back for a second helping. Half way through the week I transferred to Lily Beach Resort and Spa on Huvahendhoo Island about 20 minutes boat ride away. The popular 150-room five-star plus all-inclusive resort is at 95 percent capacity throughout the year. Guests are predominantly Chinese and European. I had a full tour of the island and liked the fact that families were accommodated at one end of the island while amorous couples, newly-weds and those seeking some peace and quiet had their own haven at the opposite end. The facilities were absolutely top rate and included an air-con gym, tennis courts and multiple swimming pools. I couldn’t fault the buffet-style food. There was so much choice. I counted more than 50 different cheeses on the cheeseboard alone! The Prodivers Dive Centre was managed by couple Steve Brumby and Jutta Baecker. Jutta had previously worked as dive manager at Prodivers Kuredu for seven years and altogether had more than 25 years of diving experience. The centre employed eight full-time staff including seven qualified instructors speaking more than six different languages. Jutta said: “We are open 365 days a year and dives are rarely cancelled due to poor weather”. As soon as my feet touched sand I was whisked me away for yet another exhilarating night dive on the house reef. Steve guided me to a shallow cave full of nurse sharks. Further along I encountered marauding reef sharks, big-eyed trevally, moray and a number of flying stingrays. The dive boat was full to capacity for Prodivers manta day trip to Hukuru Elhi Faru. But I soon realised that manta rays and French divers can make a fiery combination. The best time for seeing manta at South Ari is from May through to October. I was slightly out of main season and didn’t think there would be any close-up sightings, so chose a mid-range lens for my housed DSLR rather than my trusty wide-angle fish-eye.

A manta appeared within the first few minutes of the dive. I didn’t realise that on sighting a manta everyone in the group had to plonk themselves down on the reef and not move a muscle, thus not frightening the manta away. A fatal mistake! I was moving around trying to get the perfect composition, which somewhat upset certain parties. When we got back on-board I was asked to go outside for a punch-up, which is quite difficult to do on a boat! I have always had a soft spot for frogfish, so when Jutta told me she had found three froggies at a site called Ali Thila, I couldn’t resist the temptation. We headed out just before dusk. Jutta searched for 30 minutes in the fading light but the froggies were proving to be elusive. Jutta had promised me a froggie and true to her word she found a bright red froggie on top of the pinnacle. The fist-sized froggie was tightly wedged between two coral heads and quite difficult to photograph but I managed to put my macro contortion skills to good use and eventual got a half-decent picture. South Ari offers divers everything from shipwrecks, big animal encounters and froggies to the most awe-inspiring night dives. Coupled with premier dive centres (www.prodivers.com), a very high standard of accommodation and a daily spread of food fit for a Queen’s banquet, the only real negative to consider is the cost. The final score for my two full-day boat expeditions totalled mantas 2 whalesharks 3. This was a more than satisfying result considering my visit had been outside of the main season. After the initial confrontation, the France V England boxing match was put on hold indefinitely. A gentleman’s handshake and a few beers in the bar settled the score in a much-more-civilised fashion - well, this was the Maldives, after all! n

DESERT ISLANDS THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 1,200 ISLANDS IN THE MALDIVES. AROUND 800 OF THEM ARE STILL UNINHABITED, 200 ISLANDS ARE POPULATED, AND ABOUT 110 HOST HOTELS AND RESORTS. THE REST OF THE ISLANDS ARE USED FOR AIRPORTS, AGRICULTURE, PICNICS, GOVERNMENTAL OR OTHER INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES.

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Hurawalhi Maldives www.hurawalhi.com

UNDERWATER PHOTO WORKSHOP

Kicking off a new series that aims to improve and develop your underwater photography skills, our resident photo guru PAUL ‘DUXY’ DUXFIELD introduces himself and lays out some of his aims over the coming months PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL ‘DUXY’ DUXFIELD

ello everybody, Duxy here. Before I introduce myself properly and tell you a little about me and what I’m going to be writing about, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Editor Mark Evans for inviting me onboard as a regular columnist for Scuba Diver. I took about as long as it takes to roll off a RIB to say ‘yes’ to being in at the beginning of an exciting new independent diving magazine. Taking and making pictures underwater, both the still and moving kind, has grown into a healthy and mature sector of our hobby, and I’m going to be looking at how you, too, can get to grips with documenting your underwater adventures for Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, or even if you’re old-fashioned like me and put your pictures up on the wall at home for showing off to the neighbours. I got into diving completely by accident in the early 1990s. I’d been working in photography professionally since leaving school, and by a bunch of lucky events I ended up helping make an underwater movie with a fellow northeasterner. Part of my payback for this was learning to dive out in Sharm, and from then on I assisted in a variety of filming projects, gaining in experience both in diving and underwater photography. Although I had amassed over 500 dives at this stage, I was still only an Advanced Open Water Diver, so in 1997 - after helping to make a trailer for a Granada TV programme - I used the fee from that to complete my dive training up to Divemaster. I decided to stick around in Sharm at the pointy end of dive tourism working as a dive guide/videographer until the early Noughties. Moving back to the UK, we settled in London, and I started working for a major underwater photographic retailer, as digital technology became within affordable reach of most. I was very lucky to be involved with the tech from early on, learning as I went. I’ve always been a believer in moving and keeping abreast of the times, and sharing that knowledge with others, and so combining this with my previous skills as a dive guide, it was the logical step for me to start running underwater photography themed trips. I did both jobs for a while, but something had to give and the trips were becoming popular, so I made the decision to go full time with them and, in the last five years, I have conducted over 40 escorted trips, to the Red Sea and much further worldwide.

EVERYDAY’S A SCHOOLDAY

Each trip I do, I learn something new, which has allowed me to grow and develop my skills as an underwater photographer, so with this column I’m going to be sharing what I have learnt with you guys. Nothing will be off-limits. GoPros, DSLRs, Mirrorless cameras and even phones will be looked at. However, I would like to emphasise that it’s less about the kit and more about how you can get the best from what you’ve got, so techniques that can be used across all platforms will be favoured over high-end equipment skills. I fully realise that not everybody has access to a high-end Mirrorless or DSLR camera with twin strobes, so hopefully even when I look at the more-specialised corners of underwater photography, I will look at ways that those with more-modest equipment can have a go and get great results too. I shoot with most types of equipment, both video and stills, and do my best to keep up to date with the latest tech, so I will also do the occasional real-world kit review as well. Okay, that’s enough about me and what I am aiming to do. Next month I will be kicking things off by looking at quick and easy ways to put a bit of ‘oomph’ into your compositional skills. See you all very soon. n

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BIOGRAPHY

Since returning from Egypt working as a guide in the early noughties, Duxy has been at the forefront of underwater photography technology and how it has changed the way we all now take underwater photographs. Working as Sales Manager for the two leading underwater photography retailers, and more lately as the Photography Travel Specialist for a multi-award-winning dive travel agent, his light-hearted take on the diving world and underwater photography has resulted in him being a regular speaker at the Dive Shows and at clubs up and down the country, sharing his knowledge and experience with all levels and abilities of underwater photographer. He likes nothing better than to get a beginner started on the route to rewarding pictures, and approaches the subject with an inclusive, rather than exclusive, manner. He now has more than 40 escorted trips under his belt and is continuing to develop new ways to pass on the knowledge and share the love. He can be found on Instagram and Twitter @takeiteasyduxy and Facebook as Take iT Easy.

TRIPS

Duxy will be conducting escorted trips for all comers of all abilities, both in the Red Sea and worldwide and is currently planning his trips for the latter-half of 2017 and into 2018 - watch this space for further details.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unimposing topside, just a wave-washed bit of rock breaking the surface, underwater, Cannibal is an extravagant surprise of nature - a huge, rock pinnacle utterly buried under a one- to two-metre-thick covering of the most-exotic, outrageously-coloured life imaginableâ&#x20AC;?

CRUISING

Seasoned dive photojournalist AL HORNSBY is left entranced by the underwater topography and marine life in the Komodo National Park, not to mention the fabled dragons Photographs by AL HORNSBY

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HERE BE DRAGONS THE KOMODO DRAGON, ALSO KNOWN AS THE KOMODO MONITOR, IS THE LARGEST SPECIES OF LIZARD ON EARTH AND CAN GROW TO MORE THAN THREE METRES IN LENGTH.

’m sitting on a grass-covered ledge high up a rocky prominence on the small, hourglass-shaped island of Gili Lawa Laut. A brief climb up a ridge from the curving, white-sand beach below has brought me to a view that is nothing short of remarkable. With a golden sun setting over my shoulder, the softly-lit, pale blue sea in front of me stretches away to merge near-seamlessly with the cloudless sky, creating a strange and lovely panorama, with a scattering of small, jutting islets appearing to float somewhere between the two. The larger mass of Komodo Island forms a darker backdrop in the distance. It’s a quiet, utterly exotic scene. At this point, we’re in the midst of our sail, aboard the 30-metre-long, two-masted Indonesian Phinisi schooner Moana, from Labuhan Bajo, Flores through the heart of the Komodo Islands National Park. We’re heading steadily southward, where we’ll soon trade the sparklingly-clear, warm waters of the north for the cool, life-filled waters around the island of Rinca, and, oh yeah, its wandering hordes of Komodo dragons. The trip through the Komodos can only be described as incredible… with the unspoiled, natural beauty of the rough, mountainous islands rising from the sea, and the raucous wonderland of the sprawling, teeming reefs and spires just below the surface. Throw in the quiet comfort of a huge, traditionally-styled, sailing schooner like the Moana, with evenings spent under a blaze of stars like can only be seen in the world’s truly remote regions, and you have an overall experience that most people have never even imagined. (Yes, I utterly enjoyed my time in the Komodos.) But, as memorable as my sunset atop Gili Lawa Laut had been, it was actually the dive just before heading to the beach that remains one of the highlights of the trip for me. Just a few kilometres off the island, the tip of a rocky spire just breaks the surface of the (very clear and blue, here) sea, a site called Castle Rock, known for massive schools of fish and cruising sharks in the currents off its outer, drop-off edge. It’s an exciting, high-velocity dive experience, with something happening every moment. However, the smaller spire just to the south-west was even more amazing - the spot I’m to describe. Jutting up to near the surface just a short swim from Castle, Crystal Rock is a more current-pro-

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tected dive, with a complex, rambling seascape. In ultra-clear water, we descended down behind its calm southwest side and passed through swarms of bannerfish, eye-striped surgeonfish and humpback snapper toward a second, submerged pinnacle. At 25m, we found a wonderland of coral prominences and large boulders utterly covered in brilliant, orange soft corals, red gorgonian fans and rust-coloured barrel sponges. Schooling ribbon sweetlips were everywhere, and pinnate and golden spadefish meandered about, all adding their own bright hues to the mix. For our safety stop, we ascended back to the main pinnacle’s quiet shallows, the rock’s face coated with orange and yellow cup corals and low, soft corals. There, we delightedly watched as giant trevally and huge, metre-long African pompano made repeated strikes at smaller fish, feeding all around us. After a number of dives on the many sites in this area, we continued south toward Rinca Island, in the centre of Komodo’s cool-water - 22 degrees C - diving region (a 5mm full suit was adequate for me, though some dressed more

warmly, especially when usually getting four dives a day). Our first dive there was an early-morning one, at a famous site – Manta Alley. Just off a rocky islet, a slanting, coral slope forms a shallow ridge that reaches the sand at about 18m. The ridge swarms with butterflyfish and wrasse, creating a large manta-cleaning station. As we settled in around the spot, right on cue, mantas began sweeping in, usually three or four at a time, working their magic on all of us. All too quickly, air and time spent, we headed up to the shallows for a safety stop, seeing many different fish and a number of blue-spotted rays, along with mantas continuing to pass closely overhead. Another favourite dive in this area, in the channel between Nusa Kode and Rinca, remains one of the most-unusual dives I’ve ever experienced. In the greenish water is a unique dive site that may actually qualify as one of the single-most colourful places on the planet. Unimposing topside, just a wave-washed bit of rock breaking the surface, underwater, Cannibal is an extravagant surprise of nature - a huge, rock pinnacle utterly buried under a one- to two-metre-thick covering of the most-exotic, outrageously-coloured life imaginable. Huge, purple gorgonian fans, dark green stands of Micrantha corals, lime-green sea whips, spiral corals, soft corals of seemingly every colour of the palette, and thousands of rainbow-hued crinoids are just the beginning, for much of the effect is created by the combined mosaic of vibrant, small life crammed into every possible space – yellow and white miniata sea cucumbers, brilliantly coloured sea apples, zebra fire urchins and so many more, not to mention the thick haze of schooling fish swirling over everything. Later on my trip, at Rinca, an ultimate pay-off - a hike through Komodo National Park, where I have an adventurer’s dream realised - an intensively close, eye-to-eye encounter with a two-and-a-half-metre-long Komodo dragon. As I kneel and shoot, the huge, primitive creature before me quickly becomes focused, fixated even, on nothing but… me. My adrenalin courses, my camera’s images click one after another. Watching the incessant flicking of his long, forked tongue, tasting me through the air, I’m flooded with extraordinary sensations. The dragon’s only other movement is to slowly, bit by excruciat-

“We’re heading steadily southward, where we’ll soon trade the sparklingly-clear, warm waters of the north for the cool, life-filled waters around the island of Rinca, and, oh yeah, its wandering hordes of Komodo dragons”

ing bit, edge closer and closer… until my guide finally inserts his ‘dragon staff’ between us. As if from afar, I hear myself whisper, ‘Lord, Lord’. Ahh, yes, Komodo. n

ABOARD THE MOANA

The Moana combines a traditional atmosphere with all modern conveniences on cruises in the Komodo National Park of Indonesia. She is a classic 30-metre Phinisi schooner, able to take up to ten guests. All cabins have air-conditioning and ensuite bathrooms with water flush. Although built in a traditional-style, the Moana is a modern sailing vessel built in 2004 with all the comforts of a new diving and cruising boat. There are five cabins aboard Moana - two double-bed cabins, two twin-bed cabins, and one family cabin. There is an air-conditioned indoor salon at the stern of the ship, and a lot of deck area at the bow to relax. On deck you find a spacious dining table with romantic indirect lighting. The Moana - built from teak and ironwood, which lends a warm atmosphere to the whole liveaboard lifestyle - mainly runs five- or six-day dive safaris and snorkel tours. With ten years of experience, the crew can adjust and plan a suitable itinerary for the guests onboard. On arrival at Komodo airport in Labuhan Bajo (LBJ), Flores, you will be picked up by Moana staff, and after just a ten-minute drive you will be on board the vessel and sipping your welcome drink. A typical day aboard follows the theme ‘dive-eat-sleep-repeat’. www.moanacruising.com 46

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WIN! A DeepBlu Cosmiq+ Dive Companion DIVE COMPUTER!

Scuba Diver has teamed up with innovative dive computer newcomers DeepBlu to offer you the chance to win a Cosmiq+ Dive Companion. To be in with a chance of winning this nifty dive computer we have two up for grabs! - all you have to do is answer the question below:

WHERE ARE DEEPBLU BASED?

To enter, log on to: www.scubadivermag.com/competition and fill in the answer and your details, and you will then be in the running to win!

ABOUT DEEPBLU

Taiwan-based DeepBlu are the new contender on the dive computer battlefront, but they have an ace in the hole in that the Cosmiq+ Dive Companion syncs via Bluetooth with their mobile app, seamlessly bringing your dive logs, etc, into their ever-growing social community. Pairing your Cosmiq+ takes literally seconds, and then once linked your dive profiles transfer to your social hub. From here, you can add additional information about the dive site, photographs and so on, and then share it to the community. Likewise, you can peruse other people’s dives through the social network. You can build up a network of contacts, ‘chat’ with online dive buddies, and even like, comment on and share other dive site postings. Software updates are automatically sent as notifications, so you can ensure your Cosmiq+ and the online social media are bang up to date. The Cosmiq+ has a clear high-contrast LCD screen which utilises EBTN pixel-less technology and is extremely bright, and the two buttons allow for simple, effortless navigation. Settings can be altered via the computer, or very easily on your phone, and then transferred to the Cosmiq+. The webbing strap is comfortable and quick and easy to adjust to fit around your wet suited or dry suited wrist. It comes in a range of colour schemes - Noir (black body with black or red insets and body) and Lumin (white body with either grey, purple or turquoise insets and straps. www.deepblu.com

Truk TECHNICALLY FREE

In January, a team of freedivers and tech divers joined forces to take on the wartime wrecks of Truk Lagoon. PFIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KIRK KRACK AND JOHN HULLVERSON report on this unique expedition Photographs by AL HORNSBY AND BILL COLTART / WWW.PACIFICPRODIVE.COM

RECREATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COURSES BREATH-HOLD SURVIVAL PROGRAMMES ESTABLISHED SINCE 2000 Email: info@performancefreediving.com Web: www.performancefreediving.com

o me, there’s nothing better than gliding over a reef or wreck, free of tanks and hoses, tied only to the surface by my need for an eventual gulp of air. However, as a former trimix instructor trainer from what seems like a lifetime ago, I’ve also enjoyed another side of diving, where I stayed at depth for long durations with tanks sometimes six of them - dangling off me, hoses snaking their way around my body as I finned to the rhythmic release of my bubbles, all the while alarms chirping and LEDs flashing my progress towards my eventual surfacing through stages of boredom during decompression. I’m not knocking anyone who enjoys this, but I wasn’t saddened to start giving it all up when the opportunity to follow my life-long curiosity and passion for breath-hold diving or freediving presented itself in 1997, and where I’d eventually form my company, Performance Freediving International (PFI), in January of 2000, dedicating myself to ‘Explore Your Potential, Safely Through Education’, as has been our motto since that time. Twenty years later I’ve started to look back on that technical/trimix diving background, to ulitise that education and experience as I develop a new form of freediving, combining it with underwater diver propulsion vehicles in one of the planet’s best wreck-diving playgrounds in what would be a world-first - a freediving expedition to Truk Lagoon. Since becoming a dive instructor in 1988, I’ve wondered what it would be like to explore Truk Lagoon. This graveyard, where dozens of ships and thousands of lives were lost during a horrible turmoil in modern-day history. Five or so years ago, I even tried to put together an expedition to ‘scooter freedive’ Truk, but was met with scepticism as to its cost and the idea of breath-holding on and through wrecks where some of them lie in excess of 60m. While a ‘touch-and-go’ freedive to 60m is one thing, having quality time at depth to meaningfully explore these wrecks is quite another, and requires some creativity and planning. Our objective was not just to ‘freedive’ the wrecks of Truk Lagoon, but to explore and capture it with long bottom times from the shallowest to the deepest of the wrecks, to enjoy the outside and, limitedly, the insides as well. And most importantly, to do it safely, with procedures and protocols, back-ups and redundancies. I’m not one to take risks without first working through the risk analysis of it - I have a family at home that waits for me. This past January, myself, John Hullverson and Chris Bustad, executive and staff instructors at PFI, joined with a good friend who leads the safety rebreather team at our annual Deja Blue events, Bill Coltart, of Pacific Pro Dive. Bill had been suggesting a combined trip for sometime with technical rebreather divers and freedivers. The combination couldn’t have been more perfect, so we jumped on the idea and started putting a plan into action - a joint expedition with some of the best technical rebreather divers and freedivers to Truk Lagoon, in modern-day Chuuk State, Micronesia. Truk Lagoon was the site of a decisive World War Two battle between the US and the Empire of Japan on 16-17 February, 1944, and where the sunken Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon now resides. Code-named Operation Hailstone, the attack was essentially the US version of Pearl Harbour, with US planes sinking an entire armada of Japanese ships in the shallow waters of this atoll lagoon and destroying hundreds of Japanese aircraft on the ground and in the air. Seventy three years later, Truk Lagoon is regarded as the most-well-preserved battleground wreck-diving site in the world. Scores of ships and planes lie mostly intact and undisturbed in less than 65m feet of water, filled with cargo including fighter aircraft, tanks, bulldozers, railroad cars, motorcycles, torpedoes, mines, bombs, boxes of munitions, radios, thousands of various weapons, human remains, and other artefacts. The ships themselves serve as artificial reefs and the amount of sea life is astounding.

RECREATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COURSES BREATH-HOLD SURVIVAL PROGRAMMES ESTABLISHED SINCE 2000 Email: info@performancefreediving.com Web: www.performancefreediving.com

RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB

Freediving the shallower wrecks would be pretty straightforward. We could simply kick to moderate depths, 20m-40m, staying there for around two- to three-minutes and maybe the occasional four-minute freedive if we spent more surface time prepping and used lines to pull down, employing what we call ‘free immersion’. However, in a typical two-minute freedive to 40m, descending and ascending at 1m/s really only leaves you about 40 seconds at depth if you’re moderating your workload. Realistically, in the 40m-60m plus zones, this would only allow a touch’n’go and no time for exploring and filming. Along with this, a 40m freedive requires a minimum eight-minute surface interval and deeper than that might require a 14-20-minute surface interval. In the course of a day, we would be leaving a lot of the wreck unexplored as our bottom times would be limited, the number of dives in a day would be small, and exhaustion would take its toll over ten days. We needed to employ the right tools for the job. We would be ‘freediving’ Truk like has never been done before, using scooters, enriched oxygen mixtures and 100% O2 at the surface, employing new surface-interval protocols both for air and accelerated surface intervals when using high percentage O2 mixtures. This would allow us to get to depth faster and with no effort, explore longer and enjoy more freedives with less required surface interval. We could cover the whole wreck in two to three dives, and some in one dive alone, where we could scout and then hone in on an area of interest where we may spend a dozen dives or more. I’ve enjoyed scooter freediving. It’s like jumping on a motorbike and going touring rather than lacing up your hiking boots, putting on your backpack and walking through the forest, which is more in-line with freediving. If you’ve joined us via our streaming media for our annual training camp and competition Deja Blue in Grand Cayman the last several years, you know we’ve been utilising Dive Xtras’ Piranha scooters. Weighing less than 35lbs, they are fast, durable and reliable. Scooters allow us to provide deep safety to all our athletes on their dives via a scooter safety freediver that accompanies the competitor nearly the full length of their dive, down to at least 60m, and often deeper than that. In Truk, John, Chris and I each had our own scooter outfitted with GoPros both forward and back-facing, and we’d be relying on Suunto D9s and D4s as our main computers and back-ups, allowing us accurate depth/time, pre-set depth and time alarms for important reminders and surface interval calculations which would be critical in avoiding any DCI issues. Now the scooters would allow us to effortlessly get to depth at over 2m/s, where we’d be able to double our bottom times. Not only would our functional bottom times be increased, but the work of getting down and back would be removed, also allowing a more-relaxed time to venture around and explore. This was seen in being able to routinely pull off three minute 30 seconds plus average freedive times while working somewhat aggressively filming and exploring. However, we always had to remember the most-important rule with a scooter - ‘never go deeper or stay longer than you couldn’t ditch the scooter and ascend self-powered’ - and also make sure you would be ascending where you descended, so your safeties would be there.

TECHNICAL FREEDIVING

Technical freediving was our other implementation. This breath-hold diving while also using enriched oxygen mixtures as surface breathing gases helps flush nitrogen and increase the availability of oxygen to the tissues. Used both before and/or after a freedive, enriched O2 mixtures (most commonly nitrox 32 percent or 36 percent pre-dive and 100 percent 02 postdive) can reduce fatigue, decompression stress and surface intervals while both increasing breath-hold times and speeding recovery. Conceptualizsing this idea in the mid-1990s, PFI has been testing these protocol for several

PA RECOM RT MEN N DED ER

SCOOTER FREEDIVING

RECREATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COURSES BREATH-HOLD SURVIVAL PROGRAMMES ESTABLISHED SINCE 2000 Email: info@performancefreediving.com Web: www.performancefreediving.com

THE TRUK ODYSSEY

The Odyssey is a spacious 40 metres long and equipped with seven staterooms with either king size or two twin beds, and two private single staterooms. All have ensuite facilities, air-conditioning and DVD player. There is a large dining area and a separate entertainment lounge with TV, VCR, DVD, stereo, library and bar - the perfect place to relax after a hard day of wreck diving. Out on the dive deck, you will find personal dive lockers, rinse tanks, freshwater shower, and even warm deck towels. Photographers will be pleased to find a three-tier camera table and charging station. Transfers from the airport are provided as part of the charter package. www.trukodyssey.com

RECREATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COURSES BREATH-HOLD SURVIVAL PROGRAMMES ESTABLISHED SINCE 2000 Email: info@performancefreediving.com Web: www.performancefreediving.com

years with our Deja Blue safety freedivers utilising pre-dive nitrox with great success. A huge advantage was using 80 percent and higher oxygen mixtures in combination with our new surface interval protocols. These new protocols allowed us to reduce surface intervals by upwards of 40 percent, allowing us more freedives per session, less fatigue at the end of the day, and removed any decompression stress. Ultimately, freedive times averaged around three minutes to three minutes 45 seconds, with two minutes to two minutes 45 seconds of that being ‘bottom time’ in the 40m-60m range. On one circumnavigation of the Rio De Janeiro Maru, which sat in the 35m range, I did some relaxed scooter sightseeing for a total time of five minutes 46 seconds, while another dive allowed a lazy bottom exploration of six minutes eight seconds at 31m, where upon ascending it was hard to do my surface recovery breathing through the giggles, it was so much fun.

FREEDIVING ON THE WRECKS

Over the course of ten dive days, we dived on 17 wrecks, from 3,700-tonne merchant ships like the Nippo Maru, to Japanese Zeros and Betty Bombers, and even a sunken submarine that still contained the remains of the unfortunate crew. During our dives around and into the holds of these wrecks, we saw tanks, trucks, a bulldozer, land mines, millions of machine gun bullets, crates of beer bottles, a whole range of machinery, supplies and personal effects such as medicine bottles and fine china dinnerware. And yes, even human remains, which served as a sobering reminder that the wrecks we were enjoying were sunk during a ferociously intense battle that must’ve seemed like hell on earth to the men onboard. Our dive days began with the captain of our liveaboard briefing us on the particular wreck we’d be diving, followed by a ‘team meeting’ between the freedivers and rebreather crew to go over the specific dive and safety plans we’d be following. Next, it was out onto the huge dive deck to suit up and get our equipment prepared for the dive. For technical freediving, that included analysing tanks to ensure the proper mix we’d be breathing before and after our dives. Our rig consisted of two sturdy Gannet floats

supporting a five-metre carbon-fibre bar that served as our ‘home base’ in the water. Attached to the carbon-fibre bar are mounts for the two tanks - one nitrox for pre-dive breathe-up, and one 02 for post-dive surface recovery. We attached the rig to the mooring buoys, which usually led to the deck. After a suitable warm-up, John, Chris and I took turns exploring the amazing underwater playground. One important note about safety - technical freediving and freediving in overhead environments, such as the interior of sunken wrecks, requires specialised knowledge, training, expertise and planning, and should not be attempted in the absence of any of these factors. Our typical dive began with an appropriate surface interval followed by a breathe-up and peak inhalation taken directly off the nitrox regulator. The scooters allowed us to get down to the wrecks, usually within about 20 seconds, and from there we followed a predetermined plan of exploration of the wreck, usually either a tour of the deck, on which sat various equipment like tanks and anti-aircraft guns, or an exploration of the interior holds and passageways of the ships, which held an amazing variety of cargo. The technical freediving and scooters had their intended benefits, and we were excited to be enjoying dives of more than three minutes with complete ease. This was a significant amount of time to observe our surroundings, and the scooters allowed us to cover a lot of territory. It was not uncommon that we could completely circumnavigate these large vessels on a single dive.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP

Some of the highlights of our trip included exploring deep inside the various engine rooms (always keeping a clear view of the route to the blue water outside) as well as zooming down the outer gangways to explore the whole length of the ship. It was fascinating viewing the torpedo holes in the hulls, or massive bomb craters in the decks, that brought these enormous ships to the bottom. On our last dive day, we were diving the Hoki Maru, a 137-metre-long merchant ship resting at 50m. Our protocols had proven their worth and, over the previous ten days, we had successfully completed, to our knowledge, the first freedive expedition of the famous Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. The wrecks of Truk Lagoon offer a huge variety of options to explore an important part of naval history. We’re already planning our return trip in 2018! n

“One important note about safety - technical freediving and freediving in overhead environments, such as the interior of sunken wrecks,requires specialised knowledge, training, expertise and planning, and should not be attempted in the absence of any of these factors”

RECREATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COURSES BREATH-HOLD SURVIVAL PROGRAMMES ESTABLISHED SINCE 2000 Email: info@performancefreediving.com Web: www.performancefreediving.com

The Turks & Caicos

Islands GAVIN ANDERSON waxes lyrical about the rich and diverse diving opportunities on the islands and cays of this still relatively off-the-beaten-track Caribbean destination Photographs by GAVIN ANDERSON

ome 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, lying just below the Bahamas, are the Turks and Caicos islands, a chain of 40 islands and cays that stretch along the third largest coral barrier reef in the world. With visibility regularly 30 metres, yearround warm water and normally lovely weather topside, it’s not surprising the islands are high on a lot of people’s must-visit dive locations. There is a huge choice of dive sites and several excellent dive centres to choose from. Although technically located in the Atlantic Ocean, the islands are referred to as being a Caribbean diving location. Providenciales is the most well known of the Turks and Caicos Islands and is the centre of the tourism industry, with a wide range of hotels, restaurants, attractions and facilities. Grand Turk and Salt Cay offer a glimpse into Caribbean history with great Bermudian architecture and a rustic charm, as well as some of the best diving and probably the most “‘relaxing’ time you will ever have. Middle Caicos and North Caicos represent the best of the environment, with lush green woodlands, and the biggest cave network in the Caribbean. South Caicos is the centre for fishing, with lobster and conch exported from the islands, the historic Cockburn Harbour and the natural phenomenon of the ‘boiling hole’. This small yet friendly island offers many secluded beaches with awe-inspiring views of the turquoise waters and surrounding islands. Parrot Cay and Pine Cay are privately owned islands and are home to the most-exclusive resorts, Parrot Cay Resort and Spa, and the Meridian Club. There is also development underway in previously uninhabited West Caicos (future home of a Ritz Carlton hotel and community), Ambergris Cay (site of the exclusive Turks and Caicos Sporting Club), and Dellis Cay (where a major lifestyle resort to be run by The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group was recently announced). Planning a Turks and Caicos diving holiday is fairly easy, with direct flights with British Airways from London to Providenciales and numerous other airlines connecting through places like Miami and Atlanta. If you’re planning to go on to another island, there are daily flights with Inter-Caribbean and Caicos Express Airways which take as little as ten to 15 minutes.

DIVE INTO HISTORY CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS FIRST SET FOOT ON GRAND TURK DURING HIS DISCOVERY VOYAGE OF THE NEW WORLD IN 1492.

“The walls are more exposed to the sun than most of West Caicos and Providenciales, and consequently have better lighting and more vibrant corals” WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

“Grand Turk is the capital of the Turks and Caicos islands, but the island is small, only seven miles long and one and a half wide, much of it uninhabited but for donkeys, flamingos and egrets!”

Arriving and clearing customs in ‘Provo’ is easy and before you know it, you’ll be booking into your accommodation, whether it’s a luxury hotel budget guest house or your own rental villa, or perhaps if you’re lucky onboard one of two liveaboards. The Aggressor Fleet and Explorer Ventures both operate weekly, offering up to five dives a day including night diving. There are approximately a dozen dive centres to choose from around the islands; most are independent but two are part of the inclusive resorts of Sandals and Club Med. Dive Provo, run by Scottish couple Allan and Claire Jardine, is the longest established and busiest dive centre on the island, with boats heading every day to different spots tailored to dive qualification and divers requests. Others include Turtle Provo Divers, Caicos Adventures and Flamingo Divers on Provo, Dive Grand Turk and Oasis on Grand Turk, and Salt Cay Divers on Salt Cay. There are too many dive sites to cover in one week’s holiday and even if you have a fortnight you’ll be hard-pushed to cram all 50-plus sites. Which site your dive centre visits will be down to where the wind is coming from, and how expert your dive group is. Choose a large company like Dive Provo if you’re a higher certification level, and you will hopefully be placed on a boat with mostly experienced divers. Choose a small company if you have a small group of friends as you may end up having the boat to yourselves. A large area of the coast of Provo comprises the Princess Alexandra National Park within which no commercial or sport fishing is allowed. As a result, the marine life around the main island is surprisingly good. There are three main dive areas off Provo Pine Cay, Grace Bay and the North West Point area. Grace Bay is just a 15-20 minute boat trip from Turtle Cove and is protected by a 14-mile barrier reef. At Aquarium expect to see enormous schools of grunts and snapper on top of the wall, where some spectacular sand chutes run on down through the reef to around 30m, while at Coral Gables a gentle slope running away to the wall and drop-off allows divers to pick their depth. The sand chutes stop just below the top of the wall and give way to large stacks of coral, where you can find all the usual reef fish including grunts, snapper and the odd grouper. Graceland has a large sand chute and a swim-through leading to the wall at 18m. The wall

has many buttresses and indentations and reef sharks are often seen out in the blue. At Grouper Hole, a large coral head in the middle of a sand chute leads divers to a gently sloping wall; the name comes from when divers used to feed the local grouper. Pine Cay is 40-50 minutes by boat, northeast of Turtle Cove marina. Here submerged seamounts rise from the depths to just 20m or so of the surface. At sites like Football Field, along the drop off you can see juvenile barracuda, jacks, Bermuda chub, and grouper, while ledges on a large sandy area offer homes for many lobster. Not far away is Eagle Ray Pass, where a sand gully leads off from under the mooring to the top of a sloping wall with fantastic corals. Many people’s favourite sites are found off North West Point, where the mostly vertical walls start in just 12m. Sharks are often seen, as are hawksbill turtles, spotted eagle rays and even the odd hammerhead shark. The sites are very scenic and dramatic, with many purple tube and elephant ear sponges. At Shark Hotel, close to the mooring, huge congregations of pillar coral can be found. Fish life is also good, with plentiful schools of grunts, snapper and goatfish, and shark sightings are good here as the site name suggests! More pillar coral can be found under the boat at Amphitheatre, where horse-eyed jacks often circle. Large elephant ear sponges, black coral and some rare orange rope sponges can be found just above 30m. The Crack is another great site where large grouper and snapper hang out among black coral and deep water gorgonians. Spotted eagle rays are often seen here too. Hole in the Wall is another diver favourite, where the aforementioned hole drops vertically from 18-30m - there’s only room for one diver at a time, and good buoyancy control is recommended! As you emerge into the blue you might even find yourself swimming alongside a large Caribbean reef shark!

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The best of

Turks and Caicos Islands Scuba Diving WEST CAICOS • PINE CAY • NORTHWEST POINT • GRACE BAY • FRENCH CAY

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Tel: Island (001) 649 946 5040 or US (001) 954 351 9771 or email: diving@diveprovo.com

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We tailor-make holidays for divers and non-divers. We are the preferred tour operator - with exclusive rates - for many resorts on these islands. Contact us for a holiday quotation...

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ENTER THE FOREST ON NON-DIVING DAYS, TAKE A KAYAK/ PADDLEBOARDING TRIP DEEP INTO THE LUSH MANGROVES.

Possibly my favourite place to dive is Sandborne Channel, a deep navigable channel that lies between Providenciales and West Caicos. From the south shore of Provo, it’s accessed by travelling across the shallow Caicos Banks. Where this channel joins Sandborne, the pale turquoise water turns deep iridescent blue. It’s a most spectacular sight. Diving in the channel can be pretty awesome too, with great deep water sponges and sea fans, and large pelagic, shark and ray sightings. The only downside is the channel can only be dived when both the tide and weather are just right.

WEST CAICOS

Located at the north end of West Caicos is Highway to Heaven, another great site where you’ll find a large colony of garden eels in the sand along with stingrays in around 20m. From here you head into deeper water off the wall to explore fantastic coral arches and swim throughs between 25-30m and deeper. Shark sightings are common here. Elephant Ear Canyon is another great site where there was once a huge elephant ear sponge - hurricanes have reduced it from spectacular to just impressive now. Gully is a great site for fish spotting at cleaning stations, while Driveway has some excellent hard coral formations, black coral and purple tube sponges. At Whiteface, named after the steep white cliffs along the shoreline, impressive stands of pillar coral and many reef fish make this a great site with barracu-

da, parrotfish, French angelfish and Nassau grouper the norm. Just north of the mooring is a crack in the wall with a large anchor stuck in the wall at 23m. South West Reef offers more of a challenging dive, with frequent shark and eagle rays sightings often in a moderate current. Off Molasses Reef, the site of several historic shipwrecks, spotted eagle rays and sharks are common along the wall, with Nassau grouper and jacks abundant in the shallower parts under the boat. Well to the south west of West Caicos on the south wall of the Caicos Banks barrier reef is my favourite place in all of the Turks and Caicos, French Cay. It’s not always possible to get to French Cay because the weather has to be good. Several modern wrecks can be seen on the horizon in the French Cay area and are a testament to the treacherous reefs. The walls are more exposed to the sun than most of West Caicos and Providenciales, and consequently have better lighting and more vibrant corals. Double D is a great site located just offshore from the bird sanctuary. Here two large pinnacles rise from the ocean floor. The wall here is a fairly gradual slope with a profuse carpet of corals along its entire length. The area around the Double D pinnacles and the boat mooring is home to large numbers of jack, black durgon, and grouper. Half Mile Reef, as the name suggests, is a reef roughly half a mile long and lies to the east of French Cay. Large schools of barracuda and mahogany snapper are always present and there are two very large elephant ear sponges here around 26m. My favourite dive is a site called G-Spot. Beautiful corals hard and soft adorn the reef and walls here. There are almost always Caribbean reef sharks, which are quite bold and come close regularly.

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SOUTH CAICOS

There are also spotted eagle rays and lots of Queen angelfish along the wall in among some huge orange encrusting sponges.

GRAND TURK

Grand Turk is the capital of the Turks and Caicos islands, but the island is small, only seven miles long and one and a half wide, much of it uninhabited but for donkeys, flamingos and egrets! Most of the 4,400 population live in Old Cockburn Town. The island is a weird mixture of old-style colonial buildings combined with fantastic birdlife, tropical trees and a horrible commercialised cruise ship centre! The dive centres are located in Duke Street in town, where a leisurely stroll down to the beach and on to the boat will leave you anything between just five or 35 minutes from the Great Grand Turk Wall deepening on which dive site you are heading too. Most of the dive sites along the wall have areas of sand close to the wall perfect to drop the anchor on and perfect for beginner divers or those just arriving to get their buoyancy sorted out. Most sites feature coral bommies and the main reef at the top of the wall slopes gradually down from about 10m to 15m before dropping straight down to 2,000m. Large pelagics including spotted eagle rays, blacktip and reef sharks, hawksbill and green turtles are commonly found as well as schools of yellowtails grunts and horse-eyed jacks, and the usual Caribbean reef fish such as damsels, parrot, trigger, angel and puffer fish. The Turks and Caicos government established the Columbus Landfall National Park here back in 1992, which has helped protect the future of the reef here and helped fish numbers. There are many fantastic dive sites, but those worth particular mention include McDonald’s, where divers can swim through a magnificent arch;, Tunnels and Rolling Hills, which both have lovely swim-throughs; and one of my favourite sites, Fish Pond. Here there’s often a bit of current on top of the reef and a large school of horse-eyed jacks circle with huge barracuda often close by.

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South Caicos is an 8.5 square mile island with the best natural harbour and several fishing plants, processing most of the nation’s seafood harvest of lobster, conch and fish for export and local consumption. For the last eight years since the South Caicos Dive Centre closed after the 2008 hurricane, diving has only been available as day trips from the other islands or off liveaboards. That’s all changed following the opening of the fantastic new East Bay resort. With the resort’s new dive centre now operational, divers can enjoy South Caicos dive sites while staying on the island again. Located on the east edge of the Caicos Islands subterranean plateau, the wall diving is excellent here. There are loads of scenic sites with canyons, arches and swim-throughs, and the best of the accessible wrecks in the Turks and Caicos can be found here, the Convair CV-440. It’s located in fairly shallow water no deeper than 18m partially lying on sand, partially on the reef, mostly upright but broken into around three pieces now. There are always shoaling fish inside the main fuselage.

SALT CAY

Salt Cay is considered ‘Whale Headquarters’ from January to March each year. The little cay is directly in front of Columbus Passage, where the Atlantic humpbacks migrate to the Silver Banks, between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Dominican Republic, to calve and mate. When scuba diving and snorkelling, you can hear the mesmerising songs from the humpbacks. The beautiful songs assist them with their navigation. In 2010, Salt Cay Divers initiated a research project to determine if having snorkellers in the water with whales impacts on their behaviour. They often have whale naturalists on board their boats to provide education about the humpback whales as well as allowing you the opportunity to learn what behaviours they are monitoring and how to collect data. Just this year they finalised an agreement with Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Centre (MCERC) and will be providing the research platform for a team of researchers and interns to study humpback whale behaviours. Guests on board trips with the research team will have the opportunity to collect scientific data under the guidance of marine biologists such as Dr MacKay, the lead researcher in this project. When the humpbacks have gone, then there is always the pristine walls, and an 18th century shipwreck! n

Dive Agency News Each month, we invite all the main dive training agencies to showcase new courses, forthcoming events, staff changes and promotions, and so on. scubadivermag.com/agencynews

IANTD

IANTD is pleased to announce a new depth limit of 51m for Advanced Recreational Trimix (both OC and CCR). The new limit still has 15 minutes of planned accelerated decompression, making it an ideal first step into technical diving and a foundation stone for progression to cave, normoxic or CCR training. The new limit also includes new qualifying dive limits and a modified course structure which reflects the new depth. Although there is no automatic upgrade in certification limit for existing ART divers, the new Normoxic Plus course is available as an excellent progression to unlimited deco. Normoxic Plus is an entirely new course for IANTD. With a new depth limit of 70m for both OC and CCR divers, it is perfect for several extended range UK objectives, such as Malin Head. Normoxic Plus is accessible either from Adv Nitrox or ART, or as a top-up to Normoxic. Full Trimix Diver is still accessible from Normoxic, which means that Normoxic Plus only increases the options for divers to choose from, instead of adding another mandatory level. ART, Normoxic and Normoxic Plus all include the normal high standard of IANTD theory, watermanship and skills, designed to produce thinking, knowledgeable divers who can adapt the toolbox established by their training to the varied demands of their own diving exploration. www.iantd.uk.com

Shiny new home for BSAC’s event of the year BSAC’s premier annual event – the BSAC Diving Conference – is moving to a bigger and ultra-modern new venue, The Vox, situated within Resorts World on the NEC complex. The conference is expected to have another bumper year, with instructors and divers coming from far and wide to get the latest on everything from diver training and the 2017 incident report, through to practical club marketing support and the latest on immersion pulmonary oedema from world-leading expert Dr Peter Wilmshurst. You can check out the videos from last year’s event at www.bsac.com/BSACDivingConference2016videos. These include world-renowned diving medicine expert Dr Neal Pollock’s ‘Thoughtful management of decompression stress’ presentation, and the delivery of the 2016 Incident Report (BSAC has monitored and reported on diving incidents since 1964 in the interest of promoting diving safety to all). The conference is for BSAC members and will take place on Saturday 21 October. Early-Bird tickets will launch in the spring. In addition to the extensive speaker programme, tickets will include access to the Dive Show all weekend, a goodie bag and post-event drinks session. More info (including video of The Vox) at bsac. com/conference2017. www.bsac.com

PADI CELEBRATES 25 MILLION CERTIFICATIONS

On 29 December 2016, in the final days of PADI’s golden anniversary year, a milestone was reached. Sarah Gleeson, a 22-year-old from Alberta, Canada, became a PADI® Open Water Diver, earning her PADI’s 25 millionth certification. To celebrate the occasion, PADI gifted Gleeson and a buddy of her choosing with a dream trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Her proud instructor, Bobby Post of Davy Jones Locker Diving in Koh Tao, Thailand, wasn’t left out. The PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer was invited to make the trip as well. It wasn’t until Gleeson and her boyfriend, Colin, stayed on Koh Tao, Thailand, and made friends with the divers there, that she was interested in getting scuba certified. “Now that I can dive I have an excellent excuse to travel the world even more,” says Gleeson, who is currently six weeks into a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia with Colin. When asked about her plans when her backpacking excursion and the sure-tobe epic trip to Australia are over, Gleeson notes that she won’t be returning to the colder temps of Canada anytime soon. “We’ve even considered becoming dive instructors ourselves,” Gleeson laughed. www.padi.com

2017 IS SET TO BE A MONUMENTAL YEAR FOR RAID. Following a successful 2016, RAID UK and Malta has expanded their team in response to increased customer demand. With a dedicated Membership Services and Communication team on hand, RAID members will benefit from unparalleled customer service. From March, RAID will be the first Diver Training Agency to offer Accredited Workplace First Aid Programmes as part of their brand-new First Aid Suite. RAID First Aid Instructors will be able to offer a variety of courses to divers, non-divers and businesses. Delivering Workplace First Aid has the potential to generate extra income for RAID dive centres. All UK businesses require first aiders to fulfil requirements of the HSE, and the new courses have been developed specifically for this market, though they are also launching a diver specific First Aid programme. www.raid-uk.org/

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SUB-AQUA ASSOCIATION

TWO NEW NATIONAL INSTRUCTORS The Sub-Aqua Association is pleased to announce two esteemed members of the association have been awarded National Instructor status. Mark Berrill and Amanda Asson have been active members of the Sub-Aqua Association for many years rising through the training levels. Their commitment to diving safety and training is greatly valued, with both having been involved in rewriting courses and examinations in the recent months. Presented with their certificates early February, Mark and Amanda continue to dedicate their energies to making diving safer and improving the knowledge of members of the Sub-Aqua Association. Amanda is the Regional Representative for the Midlands, and Mark will be starting his role as the Vice Chair of the association in April. Commenting on their achievement, Colin Bryan, Chair of the Sub-Aqua Association, said: “I’m thrilled that Mark and Aman-

Amanda Asson receiving her certificate from Steve Orange, National Coach, Sub-Aqua Association

Mark Berrill receiving his certificate from Gary Asson, National Diving Officer, Sub-Aqua Association

TDI/SDI

SDI LAUNCHES A NEW VIDEO SDI has recently launched a new video which explains the story behind the agency. The video shows the origins of the agency, why it has such a no-nonsense approach, and shows that SDI is run by people who dive regularly and so understand what divers want. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CFCKQ2fie0 MARK POWELL JOINS TDI/SDI HQ Over the last ten years, SDI/TDI/ ERDI has seen tremendous growth throughout the world. Traditionally the company was set up with two staff that oversaw business development, Cris Merz working with the field representatives looking over the Americas, and Paul Montgomery working with the Regional Offices internationally. Due to our growth outside of the United States, we recently decided to expand the staff working with Paul, by adding Jordan Greene, an experienced member of the staff, and Mark Powell, a long-time IT for SDI/TDI/ERDI from the UK. Mark brings with him a wealth of experience as a successful author, presenter and Instructor Trainer Evaluator. In previous professions, prior to immersing himself in the diving industry, he was involved in business development, strategy and corporate training. Jordan and Mark will be travelling throughout the world assisting our regional offices with their members and divers.

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da’s commitment to diving and training has been rewarded with this well-deserved award. National Instructors are a dedicated group and we would like to thank them both for all their hard work over the years”. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Sub-Aqua Association’s Annual General Meeting is being held on Saturday 1 April at The Palace Hotel, Buxton. All members of the Sub-Aqua Association are welcome to attend, and accommodation is available at the venue. The meeting will be followed by a dinner dance with live music being provided by The White Ties. This excellent live band are known for putting the fun into live music with their covers. If you would like more information relating to the evening, please email: admin@saa.org.uk GREAT NORTHERN DIVE SHOW The Sub-Aqua Association is delighted to announce that they will be attending the Great Northern Dive Show for the first time in 2017. This year’s event has a great list of exhibitors and the association is looking forward to meeting old friends and new. “Dive shows give us a great opportunity to meet existing association members and share diving experiences with our fellow divers. We’re really looking forward to representing our association for the first time at the Great Northern Dive Show in April. It certainly looks like it will be a fabulous event,” said John Rice, Sub-Aqua Association. www.saa.org.uk

CARDIFF SCUBA JOINS SDI Instructors from Cardiff Scuba have recently completed an SDI Instructor crossover as Cardiff Scuba adopt SDI training programmes. The flexible and student centred approach to learning together with great levels of customer support were key in convincing Cardiff Scuba that SDI was the right fit for them. DIGITAL CERTIFICATION CARDS SDI/TDI/ERDI divers and instructors can now access a digital version of their certification cards directly from the SDI/TDI website. Through a simple login process at www.tdisdi.com, card holders can download their certification card directly to their devices and keep it with them in digital format wherever they go. Once logged into our website, you will also notice we have given our admin dashboard a face lift; putting the tools you use most right at your fingertips. This is just another way International Training is making our divers and instructors user experience better. www.tdisdi.com

PHILIPPINES

The Fantastic

FOUR

The Philippines offers a wealth of diving opportunities, RICHARD SMITH shares some of his favourites By DR RICHARD SMITH | WWW.OCEANREALMIMAGES.COM

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PUERTO GALERA, MINDORO ISLAND

Puerto Galera is another location that is easily accessed from Manila. It is just a couple of hours by car to the port of Batangas, where you meet a boat to take you the last hour of the journey over to Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro. There are a multitude of places to stay, for all budgets, and many are handily located in the heart of the main town. Puerto Galera is quite a bustling place and has many shops, dive resorts and bars. It is quite a contrast to some other dive areas, but fun and full of energy. The diving is extremely varied, with stunning reefs in the Verde Passage, wrecks, muck dives and everything in between. Verde is a spectacular dive area, where strong currents bring nutrient-rich water to feed clouds of anthias and all manner of magnificent soft and hard corals. Dives are entirely manageable, however, and local guides consider tides and currents when planning the dive schedule. There are lots of turtles and passing pelagic fishes here too, so it’s worth keeping an eye into the blue. On the other end of the scale, there is muck diving here as well. Just around the corner from the resorts is Secret Bay, where rare gurnard lionfish, black hairy frogfish and flamboyant cuttlefish can be found. The white sand muck diving makes a nice contrast to the black sand sites at relatively nearby Anilao. The other side of the headland has a muck dive of sorts, but with much more of a reef influence. Here, the occasional whip corals have shrimps, xeno crabs and cowries, plus you’re likely to find a pygmy seahorse on a gorgonian if you look closely. Puerto Galera is a great all-round destination that is easily accessible from Manila and offers stunning reefs, plus many of the top critters on any wish list in southeast Asia.

MALAPASCUA, NORTHERN CEBU

Malapascua Island, off the northern tip of Cebu Island, has become world famous for being the only site on the planet where thresher sharks can reliably be sighted. The dive to find them involves a very early morning entry onto a deep reef, where the sharks come each morning to be cleaned. The best sightings take place while knelt calmly on a small natural platform at 30m. Even on nitrox, the depth doesn’t allow you to spend a great deal of time waiting for the sharks to arrive. The three mornings I went, I saw the sharks but the best day was the last, when two sharks gave me quite a close pass. The tail on these animals is something to behold. Scientists had guessed that the function of the ridiculously long tail was to whip and stun schooling fish, due to them often being caught on long-line hooks by their tails. Only recently was their hunting method confirmed on camera. The top of Monad Shoal, where the threshers go

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“Dives are entirely manageable, however, and local guides consider tides and currents when planning the dive schedule” 69

RIDE A KALESA THE KALESA IS A HORSE-DRAWN CALASH THAT WAS INTRODUCED TO THE ISLANDS BY THE SPANISH IN THE 18TH CENTURY, MAKING IT ONE OF THE OLDEST MODES OF TRANSPORT IN THE PHILIPPINES.

to be cleaned, is around 15m deep, but there are nice sightings of other pelagics here while you slowly ascend. A group of adolescent eagle rays were resident during my visit and would make quite close passes. It’s actually lovely, after an adrenaline-filled descent into the dark waters of dawn, to spend some time watching the reef wake up. Other than the morning dives in search of threshers, there are plenty of other local sites to keep you occupied for the rest of the diving day. The reefs are interesting, and dominated by invertebrates such as soft corals and sponges, rather than hard corals. We saw unexpected beasts, such as algae octopus, unusual nudibranchs and of course pygmy seahorses. There is certainly plenty to keep you occupied aside from the thresher sharks around Malapascua.

DUMAGUETE, NEGROS ISLAND

Dumaguete is another great all-round destination, but is more biased towards muck diving than some of the others. The Dauin coast, where Dumaguete is located, runs along the south east of Negros island.

The coastline is dotted with resorts and many have their own house reefs. Here, black sand slopes are par for the course. Some rubble slopes are exceedingly good for octopuses, while one site ‘Tyres’ is well known for an abundance of frogfish. I have been to Dumaguete several times and each time there has been an abundance of a certain animal. The first time I saw nearly 50 ghost pipefish, then the next trip I counted as many frogfish during my ten-day stay. There are other interesting indigenous creatures that piqued my interest too, including the yellow dottyback and rare fairy/flasher wrasses. Apo Island is a popular day trip from Dumaguete. The island is a marine park, and surrounded by rich coral reefs. Among the fields of hard corals there are the usual coral reef fish species, plus turtles and some pelagics such as trevallies. It’s the only place I have ever seen the big-lipped damselfish, which looks like a fish version of Angelina Jolie. Currents can be strong at some sites and visibility is variable. Siquijor Island is another day trip option

STRONG STOMACHS REQUIRED! IF YOU FANCY ‘BEING LOCAL’, THEN TRY THE 21-DAY BALUT EGG, A STREET FOOD WHERE YOU ARE EATING SAID DISH JUST BEFORE THE DUCKLING INSIDE IS ALMOST READY TO HATCH.

“The first time I saw nearly 50 ghost pipefish, then the next trip I counted as many frogfish during my ten-day stay” with reef walls, should you wish for a distraction from muck diving. Some of the resorts in the Dumaguete area are really raising the bar regarding the services they offer. They have brilliant spas with great massages, amazing dining options, various tours and activities plus you can even take a yoga course at one. Well-equipped camera rooms are becoming commonplace, as are excellent guides who really cater to their client’s requests. I was glad to see that the guides were careful not to disturb and manipulate the animals, although it’s always worth mentioning to your guide if they are more hands on than is good for the critter. The Philippines has quickly become one of the most-popular dive destinations in the world, and for good reason. Whether you enjoy diving for critters, or a healthy bustling reef this is the place for you. Easy international access and flights also help, and the Philippines can be reached relatively cheaply. There is definitely something for everyone in the Philippines. n

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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

PATAGONIAN

COLD-WATER CORALS PHOTOGRAPHS BY FELIX BUTSCHEK

he latest adventure of my Scholarship year was entirely focused on science and exploration. I joined a team of researchers from Chile and Germany, including the current Rolex Laureate for Exploration, Vreni Häussermann, to study cold-water corals of the Patagonian fjords. For this five-week expedition, we were based at the Huinay Scientific Field Station, between the towering Andes and the mighty Pacific Ocean. The journey to Huinay made it clear why true scientific exploration is still a reality in this part of the world. From Puerto Montt, a full three-hour drive over half-paved, half-gravelled roads and a three-hour boat ride brought us to the research station. There, in the remoteness of Comau Fjord, cold-water corals grow in shallow depths of up to 20m. This is particularly unusual because most calcifying corals in temperate oceans only live at much greater depths, and are thus usually referred to as deep-water corals. Additionally, the fjord experienced a mass mortality of the coral Desmophyllum dianthus in 2012. Ever since, researchers study the ecosystem’s recovery and the species’ survival under the challenging conditions. Given that catastrophic events can lead to mortality of entire communities, one of the main long-term research themes at Huinay is the succession of benthic organisms. This describes the progressive change in the species composition of a community over time, especially after a disruption to the habitat. We took photos of benthic communities on tiles that were placed at various angles to account for different physical characteristics in the benthic marine habitat. These photos form part of a long time series, which is currently being analysed for the changes in the benthic community over years. The return of Desmophyllum cold water corals since the mass mortality in 2012 inspires hope in the resilience of

this ecosystem. What is particularly baffling is the growth of these animals despite the low acidity, measured in pH, of the seawater. Theoretically, the acidity of the seawater is beyond the threshold at which these organism should be able to calcify. Nonetheless, these corals have been growing quite happily over the past year. In an attempt to understand the processes that allow them to survive and grow in such hostile conditions, we retrieved corals from their habitat, measured their metabolic rate through incubation experiments and determined the pH buffering capacity of the seawater that surrounds them. Additionally, their growth is monitored every season as part of this on-going field experiment. On top of in-situ and laboratory measurements and experiments, we dived unexplored sites to find more locations where cold-water corals could be studied. Using scooters, we covered several hundred metres of shoreline on every dive. The single limiting factor in our explorative efforts became our non-stop time. Since we searched where corals are most abundant, at a depth of 25-30m, our dive time was often painfully short. However, we managed to find numerous locations with abundant coral communities, typically where the fjord walls form an overhang. We synchronized the time on our underwater cameras with the GPS of the boat that followed our bubbles, so we will be able to return to the best spots we found. Back on the surface, we spent hours collecting zooplankton, which form the primary diet of cold water corals. At night, zooplankton migrates up from deep-water where it avoids predation during the day. Therefore, the time of greatest activity is during the hours of darkness. This being summertime in the southern hemisphere, our ambitions to sample zooplankton in the surface layers kept us up late many nights. Vertical tow nets deployed from the boat and horizontal plankton tows carried out while diving should provide an overview of the foodweb structure. Moored instruments measured physical characteristics such as the salinity, temperature and current speed in the fjord. We retrieved these to obtain a more-complete picture of the fjord environment. During my time in Chile, I re-discovered my passion for scientific investigation. In the attempt to answer our research questions, we were met with challenges but also intriguing behaviours and interactions of the animals we studied. The opportunities for scientific work in this remote part of the world seem endless. Such work can have real impact on the perception of our environment and our willingness to protect it - hopefully this is an area in which I can actively contribute. n

Felix Butschek

Tales from

THE TANK BY SOPHIE MONTGOMERY, DIVE OFFICER

s the Dive Officer at Blue Planet Aquarium, I would like to briefly introduce myself. My name is Sophie Montgomery and I have been fortunate enough to be working at Blue Planet for two and a half years now. Before working here, I lived in the United Arab Emirates where I grew up in a far different climate to the UK. I was first introduced to diving at 15 when I was on holiday in the Maldives. The majority of my diving experience has been on the East Coast of the U.A.E and Oman. My favourite dive would have to be Inchape 1 off the east coast of the U.A.E, a wreck that sits at 30m. I used to love diving on this site due to the different types of animals such as nudibranchs, rays, sharks, frogfish, corals, etc. It is a beautiful wreck dive which was a supply ship that sunk. While in the Dive Officer Position, I hope to introduce a few of my own passions into the company and allow our visitors to fully experience the thrill of diving and close encounters with our animals. This year we will be holding many events to bring people together and promote shark conservation within the community, so keep an eye on our website and Facebook, we would love for you to join us in support of our animals. We would like to introduce Rodney, our new zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum), who has joined us from Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth. Zebra sharks are commonly found around warm water reefs and sandy areas of the Indo-Pacific; they are fairly common along the Australian coast. Here in the aquarium, Rodney will be joining a vast amount of different sharks in our main exhibit, and will be meeting our resident female zebra shark, Dotty. Zebra sharks can reach up to three and a half metres in length, but commonly reach less than this – Rodney measures exactly two metres, and Dotty a little larger. They become sexually mature from around 1.7 metres in length, so we are hopeful that we can expect some babies in the future. Dotty and Rodney (as well as our younger captive-bred male, Seb, who came from The Deep in Hull) are part of the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) ESB, or European stud book. This means that they are part of a co-ordinated breeding programme. The stud book aims to preserve genetic diversity in zebra sharks held in European aquariums, and assist with learning as much as we can about the reproductive biology of these amazing animals, as well as potentially allowing individuals to go to other institutions on breeding loan. If you would like to meet our zebra sharks, why don’t you head down to the Aquarium and you can see them through our underwater tunnel; or even better, why don’t you come diving with us and meet them face to face underwater? n

If you would like more information on diving with our sharks, please call us on (0151) 357 8800, or send us an email to: info@blueplanetaquarium.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

10 Gun

TERROR JASON BROWN uncovers Malta’s wartime past, and the wrecks that bear testament to the island’s heroism Photographs by JASON BROWN

ew would fail to be captivated by the Maltese islands’ unique mix of medieval towns, ornately decorated churches and charming fishing villages home to Malta’s famous - and brightly painted - ‘luzzu’ traditional fishing boats. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea less than 60 miles south of Sicily, Malta continues to be a popular destination for visitors from the UK - in 2015 alone, over half a million Brits jumped on a plane and made the threehour flight to visit Malta and her sister islands, Comino and Gozo. And who can blame them - the islands offer glorious sunny weather, beautiful beaches, thriving nightlife and - of course – world-class diving. The clear blue Mediterranean Sea that surrounds the islands provides the sort of quality diving that attracts divers from across the world. Malta has it all - reefs, sea caves and more, all within depths to suit every level of experience and training. Of course, what really brings divers to Malta is its wrecks. While many have been specifically placed in recent years for the sole purpose of attracting visiting divers, the seas around Malta are home to a number of wrecks that reveal a little of its fascinating past. It’s all too easy to forget that behind the charm and tranquility of modern Malta, the islands suffered greatly during World War Two. Reminders of the war can still be found and no visit to Valetta, the tiny capital of Malta, is complete without a tour of the National War Museum in Fort St Elmo. There you’ll find an array of fascinating exhibits which provide a glimpse into Malta’s wartime past, including the Gloster Gladiator biplane ‘Faith’ one of only three defensive aircraft stationed on the island when Mussolini declared war on 10 June 1940.

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Britain’s wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill understood the strategic importance of the Maltese Islands to the war effort. Throughout the war, Axis forces engaged in relentless attacks on the islands in an effort to subdue her. Stuka dive bombers based in Sicily pounded Malta - the heaviest of these attacks took place during 1942, in what would become known as the ‘Siege of Malta’. On 15 August, the siege was mercifully broken after the badly damaged remnants of the famous ‘Operation Pedestal’ convoy limped into Valetta harbour carrying life-saving supplies and all-important fuel for the Spitfires tasked with defending the islands. While many of the ships and aircraft lost during the war years are in waters far too deep for recreational divers, a number of wartime wrecks are located in shallower waters. Perhaps the most-famous of Malta’s wartime wrecks is that of HMS Maori - a Tribal-class destroyer that was sunk in Valetta’s Grand Harbour in 1942. In more fortunate times, HMS Maori participated in one of the most-historic engagements of the war - the pursuit and eventual sinking of the famous German battleship Bismarck in May 1941. Having located and attacked the mighty battleship the day before, Maori and destroyers Cossack, Sikh and Zulu shadowed the Bismarck throughout the night until the larger British warships could arrive and finish the job. HMS Maori also rescued some of the survivors from Bismarck after the battleship was sunk. Maori’s luck would run out on 12 February 1942 when German aircraft sank her at her moorings in the Grand Harbour with the loss of one crew member. She was later removed from the Grand Harbour and scuttled in St Elmo’s Bay at a depth of just 14m. While the wreck is not complete - her stern was sunk in deeper water out to sea - much of her forward superstructure is still in evidence, including two front gun bases. Cardinal fish, saddled seabream, camouflaged scorpion and seahorses can often be seen on and around the wreck. Located not far from the Maori is another wartime wreck - the X127 Lighter. Sunk off Manoel Island during an air raid, the ‘Lighters’ were purpose-built landing craft designed for the transportation of troops, horses and field guns during the Dardanelles landings of World War One. After the war, X127 found its way to Malta and was converted to carry fuel oil for submarines. Today, she lies upright on a 20 degree slope with her bow at 5m and her stern at 22m. Although very silty and suffering from poor visibility, the wreck has taken on a new role as an artificial reef with sightings of octopus and cuttlefish not uncommon.

“Stuka dive bombers based in Sicily pounded Malta - the heaviest of these attacks took place during 1942, in what would become known as the ‘Siege of Malta”

DID YOU KNOW? THE MALTESE PEOPLE ENDED WORLD WAR TWO WITH THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE ONLY ENTIRE POPULATION TO BE AWARDED THE PRESTIGIOUS GEORGE CROSS

“For visiting photographers, no dive on the Beaufighter is complete without at least one shot of the port engine with its twisted propeller partially buried in the sand” If you’re looking for something a little bit different, Malta offers the opportunity to visit two wartime aircraft wrecks. The first - and perhaps the better known of the two - is the Bristol Blenheim Bomber located approximately 800 metres due east of Xrobb l-Ghagin at a depth of 42m. The Blenheim was heavily damaged shortly after take-off after being engaged by enemy aircraft. Fearing that the damaged aircraft could make the runway inoperable, the pilot ditched the aircraft in the sea. All three crew members escaped with only

minor injuries as the aircraft sank beneath the waves. Seventy years on, the wreck of the Blenheim Bomber is still reasonably intact with both wings and its twin Bristol Mercury engines (one of which still has its battered propeller in place) easy to make out as you descend the shotline through the clear Mediterranean waters. Due to the force of impact when the aircraft ditched in the sea, the fuselage has broken away from the cockpit and wing section and now lies upside down on the opposite side of where

it should be! Look out too for the pilot’s control column and seat, which is still in situ. One of the more-recent wartime wrecks to be discovered off the Maltese coastline is that of another Allied aircraft - a Bristol Beaufighter. The Beaufighter was a long-range, multi-role heavy fighter that enjoyed a distinguished career throughout the war. With its four cannons and six Browning machine guns - four on the starboard wing and two on the port wing - the Beaufighter earnt the nickname ‘the

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THE UM EL FAROUD WRECK DIVE SITE The Um El Faroud is a 110-metre-long tanker that became Malta’s largest artiﬁcial reef when it was sunk on 2 September 1998. She listed severely to starboard during the sinking, but eventually settled upright on the seabed in 35m. Over the years, the Um El Faroud has taken on the appearance of a ‘proper’ wreck, especially after the vessel broke in two during winter storms. The superstructure is split in front of the bridge, but both sections lie close to each other, with the shallowest point 20m. Its huge holds can be explored, and other points not to miss are the imposing bow and the impressive rudder and propeller, which makes a great spot for photographs.

Three years before the Um El Faroud was sunk, an explosion killed nine dockyard workers in Valletta, and there is a brass plaque in their memory.

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UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURE

FEEL RIGHT AT HOME BRITISH DIVERS WILL BE HAPPY TO DISCOVER THAT THE MALTESE DRIVE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE SAME AS THE UK, THOUGH IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT LOCALS ‘DRIVE IN THE SHADE’!

ten-gun terror’. She was fast too at over 330mph, second only to the famous Mosquito! Malta’s Beaufighter wreck was discovered quite by chance in the late-70s by Vincent Milton - the founder of popular St Julian’s dive centre Divewise Malta - who stumbled across it while surveying the local reefs surrounding St Julian’s. Even then, the wreck would remain a mystery until Vincent and his son Patrick returned to identify it many years later. These days the Beaufighter is a popular logbook addition for many visiting divers. Laying at a depth of 37m approximately 800 metres off Dragonara Point, Beaufighter ‘N’ (serial number T5174) was attached to 272 Squadron of the Royal Airforce and crewed by Sgt Donald Frazee and Sgt Sandery. On 17 March 1943, Beaufighters from 272 Squadron took off to escort nine Beaufort torpedo bombers on a strike against axis shipping off Point Stelo in Sicily. Not long after take-off, Frazee and Sandery’s Beaufighter began to vibrate and lose speed. With a safe landing unlikely, Sgt Frazee successfully ditched the aircraft into the sea and both he and Sandery rapidly vacated the aircraft as it began to sink. Both crew members were picked up by local fishing boats and transferred to a rescue launch. Today, what remains of the Beaufighter lies upside down on a clean, white sandy sea bed at a depth of 37m. Accessible only by boat, diving the wreck is nonetheless a relaxed and enjoyable experience. Dropping down the shotline, it doesn’t take long for the familiar aircraft shape to appear. Partially buried and laying upside down in the sand, only the tail section of the fuselage is missing from an otherwise complete wreck. Nearing the wreck,

the most-instantly recognisable features are the undercarriage frames that stand proud in the landing position on either side of the centre fuselage. Their shredded rubber tyres still ring frameworks now otherwise covered in colourful marine growth. The real attractions are the aircraft’s twin supercharged Hercules engines. Although partially buried in the sand, much of the engine’s workings including its array of radial cylinders can clearly be seen. Like the Blenheim Bomber, the Beaufighter has lost one of its two propellers. Considering the speed at which she must have hit the water, it’s a miracle that either of them stayed in place! For visiting photographers, no dive on the Beaufighter is complete without at least one shot of the port engine with its twisted propeller partially buried in the sand. Look out too for the four ports that housed the aircraft’s death-dealing 20mm Hispano cannons, one of which is now bent upwards at a 45-degree angle. These destructive weapons of war now serve as home for a pair of moray eels that have taken up residence around the wreck. The Beaufighter is a compact site that, despite its size, has much to offer. Like any wreck, however, it’s the story behind its loss that makes diving it such a rewarding experience. As you gently swim around the half-buried superstructure, it’s enthralling to think that what lies before you on the seabed was actively engaged in the defence of Malta during some of the darkest days in history. The Beaufighter isn’t just another ‘tourist’ wreck - it’s a lasting monument to the brave souls that remained fiercely defiant through those horrific years. It’s a genuine and important part of history and more than worthy of an entry in any diver’s log book. n

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What’s New

SUUNTO D4i NOVO | SRP: £465

TYPHOON FATHOM DRYSUIT | SRP: £849

The D4i provided the perfect introduction to a well-specced, keenly priced wristwatch computer when it was first launched, boasting Suunto’s RGBM algorithm, four modes (air, nitrox, free and off), updateable firmware, built-in dive planner and optional wireless air integration. In its redesigned Novo guise, it featured a range of fresh colours and an all-new, soft and comfortable silicone strap. Now there are three more vibrant colour schemes in the line-up Sun, Sakura and Ocean. www.suunto.com

APEKS RK3 HD | SRP: £120 The RK3 HD fin is the latest in the RK3 range. It is made from a higher-density material than the standard RK3, which makes the fin stiffer and heavier and is therefore the ideal fin for drysuit diving. The new compound of the RK3 HD adds more weight to make it negatively buoyant. Compact, and ultra-rugged for use in harsh environments, it features an improved foot pocket with spring straps for ease of use with cold hands or thick gloves. The short, wide blade provides maximum forward thrust while maintaining great manoeuvrability, and the vented blade design reduces resistance on the upstroke and enhances thrust on the downstroke. www.apeksdiving.com/uk

Used by professional and recreational divers around the world, Typhoon’s reputation for producing top-end dive suits is second to none. This suit has been taken one step further with enhanced tri-laminate material and a host of other features. www.typhoon-int.co.uk

KUBI ALPACA GLOVES | SRP: £30 Quality Thermal Gloves made from Alpaca Fiber, sourced from quality faitrade suppliers. Alpaca fiber has a very soft feel, enabling excellent dexterity, as well as offering a higher thermal quality. These Gloves are available in three colour options and two different sizes www.kubistore.com

AQUA LUNG PEARL | SRP: £331 New for 2016, the updated Pearl BCD from Aqua Lung is a wrap-around jacket-style BCD, specifically designed for the female diver. It offers an adjustable waistband and curved shoulder straps that provide a customisable and comfortable fit. A unique hybrid design gives the best of both worlds; an ADV jacket style combined with a back-inflation unit allows you to float comfortably at the surface and creates a streamlined profile during your dive. The air cell design has sleeker, lower profile lobes and a shorter torso length, creating a comfortable fit on the hips, while the low profile flat valves reduce drag when moving through the water. The Pearl also features integrated weights, large pockets and clever octo and instrument pockets, plenty of D-rings and easy-to-access knife attachment points. Available in black/twilight to match the existing ladies range. www.aqualung.com/uk

HOLLIS SMS KATANA | SRP: £359 The SMS Katana is a cutting-edge sidemount system in the SMS family. It has a curved bladder, just like a Chinese katana sword, hence the name. Its streamlined and compact design means it can cater for the confined water, open water and overhead environment diver. With the added feature of an integrated weight plate, you can set-up your trim to suit your individual configuration, and the user-adjustable harness means that you can alter your SMS fitting to suit your wetsuit or drysuit diving adventures. www.hollis.com

FOURTH ELEMENT RIGA | SRP: £79.99 A classic men’s fisherman’s knit in dark grey marl with a rib stitch and raglan shoulder detail. Made with a fine merino wool blend (60 percent merino wool/40 percent acrylic), and finished with a leather Fourth Element logo patch badge. www.fourthelement.com

SCUBAPRO NOVA 2100 SF | SRP: £499

The powerful Nova 2100 SF (Spot Flood) is a multi-use dive light equipped with quality Cree LEDs and offering a 65 degree wide beam as well as a 15 degree spot beam to light up virtually any diving scenario. Providing outstanding versatility and ease of use - with a simple one-button control you can choose from five light modes, plus an emergency signal mode. Built rugged, the corrosion-proof metal light head improves heat dispersion and increases durability, while a fully isolated waterproof battery compartment ensures long-term reliability - even if the O-ring seal fails, water cannot reach the internal electronics. The Nova 2100 SF comes as a set that includes both a large and a small a Goodman handle, plus a pistol grip handle and a GoPro adapter. Or, it can also be purchased without handles if you want to use it with a video arm system. Both versions come with a wrist lanyard, rechargeable battery, charger and spare parts, all packed in a zippered EVA carry case. www.scubapro.com

Gear Guide

THIS ISSUE: REGULATORS OVER £475

Each month, the SCUBA DIVER test team assembles to rate and review a selection of dive equipment from a range of manufacturers. Products are split into price categories and are then evaluated for performance, comfort, ease of use, build quality, looks and value for money. The Test Team comprises Editor in Chief Mark Evans and a squad of volunteers, whose dive experience ranges from a couple of hundred dives to well over 6,000.

REGULATORS A good, reliable set of regulators is probably the single-most important piece of your diving equipment arsenal, as without them, you aren’t going to be heading off diving, unless you are the Man from Atlantis or The Little Mermaid! A large array of manufacturers produce regulators, and our aim here at Scuba Diver is to give you the widest selection in each review. Alas, a few are missing from the 2017 group tests - Oceanic and Hollis do not have their new models in stock yet, and Sherwood Scuba currently does not have a UK distributor.

ON TEST THIS MONTH: • APEKS MTX-R • AQUALUNG LEGEND LX • ATOMIC AQUATICS B2 • MARES FUSION 52x • SCUBAPRO S620Ti • ZEAGLE F8

Location: Tested at Vivian Dive Centre, Llanberis www.viviandivecentre.co.uk

Date tested: 20/02/17 Water temp: 6 degrees C

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APEKS MTX-R | SRP: £529 The Apeks MTX-R is the ‘civvie’ version of the military-spec MTX, and this regulator - designed for extreme cold-water use - looks super-smooth in its classy iPhone white and matt-silver with engraved stencilling. A first-of-its-kind over-moulded first stage end cap and environmental diaphragm prevent ice build-up, and the forged body gives maximum thermal performance. The second stage has no dive adjustment controls, has a patented heated exchanger surrounding the valve mechanism, and is equipped with a double-swivel braided hose. At this price point, you’d quite rightly expect all the regulators on test to perform well, but the MTX-R managed to shine brightly even in this thoroughbred field. Each of the Test Team commented that this regulator provided the smoothest, driest breathe, and were all very complimentary about the construction and looks of both the first and second stages. Positive comments were made about the lack of controls - it just works well out of the box, there is nothing to fiddle with - and the comfort of the ComfoBite mouthpiece.

CHOICE

VERDICT

Robust, efficient, smooth and functional, all wrapped up in a good-looking distinctive package. Huge thumbs up for Apeks. SCORE

••••••••••

AQUALUNG LEGEND LX SUPREME | SRP: £489 The Aqualung Legend LX Supreme is an eye-catching cold-water-approved regulator that features some nifty styling and performance points. The chunky but compact environmentally sealed, over-balanced diaphragm first stage has two high-pressure and four low-pressure ports, and is equipped with Aqualung’s Auto Closure Device (ACD), which keeps any corrosive water out of the first stage inlet by automatically closing as the Legend LX Supreme is removed from the cylinder valve. The pneumaticallyy balanced second stage has a heat exchanger to help dissipate the cold, Comfo-Bite mouthpiece and Aqualung’s Master Breathing System (MBS), which sees both the cracking resistance level and venturi positioning controlled with one knob. The Legend LX Supreme scored highly with all the Test Team members, who were impressed by its smooth, dry breathe, comfortable mouthpiece, efficient purge and slick good looks. The single control knob was easy to use, but the effects were not that noticeable. Well-priced, well-built regulator with a proven history.

VERDICT

Attractive set-up benefitting from some neat design features, comfy mouthpiece, smooth performance and solid build quality. SCORE

••••••••••

ATOMIC AQUATICS B2 | SRP: £591 Atomic Aquatics have a long legacy in producing highend regulators, and the B2 combines much of that knowledge and technology. The first stage is made from chrome-plated brass and 316 stainless steel, has two high- and five low-pressure ports, and features Atomic’s Jet Seat high-flow piston design, environmentally sealed for cold-water use. The all-titanium second stage features Atomic’s Automatic Flow Control (AFC), rapid adjustment knob for manually detuning the second stage in special situations, and a polished 316 stainless steel comfort swivel. As with all Atomic products, the reg benefits from a limited lifetime warranty - not contingent on proof of service - and boasts a two-year/300 dive service interval. The B2 has quite understated looks, and to be honest, with the all-plastic outer body, doesn’t look like a ‘pricey’ reg. However, it is well built, and the performance is up there with the best in this bunch. The control knob doesn’t make a huge difference to the performance, but it breathes well, the mouthpiece is comfortable, and everyone liked the comfort swivel.

VERDICT

Not as eye-catching as its rivals, but well made, with some neat features, and benefitting from a fantastic warranty. SCORE

••••••••••

MARES FUSION 52x | SRP: £483 The Fusion 52x is a good-looking regulator that has some notable design features. The first stage is solid but compact, equipped with two high-pressure ports and four low-pressure ports, and thanks to ACT (Advanced Coating Technology) has massively increased durability. The all-metal second stage has a unique pivoting purge valve, lightweight Superflex hose, and a neat ‘twist’ control to boost the flow rate from natural breathing to power breathing. Mares have always turned out great regulators, which previously were just set up to breathe well out of the box and didn’t have any diver-adjustable controls. That all changes with the Fusion, which boasts a neat ‘twist action’ over the hose to set the delivery rate of the gas - it is not hard to see that the designer was maybe influenced by motorcycles! Didn’t notice a huge difference with this control, but everyone liked the huge purge, which pivots rather than presses fully inwards and was very efficient. Smooth breathe in all positions, and surprisingly lightweight for an all-metal reg.

BEST VALUE

VERDICT

The unique design helps the Fusion stand out from the crowd. Good overall performance, with a fantastic purge control. SCORE

••••••••••

Frameless 2 The mask that is all about fit, comfort and vision.

Ultrasoft face seal

• Dual elastomer silicone skirt with “UltraSoft” faceseal for superior comfort and fit. • Optical quality “UltraClear” lenses. • Frameless design is simple, hydrodynamic and leak-free.

protect yourself from the elements

• Low volume yet extremely large viewing area. • Squeeze-to-adjust buckles. • Clear or black with color accents. • Folds flat to fit in a pocket or traveling.

www.liquidsports.co.uk

• 3 fit sizes: Standard, Medium and Large.

Atomic Aquatics Europe GmbH www.atomicaquatics.co.uk

SCUBAPRO MK25EVO/S620Ti | SRP: £585 The S600 was always one of Scubapro’s best-performing second stages, and now it has been reborn as the S620 Ti, which boasts an improved work of breathing in a smaller and lighter package. The second stage also has a corrosion-free titanium barrel inside the tough technopolymer case, and venturi and cracking resistance controls that have high-grip rubber co-molded into them. For this test is was paired with the proven MK25EVO flow-through piston first stage, which is fully insulated from the environment by the XTIS (Extended Thermal Insulating System) and has numerous design features to aid cold-water performance. Scubapro regulators have always faired well when put into group tests, and the S620 Ti/MK25EVO combo does not disappoint. The exclusive new mouthpiece is very comfortable, and the breathe is smooth and dry in all positions. The venturi control didn’t make a huge difference, but dial the cracking resistance control right down and you can almost stop the air flow. Good-looking but built to withstand diver abuse, a solid cold-water regulator.

VERDICT

Well-built, good-looking regulator with efficient controls, dry breathe and several neat design features. SCORE

••••••••••

& CR Testing We care for compressed air

W31 MARINER High Pressure Compressor Charging Rate: 105 or 140 lt/min Working Pressure: 225/310 bar Dimensions (CM): W44 L81 H52 Weight: 65 kg

Alkin and Aykom Compressor Distributors

C & R Testing Ltd

W32 CANOPY High Pressure Compressor Charging Rate: 180, 250 or 300 lt/min Working Pressure: 225/310 bar Dimensions (CM): W70 L100 H130 Weight: 280, 290 or 300 kg

Unit 1, Owenshaw Mills, Old Cawsey, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax HX6 2AF Telephone: +44 (0) 1422 410 466 | Email: info@candrtesting.co.uk | Website: www.candrtesting.co.uk Opening Times: Monday to Friday 9.00am-17.00pm | Saturday and Sunday - Closed

ZEAGLE F8 | SRP: £516 Zeagle have worked with Atomic Aquatics to produce a solidly constructed regulator. The F8 has an environmentally sealed balanced diaphragm first stage made from durable brass, and featuring a precision-machined neoflon seat. The second stage has a tough nylon case and has a seat-saving orifice, zirconium-plated inlet tube and heat sink for superior corrosion resistance, and a new inhalation diaphragm. The redesigned front cover and cracking resistance control use co-molded components that provide high levels of grip. Zeagle have long been producing top-quality BCDs and wings, and now they are making a strong push into the world of regulators after teaming up with Atomic Aquatics. The first stage of the F8 is a small but well-made unit, but the second stage, to be honest, doesn’t match up to its price point. The cracking resistance control is large and easy to use, as is the venturi lever, though neither made a vast difference. A major let down was the mouthpiece and exhaust combo, which all the test team found uncomfortable as it rested on your chin.

VERDICT

Overall decent reg, with a good breathe and chunky controls, but let down by the comfort of the mouthpiece and exhaust. SCORE

••••••••••

VERDICT

The water temperatures of 6 degrees C in the depths of Vivian Quarry were a good test of the top-end regulators in this review, especially as we pushed them to the limit by doing everything you shouldn’t do - rapidly breathing them on land prior to immersion, extended purges topside and underwater, hard breathing underwater in all positions, etc. We managed to get a couple to freeflow, but had to work hard to do it, and overall, they all provided decent and above performances. The Scuba Diver Choice award went to the Apeks MTX-R, for its

sublime breathe and robust build quality, and the Scuba Diver Best Value award went to the Mares Fusion 52X, which also did well.

RRP Â£745.00

@Typhoon_international

TyphoonInt

www.typhoon-int.co.uk

Long Term Test APEKS MTX-R The MTX-R is based on the MTX military regulator and is a super-tough, rugged, high-performance, go-anywhere regulator. The MTX-R has excellent cold-water performance and has a greatly reduced risk of freeflow - Apeks have achieved this by improving several areas, including their innovative endocarp solution that solves a long-challenged reality for cold-water divers of INFORMATION first stage freeze up. The Arrival date: December 2016 Suggested retail price: £529 MTX-R is highly reliable Number of dives: 5 and also very easy to Time in water: 4 hrs 15 mins service out in the field.

AQUALUNG REVEAL X1 The Reveal’s innovative features make this dive mask one of the most-comfortable and best-fitting on the market. Created after years of research and testing, the Reveal is a premium diving mask that delivers ultra-comfort and a perfect fit thanks to both a super-soft, top-quality crystal-clear silicone and an ergonomic skirt profile. The new buckles, attached directly to the silicone skirt, feature a single, quick-button release system and the mask is equipped with an innovative spherical silicone head band strap - all to help the diver create the perfect leak-free fit. The large operating button is easily activated, even with INFORMATION Arrival date: March 2017 thick gloves. Suggested retail price: £46 The Reveal is available in Number of dives: 0 single lens (Reveal X1) or twin Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins lens (Reveal X2) versions.

ZEAGLE HALO Zeagle have long been producing durable, hard-wearing BCDs and the Halo is their latest design. Created with the recreational diver looking for a fully featured BCD in min, it is made from a mix of 1000/1680/420 denier material, has a 16kg lift capacity (size large) and features seven stainless-steel D-rings, adjustable and depth-compensating cummerbund, trim pockets, plus Zeagle’s Ripcord weight system and the company’s lifetime warranty. As with all Zeagle BCDs, the power inflator easily INFORMATION Arrival date: January 2017 removes to enable you Suggested retail price: £567 to wash out the internal Number of dives: 0 bladder at pressure Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins using a garden hose.

RATIO iDIVE SPORT EASY The iDive Sport Easy is the entry-level model in the Ratio wristwatch range, but that doesn’t mean it is not richly packed with features, including three modes (air, nitrox - and that is two gas mixes - and free), 3D compass, air-integration with up to two transmitters, and a bright, vivid full matrix display. It also has a rechargeable battery, so you never need worry about your computer dying on a trip away again! Best of all, you get all this wrapped up in a neat and tidy looking package that will look INFORMATION good adorning your wrist Arrival date: March 2017 Suggested retail price: £375 on a day-to-day basis, Number of dives: 0 and it isn’t going to Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins break the bank either.

xDEEP NX ZEN The NX Zen is deliberately narrow so that it does not protrude from the side of your tank, bringing enhanced buoyancy control, reduced entanglement hazards and significantly reduced drag. It manages this by utilising the so-called ‘dead zone’ under the tank cambands and next to the cylinder. The revolutionary inflator design, first seen on the NX Ghost, sees the hose direct-welded into the top middle of the bladder, creating a leaner and smaller shape, and ensuring that when air is added, it is immediately distributed equally down both sides of the wing, leaving you in perfect trim. The NX series backplate has been designed with comfort and ease of use in mind - when the harness is unfastened, the shoulder straps are 20 percent longer than in a classic harness, making donning and doffing a simple matter. Tightening the buckle of the waist strap pulls the INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2017 shoulder straps snugly Suggested retail price: £535 down, perfectly tensionNumber of dives: 0 ing the harness fit to Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins your body.

SHEARWATER RESEARCH PERDIX AI The Perdix was well received when it was released to market, and the Perdix AI offers all the same great features - up to three nitrox mixes, trimix, closed-circuit rebreather and simple gauge mode - but uses the large, easy-to-read screen to clearly display the tank pressure as well as your gas time remaining (GTR). It can connect with up to two transmitters, making it ideal for side mount diving, and like the original Perdix, is powered by a single AA-cell battery, which will give up to 40 hours of life with the AI enabled, and has the same low-profile design (30 percent smaller in volume than the Petrel). Navigation is handled by two buttons, which are simple to activate even wearing thick neoprene gloves. The Perdix AI works with the same Pelagian transmitter supplied with Oceanic and Aqualung dive computers (approximately £258), meaning that if you already own an air-integrated computer from one of these INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2017 companies, Suggested retail price: £870 (comp only) you can use Number of dives: 0 your existing Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins transmitter.

DEEPBLU COSMIQ+ DeepBlu are the new contender on the dive computer battlefront, but they have an ace in the hole in that the Cosmiq+ Dive Companion syncs via Bluetooth with their mobile app, seamlessly bringing your dive logs, etc, into their social community. The Cosmiq+ has a clear high-contrast LCD screen which utilises EBTN pixel-less technology and is extremely bright, and the two buttons allow for simple, effortless navigation. The webbing strap is INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2017 comfortable and quick Suggested retail price: £230 and easy to adjust to fit Number of dives: 0 around your wet suited Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins or dry suited wrist.

ADVERTISING: Ross Arnold | ross.arnold@scubadivermag.com CYPRUS HTTC - POSEIDONIA MEDICAL CENTRE 47a Eleftherias Avenue, Aradippou, Larnaca, 7102, Cyprus T: +357-99-518837 E: operations@hbocyprus.com W: www.hbocyprus.com The only 24/7/365 Emergency Response EU Compliant Hyperbaric Facility in Cyprus. Preferred Provider for IDAN & NATO Forces. If in Doubt? SHOUT!

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PRO DIVE INTERNATIONAL

Head Office: Carretera Federal, Parcela 4 MZA 293 Lote 2 Local 5-6, Ejido Norte, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77712, Mexico T: +52 (1) 984 745 0763 E: info@prodiveinternational.com W: www.prodiveinternational.com World-class experiences: diving Bayahibe, Saona, Catalina Island, Cayo Levantado, Live-Aboard Silver Bank, located at 4-5* Resorts in Punta Cana & Bayahibe, PADI courses, Stay & Dive packages.

MICRONESIA ODYSSEY ADVENTURES Truk Lagoon

T: +1-904-346-3766 E: info@trukodyssey.com W: www.trukodyssey.com Live-aboard dive vessel in Truk Lagoon. Seven night trips, six days diving the lagoon’s WWII wrecks. Max. 16 guests in 9 staterooms, all ensuite.

MEXICO PRO DIVE INTERNATIONAL

Head Office: Carretera Federal, Parcela 4 MZA 293 Lote 2 Local 5-6, Ejido Norte, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, 77712, Mexico T: +52 (1) 984 745 0763 E: info@prodiveinternational.com W: www.prodiveinternational.com World-class diving: Cozumel, cenotes, bull sharks, Whaleshark & Sailfish safaris, Live-Aboards Socorro/ Guadalupe, located at 4-5* Resorts Riviera Maya & Cozumel, PADI CDC, Stay&Dive packages, FREE NITROX.

MALDIVES LILY BEACH RESORT & SPA

Huvahendhoo Island, South Ari Atoll, Maldives T: +960 668 0013 | E: lilybeach@prodivers.com W: www.prodivers.com/lily-beach-maldives Prodivers 5* PADI Dive-Centre. Whaleshark and Manta all year. Free Nitrox, Underwater Scooters and repeater discount available. House reef accessible from shore. 60 dive sites.

KUREDU PRODIVERS

Kuredu Island Resort, Lhaviyani Atoll, 07080, Maldives T: +9606620343 | E: info@prodivers.com W: www.prodivers.com Renowned PADI 5 star IDC center with on site decompression chamber. Multi lingual guides and instructors, more than 60 dive sites, scooters, rebreathers and nitrox-forfree!

MALTA MALTAQUA

Mosta Road, St Pauls Bay, SPB3114, Malta T: 0035621571111 | E: dive@maltaqua.com W: www.maltaqua.com A Multi agency centre providing training for BSAC, PADI, RAID, TDI & IANTD. Dive excursions or tank hire for qualified divers. Courses for complete beginners.

DIVE DEEP BLUE MALTA

9/11 Ananija street, Bugibba, St Paul’s Bay SPB 1320, Malta T: +356 21583946 E: Dive@divedeepblue.com W: www.divedeepblue.com Dive Deep Blue Malta. Operating 20 years. PADI, BSAC, SSI and TDI Center. Providing recreational, technical training, plus guided and independent diving services.

PHILIPPINES EVOLUTION

Bounty Beach, Malapascua Island, Daan Bantayan, Cebu, 6013, Philippines

Thresher Shark encounters. All PADI/TDI classes available, Tech/CCR Friendly.

BUCEO ANILAO BEACH & DIVE RESORT Anilao, Barangay San Teodoro, Mabini, Batangas, Philippines T: 0063 919 510 57 65 E: info@buceoanilao.com W: www.buceoanilao.com Cozy resort - sophisticated camera / video room - dedicated spotters - easy access from Manila Airport - Critters - Healthy Reefs - Biodiversity!

PORTULANO DIVE RESORT

Anilao North Side, Bauan, Batangas, Philippines T: +639175404257 E: inquire@portulano.com W: www.portulano.com A boutique dive resort in the more quiet, private side of Anilao. No commercialism here, just an authentic experience. Amazing critters, colorful dives at our doorstep.

SPAIN MANTA DIVING LANZAROTE

Calle Juan Carlos I, 6 Loc 5, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 35510, Spain T: (0034) 928516815 E: info@manta-diving-lanzarote.com W: www.manta-diving-lanzarote.com 5* PADI Dive Resort located 100m from the best diving in Lanzarote! We dive all over the island including the new dive site Museo Atlantico.

UNITED KINGDOM DEEP BLUE DIVE

55 Marden Road, Whitley Bay, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE26 2JW, UK T: 0191 253 6220 E: emmet@deepbluedive.com W: www.deepbluedive.com The UK’s number one diving equipment store with all the top brands, at competitive prices. Your one stop shop for diving equipment.

T: +63(0)917 631 2179 | E: info@evolution.com.ph

W: www.evolution.com.ph

Progressive Recreational and Technical Diving in the Philippines best all-round diving location. 4 dives/day including

LIST YOUR DIVE CENTRE HERE! List your dive centre for £25.00 per month

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MARKETPLACE

ADVERTISE HERE!

FOR AS LITTLE AS £100 PER MONTH. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GET IN TOUCH Diving Medicals Nottingham

Sport Diver medicals £55

HGV/PSV/taxi medicals £55

Occupational Health Medicals

HSE commercial diving medicals £120

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Discounts for students and large groups

For appointments call 0780 2850 084

or email: mclamp@doctors.org.uk

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Dr Des McCann Poole, Dorset

HSE Medicals PADI and Sport Diver Medicals BSAC Medical Referee HGV and PSV medicals Oil and Gas Medicals Mob 07970 627811 Landline 01202 708638 Email desmondfmccann@hotmail.com Majority completed within 72 hours. Same day may be available.

THE ZEN DIVER

Tom Peyton, Vice President of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures, is called ‘the Zen Diver’ by his wife, and here he offers some hints on how to use diving to create the ultimate ‘chill-out zone’ www.familydivers.com

THE MEDITATIVE POWER OF DIVING PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF KIDS SEA CAMP/FAMILY DIVERS

ur small group of family divers slowly descends into the blue water of Belize. The moment we look down, we see three eagle rays gliding underneath us at 15m. A sense of joy erupts in my heart. A sense of awe returns to my body as it floats in zero gravity, and the thought ‘All is right in the world’ floods my mind. My busy mind of scrambled ideas of what to do next is gone. Stress from a long and ardent business meeting carried over from days before magically disappears. I am experiencing the power of being in the moment. My wife and I like to call it ‘Ocean Yoga’. Diving helps me return to my appreciation of the beauty of our remarkable world. That beauty that surrounds us in our everyday life, but we are just too busy to see, too busy to catch because we are struggling through traffic, or mindlessly surfing the web, or losing track of time watching TV as the political theatre spins around the globe. We as a society love distractions, and we generally don’t choose healthy, creativity or nurturing moments as habit. We love the struggle. You cannot become a good diver if you are addicted to struggle. The power of the ocean currents will simply wear you out, and physically use up your precious air. The fine art of diving is to reconnect to a primal calling to live life in a more peaceful and flowing pace. Diving is flowing, mindful and calming much like meditation or yoga. Diving is the practice of reconnecting to the higher parts of ourselves we have lost in the business of daily living.

I have, after 17 years in the dive travel business, noticed this calming effect with our clients. We have noticed the reconnection to family, to the ocean and to others in an organic way - this connection creates an ease on-island while both in and out of the water during our vacation weeks. We have noticed high-power CEOs, stressed parents or kids with ADHD become calmer and tranquil the more they dive during the week. Just for a reality check, it does take a few dives for the repose to settle in, but normally after a few days, they surrender to the transformational serenity of ‘Ocean Yoga’. I personally have noticed the meditative power of diving with my own family. My wife with over 5,500 dives during her 27 years of diving is much happier and softer in and around the ocean. Her very busy business mind slows down. Her ‘Let’s get everything done’ pace just doesn’t work on-island, the ocean won’t let her. Diving is meditative. Although active meditation, it is still effective in bringing wholeness and connection to oneself. Numerous studies have shown people who meditate on a daily basis have lower blood pressure, handle stress better, sleep deeper and tend to be less reactive to their outside conditions. If you have ever meet a true island Divemaster, you will know exactly what I mean. Diving returns to this natural flow, one giant stride, one inhale and one exhale at a time. It really is that simple. By paying attention to your breath and slowing your body down, we feel it after a dive. So take the plunge with the whole family and learn the power of diving one breath, one bubble at a time. n

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Photo by Steve Jones

IT’S WHAT’S UNDERNEATH THAT COUNTS

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