Scuba Diver #52

Q&A: JOHN VOLANTHEN

THE MALDIVES

SILENT DIVING

WE CHAT TO THE CAVE DIVER AND EXPLORER ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK

STUART PHILPOTT DIVES AROUND KAGI AS HE ENDS HIS WHISTLESTOP TOUR

MARK EVANS GOES BUBBLEFREE ON THE HOLLIS PRISM II CLOSED-CIRCUIT REBREATHER

DUBAI

EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE WORLD’S DEEPEST POOL #52 | £1

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EDITOR’S NOTE DIVE DEEP INTO THE DUBAI DESERT

Times are changing, and to keep the magazine free, we’re asking dive stores to cover their own postage costs. If you enjoy reading the magazine, think about helping out your centre with a small donation to help cover their costs.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

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

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com

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MAGAZINE

CONTRIBUTORS

Stuart Philpott, Pete Mesley, Marcus Blatchford, Kevin Murphy, John Kendall

Having dived several times in the gigantic Ambassador Lagoon - the 11-million-litre aquarium that is home to more than 65,000 marine animals at the sprawling Atlantis resort complex in Dubai, I can concur that they know how to build stuff that is out of this world in this neck of the woods.

So it should perhaps come as no surprise that last month, the world’s deepest pool opened just outside Dubai. Deep Dive Dubai is the brainchild of the Crown Prince of Dubai, and divers lucky enough to venture inside can drop to depths of 60m! That’s 20m deeper than Y40 in Italy.

However, this is no ‘normal’ pool - instead, divers enter a post-apocalyptic world, and within the 14 million litres of water contained in Deep Dive Dubai, can find a ruined cityscape, complete with apartments, games room, library, parking garage complete with Mercedes cars and much more. It is more of an underwater theme park than a simple giant pool.

The Crown Prince drafted in the top guys from GUE to head up the Deep Dive Dubai operation, and we roped GUE instructor trainer John Kendall - who visited the site twice during construction - to take us behind the scenes, and do a Q&A with Jarrod Jablonski and Richard Lungren. Turn to page 16 to see more amazing images.

Also this month, we have a Q&A with Thai cave rescue hero John Volanthen, a dad-and-lad weekend in North Wales, a trydive on the Hollis Prism II rebreather, and the final leg of Stuart Philpott’s whistlestop tour around the Maldives.

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Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.

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Q&A: JOHN VOLANTHEN

THE MALDIVES

SILENT DIVING

WE CHAT TO THE CAVE DIVER AND EXPLORER ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK

STUART PHILPOTT DIVES AROUND KAGI AS HE ENDS HIS WHISTLESTOP TOUR

MARK EVANS GOES BUBBLEFREE ON THE HOLLIS PRISM II CLOSED-CIRCUIT REBREATHER

DUBAI

EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE WORLD’S DEEPEST POOL #52 | £1

8

AQUALUNG i330R

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: DEEP DIVE DUBAI

22/07/2021 14:44

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

8 News

16 Dubai

Healthy Seas and Ghost Diving do a monster clean-up in Ithaca, Aquanauts Grenada gets new owners, divers can now get environmentally certified with Green Fins, Diveshack goes to the Great Yorkshire Show, and Wally the walrus gets his own pontoon in the Scillies.

14 DAN Europe Medical Q&A

The team discuss hearing loss and tinnitus, and diving after an MRI scan.

48 Divers Alert Network

The DAN Europe team offer advice on scuba equipment care - drying and storing dive kit.

66 Wreck Hunter

Mike Haigh talks about underwater excavation the equivalent of ‘the dig’.

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The world’s deepest pool has officially opened in Dubai, and John Kendall was lucky enough to see it - and dive in it - during construction.

Here he tells us more about the ultimate underwater theme park, and chats to GUE’s Jarrod Jablonski and Richard Lundgren about their role in the facility.

24 Q&A with John Volanthen

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans chats to cave diving icon John Volanthen, and find out what initially drew him into cave diving, the challenges of some of his record-breaking cave dives, and what it was like to be involved in the world’s greatest dive rescue.

28 Underwater Photography

Following his last article on working the subject, Martyn Guess provides some insight into and also tips on photographing diving seabirds and fast-moving subjects in order to get the best out of the photographic opportunities we find underwater.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

32 The Maldives

56 What’s New

Stuart Philpott continues his whistlestop tour of three islands in the Maldives with Euro-Divers, moving on to Kagi for his third-and-final stop.

36 Wales

Dive instructor Kevin Murphy was desperate to get in the water for his first sea dive with newly qualified son Sam, but after efforts to get to Malta were thwarted by COVID restrictions, the siren lure of North Wales delivered the goods.

42 Hollis Prism II CCR

The Hollis Prism II closed-circuit rebreather has gained CE approval, and as it goes on sale across the UK, Mark Evans headed to NDAC for a trydive on the unit.

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans showcases the latest releases, including the limited-edition T25 regulator from Atomic Aquatics, the handy Magnetic Connector from Mares, Oceanic’s Duo and Discovery masks, and Viper 2 fins, Christopher Ward’s C63 Sealander Elite watch, and Scubapro’s X-Tek range.

58 Test Extra

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans rates and reviews the Aqualung i330R dive computer, and the Best Divers Aldebaron dive light.

50 TECHNICAL: Truk Lagoon Q&A

We have been showcasing the incredible photogrammetry from Truk Lagoon’s Project Baseline. Here we chat to Marcus Blatchford and Pete Mesley about the challenges of such an epic operation.

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

HEALTHY SEAS REMOVES

76 TONS OF DEBRIS FROM ITHACA

H

ealthy Seas has overseen a massive operation on the Greek island of Ithaca, in which a team of 45, including 20 divers, undertook an unprecedented clean-up removing 76 tons of debris from the sea, coastline, and four beaches.

After George Lilas, a local diver and passionate environmentalist, publicized photos of an abandoned fish farm wreaking environmental havoc on Ithaca, marine conservation organisation Healthy Seas mobilized all its forces, together with partners Ghost Diving and Enaleia, engaging volunteers, local authorities and sponsors that wanted to help restore the pristine beauty of the area. The project was kicked off on 8 June 2021, World Oceans Day, lasting until 16 June. It is worth mentioning that this was the biggest project in the history of the above organisations in terms of positive environmental impact and community involvement, delivering astounding results in a short amount of time.

The company that had gone bankrupt in 2012 had left behind fish farm cages and other equipment that polluted the

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area endangering the local community and marine life as well as maritime traffic. In September 2020, Ianos, a rare hurricanelike storm, caused the tons of industrial type of plastic pipes, fishing nets, nylon ropes, concrete blocks, plastic buoys, large rusty metal pieces and all kinds of waste to be carried away, later to be found floating on the surface of the sea, laying on the seabed and on the beaches.

“Thanks to the heroic efforts of the team and the support from our partners, we were able to accomplish the unfathomable, removing the abandoned fish farm piece-bypiece in just eight days,” says Veronika Mikos, Healthy Seas director.

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EMPEROR PRICING MEANS NO HIDDEN EXTRAS

Photo credit: Cor Kuyvenhoven and Imad Farhat – Ghost Diving and Veronika Mikos – Healthy Seas

“Locals were waiting for many years for someone to do something about this environmental catastrophe. We decided to take on an immense challenge, use our resources and expertise in order to help them,” says Mikos. “There is now a shocking difference when you look at the bay and you can’t help but be emotionally affected by it. This, together with the warm greetings we received from the locals, is our great reward.”

For eight days, 14 international volunteer technical divers from Ghost Diving worked to get rid of the rings, pipes and fishing nets while another team of surface volunteers tackled the beaches, some of which were knee deep in foam pellets that had through the years spilled out of the floats.

Local divers from Greece provided support to the clean-up operations, lifting smaller items from the seabed. Heavy metal structures that were found on the seabed were removed by commercial divers and a working barge. Overall, the team recovered five tons of fishing nets, 32 tons of metal, and 39 tons of plastic, including 150 bags full of polystyrene foam beads.

Besides the obvious and profound difference this project had on the natural environment, it is also a shining example of co-operation and community involvement. Healthy Seas hosted a public event at the main square to inform the locals about the project, while 75 children took part in educational activities aiming at raising awareness about the ghost fishing phenomenon.

It took six months of preparations to organize logistics as well as bring together partners, without whom, this project would not have been accomplished.

Sustainable fishing start-up Enaleia was the principal Greek partner of the project having a leading role in the co-ordination of the operations on the field.

Healthy Seas is a best practice example for the circular economy, where waste is a resource. The nets that were recovered will first be cleaned and sorted and transported to a collection point near Athens. Most of these are type nylon6 and will be regenerated by Aquafil, together with other nylon waste, into ECONYL yarn, the basis for many sustainable products such as socks, swimwear, activewear, accessories and carpets. Other types of ghost nets were also recovered from the area and will be handed to Bracenet to upcycle into handmade products. Enaleia will facilitate the integration of the remaining marine plastics and scrap metals into the circular economy. www.healthyseas.org

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AQUANAUTS GRENADA UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP Long-established dive centre Aquanauts Grenada is now under new ownership, with the Geer family from California taking over the reins from Peter and Gerlinde Seupel.

The Geers’ – father Tom, mother Tammy, son Tyler and daughter Tiffany – move to dive centre ownership has been a rollercoaster adventure. Tom and Tyler made their first foray into diving on Father’s Day 13 years ago, and what started out as a hobby rapidly became an obsession. The first inklings that this is what they wanted to spend the rest of their lives doing was now evident, and Tammy soon got her certification to be able to dive with them as well. Shortly afterwards Tiffany – who was away at university – got qualified as a diver too, while working on a coral restoration project in Nicaragua.

Now the entire family was hooked on diving, they started bouncing around ideas about what it would be like to own a dive centre. What began as chats around the dinner table rapidly progressed into a business plan, and they became more clear on their mission – ‘ocean engagement for a healthy planet’.

They came up with a name for their organisation, HydroSoul, and began actively looking for a ‘home’. The search started in the US, branched out to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, before island hopping across the Caribbean. In April 2020, Tom happened across Aquanauts Grenada, and as soon as the island reopened from COVID-19 restrictions, he and Tammy were on a plane to check it out. After spending a month in-island, Tom knew that HydroSoul had found its home.

Tyler and Tiffany were soon Grenada-bound to see it for themselves. The original plan was to stay for one month and then go back to the US to properly ‘move’, but due to COVID-19 – and as Tiffany says, ‘our love for the island’ – they never left.

The transition of change of ownership happened much quicker than anyone expected, but now the whole family is committed

to getting Aquanauts Grenada – and the island itself – back on the dive tourism map. Aquanauts Grenada will continue to provide PADI and SDI/TDI courses, but will also offer SSI and, in the future, GUE courses. Inclusivity is also very important for the Geers, with both Tom and Tyler being HSA instructors, and they aim to run adaptive programmes for those with accessibility issues. True Blue Bay Resort, where Aquanauts Grenada is based, has accessible rooms, and as it has the only dock access on the island, boarding the dive boats is simple as well.

Regular Aquanauts Grenada clientele will be pleased to see all the familiar faces in place among the staff. Paul Ward is now lead instructor, and he is busy training up Chrispin, Bruce and Myron to become instructors in the next few months.

They are also becoming boat captains. www.aquanautsgrenada.com Peter and Gerlinde Seupel German couple Peter and Gerlinde made Aquanauts Grenada into one of the most-popular dive centres in the entire Caribbean, with a high number of repeat clientele. They offered a sublime blend of recreational and technical diving, all delivered in a warm, welcoming and friendly environment.

Long-time friends of the Scuba Diver team, we wish them the very best for the future, although I can’t see them being the sort of people to retire by putting their feet up. I look forward to seeing what they come up with in the future!

DIVESHACK TAKES GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW BY STORM The Great Yorkshire Show is an annual event which attracts people from all over the country, and even with COVID-19 restrictions in place, some 26,000 visitors attended over the four-day show in July.

Harrogate-based dive centre DiveShack had a stand at the show, and by all accounts were inundated with people wanting to find out more about scuba diving.

DiveShack founder Tim Yarrow said: “The idea was to reach a demographic of complete newbies which you wouldn’t get at something like a traditional dive show. To be honest, we had zero expectations, but actually, we’ve made a great connection with new interest, and had a surprisingly high interaction from the typical ‘did my PADI ten years ago’ crowd, who are keen to get back involved.”

He continued: “There is a definite keenness in the public to get things going again and a bounce back will happen – it just needs patience. So all in all, a good try out. If we have another good two days, a conversion of 50 percent to a try dive at worst, with a 50 percent conversion of them to OW – job done.

“It will have been worthwhile and next year, we will be back – and COVID permitting, doing trydives like at the GO Diving Show. But maybe in a sponsored slurry tanker – it is an agricultural show, after all!”

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SCUBA DIVERS CAN NOW BECOME ENVIRONMENTALLY CERTIFIED THROUGH GREEN FINS The Reef-World Foundation – the international co-ordinator of Green Fins – has announced the launch of the new Green Fins Diver e-Course. This new online course is designed to help recreational divers protect coral reefs by learning how to conduct more environmentally friendly dives. Improving the behaviour of recreational divers is critical for the survival of coral reefs because an average of 70 percent of divers contact the reef while diving. What’s more, divers contact the reef an average of 5.79 times per dive and 36 percent of those who contacted the reef were unaware they did so. The cumulative impact is significant – over one million new divers are certified annually and ‘on-reef’ tourism is valued at USD $19 billion per year. If these millions of divers learn how to be more environmentally aware and have zero-impact dives, it would have a huge impact on the protection of our precious coral reefs for future generations.

Following 2019’s successful Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course, the Green Fins Diver e-Course now enables Reef-World to meet the demand for education about sustainable diving from recreational divers. The new course covers straightforward techniques such as best environmental practices from equipment care to underwater photography, above and below the water, which are proven to reduce the level of environmental damage associated with diving. The course provides divers with three online modules of easy-to-follow content followed by corresponding tests on an intuitive, user-friendly platform: • Module 1: an introduction to coral reef biology, global and local threats to the marine environment and the Green Fins approach.

• Module 2: management techniques above water, such as how to prepare and plan an environmentally friendly dive trip: from booking your trip at home to best practices on the boat and caring for your equipment post dive.

• Module 3: applying best diving practices below water on every dive, learning tips for diving with the least environmental impact and how to have longer marine life interactions as well as how to be an environmentally responsible underwater photographer. Finally, suggesting ways in which divers can use the best practices they have learned and contribute to citizen science projects.

There is a short test at the end of each module which diver must pass in order to finish the course. The course is available for £19 and, on completion, students will receive a personalised electronic certificate, which is valid for two years and can be displayed as a stamp of individual awareness. www.greenfins.net/green-fins-diver/

PURPOSE-BUILT PONTOON FOR WALLY THE WALRUS A purpose-built pontoon has now been constructed in the Isles of Scilly for wandering Wally the walrus. The huge animal is believed to have covered more than 4,000km during his European jaunt, spending time in Ireland, Wales, England, France and Spain, before rocking up in the Isles of Scilly in mid-June.

However, he has been causing chaos on the islands, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to boats, and even sinking some, as he sought to find somewhere to chill out and rest. To prevent more carnage and to give the animal somewhere to sleep in peace, a purpose-built pontoon has been created, with his scent to attract him away from boats and other areas.

This new plan was conceived by BDMLR, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust and the St Mary’s Harbour team, and a spokesperson for the groups said that the walrus had returned to the pontoon on a number of occasions after initially exploring it.

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SEIKO PARTNERS WITH PADI AWARE FOUNDATION Seiko Watch Corporation is partnering with the non-profit public charity PADI AWARE Foundation to support global ocean protection. As an official partner of PADI and PADI AWARE Foundation’s Marine Debris Programme, Seiko will join in the fight to rid the ocean of marine debris, which is a key element of PADI’s Blueprint for Ocean Action.

More than 250 million tons of plastic are estimated to enter into the ocean by 2025. The environmental damage caused by plastic debris alone is estimated at US$13 billion a year. Divers are often the first to witness human impact on the marine environment and are uniquely positioned to help report, remove and advocate the stop of marine debris at its source.

PADI AWARE Foundation’s flagship citizen-science programme, Dive Against Debris, empowers divers to remove and report marine debris in aquatic environments. This citizen-science movement to combat pollution has now created the largest global underwater marine debris database on the planet. With over 90 percent of marine debris sinking to the ocean floor, this programme fills a critical data gap to advocate change and work toward long-term solutions. To date, more than 70,000 divers have removed and reported over two million pieces of marine debris and aided over 10,000 entangled marine animals through the programme.

As a proud sponsor of the PADI AWARE Foundation marine debris programme, Seiko is demonstrating an organisational commitment to the global PADI dive community’s work to clean up and prevent marine debris.

“We applaud the Seiko group’s support and willingness to partner with the PADI AWARE Foundation in making a financial commitment to this important effort to clean and

protect the ocean,” says Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide and PADI AWARE Foundation Chairman of the Board. “It will take all of us working together on a unified front to make the sea change required to restore ocean health and create balance between humanity and the ocean for generations to come.”

Seiko’s support will help fund the PADI AWARE Community Grant Programme launching this year to provide much-needed financial resources to enable local ocean-protection initiatives hosted by PADI Dive Centres and Resorts. Seiko’s contributions will further marine debris campaign implementation in key countries that promote conservation measures at the local, national and international level. Additionally, Seiko proudly supports the partnership with the PADI AWARE Foundation by donating a portion of the proceeds from the Prospex Save the Ocean watch collection. www.padi.com/aware/marine-debris

ULTIMATE DIVER’S GUIDE READERS CHOICE AWARD The Ultimate Diver’s Guide annual is going to be the essential resource for divers of all levels when they are researching where to go diving in 2022 and beyond, packed full of hints and advice, and much more – and now you can be a part of it!

Scuba Diver magazine is launching the Readers Choice Awards, and the results will appear in the Ultimate Diver’s Guide. This is your opportunity to showcase your favourite dive operators, resorts, liveaboards and destinations – and you will also be in the running to win some goodies! What’s not to like? The Readers Choice Awards is split into three regions – Americas and Caribbean, which as the name suggests covers North, Central and South America, and the entire Caribbean; Europe, Middle East and Africa, which is again is pretty self-explanatory, and includes hotspots such as the Mediterranean and the Red Sea; and Maldives, Asia and Pacific, that covers everything from the Maldives east through Southeast Asia and Australia/New Zealand, and into the Pacific. www.scubadivermag.com/Readers-Choice-Award-2021

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IVORY BAN EXTENDS TO WHALES AND WALRUS

The UK government is proposing more-extensive legal protection for whales, walrus and hippos as it looks to crack down on ivory poaching. Ministers say that elephants are not the only animals under threat from the ivory trade, and want to extend the Ivory Act to include the other species – a move welcomed by conservationists. The Ivory Act will introduce a near-total ban on the import, export and dealing of items containing elephant ivory in the UK – but it has not yet become law. Now it is aimed to broaden the scope of the legislation, to cover hippos, killer whales, sperm whales, narwhals and walrus.

The consultation has three options – retain the ban on elephant-ivory only, extending the Act to hippo ivory as well, or extending it to all five species.

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GARETH LOCK ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL HUMAN FACTORS IN DIVING CONFERENCE Technical diver and human factors expert Gareth Lock has announced the inaugural Human Factors in Diving conference with world-leading speakers presenting on how applying human factors can improve diving safety, incident reporting and team performance.

The first event of its kind, the conference – which takes place virtually from 24-25 September – provides a unique opportunity to share the knowledge and skills to make diving safer, more effective and more enjoyable, by allowing divers and instructors to take more informed risks and reduce uncertainty.

The world-class speakers will be highlighting how they have created positive change, sometimes when faced with significant challenges and how attendees can be inspired to create change in their own diving, diving operations or diving community. There are 29 presenters in all over the two days, and notable names include Professor Simon Mitchell, Diane Chadwick-Jones from BP, Ashley Bugge, Laura Maroni from DAN Europe and Frauke Tillman from DAN. Topics will range from how novice divers can include HF tools and techniques in their diving, to how technical instructors can build HF into their training, to how bp changed their safety culture by looking differently at how adverse events occurred, to how healthcare has embraced human factors and how diving can learn from this.

As the Human Factors in Diving conference is a global first, it is expected that tickets will sell quickly, especially as there are only 300 available. The conference is aimed at all divers from beginner open water divers to cave and CCR divers to commercial and military divers. It is for divers who recognise that human factors are critical to greater enjoyment, better-informed risk-taking and increased safety whilst diving. www.hf-in-diving-conference.com

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To find out more, why not visit us for Aptitude Day? Experience a Surface Supplied Dive, view the Facilities and meet the Training Team Please visit the website for more details 2022 Course Dates available www.commercialdivertraining.co.uk info@commercialdivertraining.co.uk 01726 817128 | 07900 844141

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Ask DAN DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

Q: I have hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears the condition is most likely hereditary. I want to try scuba diving, but with these ear issues I am not sure I should.

Can I dive? Should I see a specialist first?

A: Whether someone with hearing loss and/or other hearing problems should dive is debated among professionals with relevant expertise. Some experts suggest that a person with pre-existing hearing problems should not dive. This opinion is based on the idea that all divers place their hearing at risk of various injuries. Most of these injuries are preventable, but risk still exists. People with hearing loss are not necessarily at greater risk of injury than others, but the outcome of an injury might have much greater repercussions (e.g., total deafness). Other experts believe that if a potential diver fully understands and accepts the risks, he or she can consider diving. The risk involved is not quantifiable. Call the DAN medical information line to learn more about the various ways ears can be injured in the dive environment. Speak with a knowledgeable local dive instructor who can help you make an objective risk-versus-benefit analysis and tell you the injury-mitigation strategies you would learn in dive training.

Finally, raise your concerns with your doctor or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. Please feel free to encourage the doctor to call DAN to discuss your situation.

Q: This morning I did an MRI scan with contrast and tomorrow I would like to dive; I would like to know if there are any contraindications.

A: Since approximately 24 hours will have passed from the MRI, you should have eliminated the contrast medium by then. Just to be sure, ask your radiologist specialist. In the event that their answer should leave you with further doubts, or if you have a major on-going pathological condition, a new medical visit will be necessary in order for you to be able to dive in complete safety.

Join DAN to get a number of benefits, including answers to all your diving-related medical questions: www.daneurope.org

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NE T ZE RO .

F I N D O UT M O R E AT F O UR T H E L E M E N T . C O M / O C E A N P O S I T I V E

The world’s deepest pool has officially opened in Dubai, and John Kendall was lucky enough to see it – and dive in it – during construction. Here he tells us more about the ultimate underwater theme park, and chats to GUE’s Jarrod Jablonski and Richard Lundgren about their role in the facility PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DEEP DIVE DUBAI

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Oddities include a telephone and bicycle

Deep Dive Dubai is absolutely immense

Football table in the arcade A line drops to the bottom of the 60m section for freedivers Freedivers can also dive Deep Dive Dubai Advanced filling station

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‘Tree roots’ run through the ruined cityscape

There are many areas to explore

Deep Dive Dubai is like an underwater theme park

All of these areas have been given a derelict appearance, with holes knocked through the walls, and ‘trees’ growing through everything. Don’t think of this place as a swimming pool, this is an underwater theme park - and it’s an incredible, unique experience

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n May of 2017, I got on a plane. This was not an unusual occurrence for me, as I regularly travelled all over the world to teach technical and cave diving classes.

Florida, Mexico, Mauritius, Malta, the list of great diving locations was long and varied. Dubai had never featured on my list, so this trip was something different.

Dubai, a city known for its extravagance and wealth, known for the tallest building in the world, known for its desert - it’s not thought of as a world-class destination for diving. Even the residents tend to travel an hour or two away to go diving.

So why was I going there? Before I answer that, let’s go a bit further back in time.

In 2015, world record cave explorer and diving pioneer Jarrod Jablonski had been approached by the Crown Prince of Dubai to head up a team tasked with building a world-class diving facility. Not just any kind of diving facility though, this was going to be the world’s deepest pool, with world-class technology and customer service. Prince Hamdan didn’t just want the world’s biggest or best pool though. He wanted the world’s best divers to design and run the facility, and that brought him to Jarrod Jablonski and Global Underwater Explorers.

The first inkling of this that I knew about was a fairly

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cryptic email from Jarrod looking for GUE instructors who would be interested in re-locating to Dubai for a minimum of two years, but that any further information would require non-disclosure agreements to be signed. It was not something that I could consider at that time, but a number of my good friends within GUE did disappear into the desert.

Skip forward a couple of years, and I’m on a plane to Dubai.

I was going to visit Richard Lundgren, my friend, mentor and diving partner on the Mars Expeditions, to see what he was up to. At the airport I jumped in a taxi with a location on my phone. This got me to a security hut in what looked like the middle of nowhere. This was actually the main entrance to Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex. This world-class sports facility houses some of the most-advanced sporting training facilities in the world. Elite sportsmen and women travel to NAS from around the globe for training purposes, as everything there is absolutely state of the art. At the security hut, I was met by a driver, and we cross loaded my luggage into a Nissan SUV and got driven into the complex. Passing by me were a number of amazing buildings in all manner of organic curves, separated by football pitches, polo pitches, golf courses and many other things. We turned left and the whole vista changed. I was now very definitely in a building site. There was scaffolding

19

WRECK HUNTERS

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As you all know, international COVID travel restrictions have impacted everyone. But the good news is the Wreck Hunters project can finally get underway for an extended season in 2022.

This is a unique opportunity to take part in the beginning of a diving archaeology programme on the Caribbean island of Utila. The focus will be getting to the heart of the story of a wreck called ‘The Oliver’, its rich history and the life of 18th Century mariners.

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Learn all the skills of undersea archaeology, from traditional to cutting edge techniques. If you’re a relatively experienced diver with skills or experience in drawing (artistic or technical), surveying, photography or in construction work this could be just what you’re looking for (See website for full details).

Project Director Mike Haigh will be on hand to explain the details of the course at the Go Diving Show 2022, March 4-6 at the NAEC, Stoneleigh, Kenilworth. Find us near the entrance.

So, if you think this project would help put a smile on your face, why not get in touch to find out more at

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everywhere, cement trucks, barricades and cranes. Asking myself ‘where am I’, I was led through a door (with a noentry sign on it) and down a corridor into an office. I was welcomed by Richard, waved to Jarrod through the window, and immediately got handed a ten-page NDA that I had to sign before I could go any further into the building. Once that was out of the way, Richard took me on a tour.

First we visited the hyperbaric facility. Yup, that’s right, Deep Dive Dubai has its very own, on-site hyperbaric facility.

And what a facility it is. A flat entry chamber that can seat ten people in luxurious comfort, while watching TV or movies.

All the facility staff were trained as hyperbaric technicians, and they have a hyperbaric doctor on staff as well as others on call. The hyperbaric facility in conjunction to the pool have been designed not just for safety, but for research. A team from DAN have already spent time in Dubai with the team, and I expect to see and hear more from them in future.

From the hyperbaric facility we took a lift down to the ‘front of house’ areas - when I visited in 2017, and again in early 2020, these were mostly bare concrete floors and walls, but you could already feel how the building would flow.

From here we visited the ‘dive base’ - the equipment store room was rack upon rack of Halcyon, Scubapro and Fourth Element equipment, all brand new, and mostly in boxes. I was taken to the gas filling room, and it was not just technologically amazing, but beautifully done. Dual compressors with nitrox membranes, as well as dual gas boosters for mixed gas meant that the facility could easily fill dozens of tanks simultaneously.

From here we went up in another lift and we were on the pool deck. At first this doesn’t look anything special. There is a curved roof above, and water below. It’s only when you get close to the edge of the pool that you realize quite how big the pool is. I got to the edge - which at the time was

Getting into a drysuit in an air-conditioned room, looking out of floor to ceiling windows at the desert is an interesting experience Freediver Nataliia Zharkova chilling in Deep Dive Dubai

Arcade games for divers

BOOK YOUR DIVE

A pool dive experience will cost around 1,200 Dirhams (about £240), including equipment and gas (technical packages are more expensive). There will be discounts for group bookings and repeat visitors. www.deepdivedubai.com barricaded with safety barriers - and had a sneaky look down.

And down, and down. The water is absolutely clear, and with the lights on, you can see all the way to the bottom. Which is a really, really, really, long way down.

I’ll take a moment here to talk a little bit about the water.

The pool filters are designed to filter the entire pool in about six hours. That’s 14 million litres of water every six hours! It’s also not cleaned using chlorine, instead the water is cleaned first using a volcanic rock filter, and then passes through an ozone system developed by NASA to remove any kind of bacteria, then finally it gets exposed to UV light. This makes the water as clean as it’s possible to be. The water is also chilled – yes, chilled - down to 30 degrees C. It has to be chilled as the average ground temperature around the pool is 42 degrees C! I could continue waxing lyrical about the marvels of engineering that have gone into creating the world’s deepest pool - 15m deeper than any other pool anywhere currently but I suspect that this is the wrong audience. You lot probably want to know about the diving.

A disclaimer here - I’ve dived in the pool, but on both of my trips to Dubai, the facility was still under construction and I was there as a guest of Jarrod and Richard, and so dived with them. I’ve not had the ‘Full Customer Experience’, so can’t comment personally on that, but I expect that, like the engineering, the customer experience will be first class.

Getting into a drysuit in an air-conditioned room, looking out of floor to ceiling windows at the desert is an interesting experience. Getting into a drysuit with simply a Fourth Element J2 base layer underneath it is also an interesting experience, being much more used to wearing thick Thinuslate undergarments. Strapping my rebreather on and getting into the pool felt

21

You will need several dives to fully explore

Filling tanks

odd - the air temperature is actually kept slightly cooler than the water, so we warm up as we walk down the gentle slope to the entry area. From here we did our checks and swam out over the pit.

Looking down you can see the bottom at 60.2m, as well as the multiple shallow levels of the sunken cityscape. Yup, that’s right, the pool is designed around the concept of a post-apocalyptic world, so you will see all manner of interesting objects and environments. Many of the areas shallower than 40m have rooms, corridors and features that you can swim into and through, moving from a games room with arcade machines and a pool table into a parking garage with Mercedes cars, up through a living room with sofas and a TV. All of these areas have been given a derelict appearance, with holes knocked through the walls, and ‘trees’ growing through everything. Don’t think of this place as a swimming pool, this is an underwater theme park and it’s an incredible, unique experience.

All the time you are swimming around, you’re being watched by the 56 HD remote cameras fitted into the pool, both for safety and to get a record of your experience. The dive safety station has the ability to talk to the divers via underwater speakers mounted throughout the pool. There are also two habitat areas, these are basically air bells, that allow divers to surface and talk while still at depth, and are big enough to be able to fully get out of the water. This is not just a neat thing to try, but an important safety element for divers doing dives to the deeper portions of the pool, as were there to be an oxygen toxicity or decompression issue while underwater, a diver can be taken to a habitat and stabilized.

Talking about safety, all divers in the pool will be using Nitrox 32 for dives shallower than 30m and anyone wishing to go deeper must use Trimix - the facility has instructors on staff for anyone wanting to extend their limits able to teach the full range of GUE and PADI classes. First-time visitors have to dive with one of the guides, but once they are happy then returning visitors will not need to.

Graffiti covers the walls of the cityscape

But this is not just a location for scuba divers. Non-divers can go and learn to dive, but it’s also a hub for freediving. The facility has already had many of the world’s best freedivers visit, train and help develop the freediving at Deep Dive Dubai.

There are a number of freediving lines installed, including one all the way to the bottom. There are also snorkelling tours available. Floating midwater I turned to look up, and could see up the shaft, past the city all the way to the roof of the pool building - everything felt very calm. It was amazing to be in such a big place with just two other divers in the water, and I could imagine how much of special experience it would be once the facility was open. The pool was officially awarded the Guiness World Record for the Deepest Pool on 29 June 2021, and opened on 7 July 2021. n

Inide the library

DEEP DIVE DUBAI Q&A

John Kendall spoke to Jarrod Jablonski and Richard Lungren about the challenges involved with operating Deep Dive Dubai - check out the Q&A on the website: www.scubadivermag.com/ deepdivedubai 22

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Q&A: JOHN VOLANTHEN We talk to cave diving icon John Volanthen, and find out what initially drew him into cave diving, the challenges of some of his record-breaking cave dives, and what it was like to be involved in the world’s greatest dive rescue PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF JASON BROWN / BARDO CREATIVE

Q: As we normally do with these Q&As, how did you first get into diving, or in your case, cave diving?

A: I started caving as a boy in the scouts at the age of 14. On one particular trip in the Mendip Hills, we reached sump two in a cave called Swildons Hole. The trip leader made a point of describing how difficult it would be to pass this 20-footlong flooded section of cave. He described it as ‘virtually impossible’. I decided there and then that I would return to continue through that sump. It took just over ten years, but that moment sparked my interest in cave diving. I simply couldn’t see a reason ‘why not’.

Q: Cave diving is considered one of the most-dangerous forms of diving. What is it about cave diving that continually draws you back?

A: The reputation cave diving has is perhaps derived from the large number of accidents that occurred to untrained open water divers in Florida in years gone by. Thankfully training and equipment have been vastly improved Although diving in any overhead environment still commands significant respect.

I don’t see cave diving as an adrenaline sport, in fact, if you are feeling adrenaline at any moment during a dive, you are doing something very wrong. Accepting the unforgiving nature of the environment, then working to minimize the danger is something I enjoy.

I’m a caver first, I’m interested in the cave passage and the challenge of exploration. Every cave is different, it presents different challenges and requires a different approach. I enjoy working out the logistics required, building whatever equipment is needed and then actually executing the plan.

I also enjoy the combination of the physical challenge of getting to the water, and the mental challenge of trying to understand the cave and progress.

Inside the Thai cave

In the midst of the Thai cave rescue

Q: You, along with a select few others, are the go-to people when it comes to cave rescues. What is it like when you first get that call?

A: I try to first understand exactly what the problem is and what is being asked of me. Then I try to take measured actions that are appropriate to the situation, without closing off options. Emotionally, I may want to jump in the car, and just ‘do’ something, but it may be much more appropriate to solve a problem in another way. Feeling responsible, and trying to make good balanced decisions, knowing that the clock is ticking is never easy. Operating as a team gives the opportunity to bounce ideas around and sanity check the actions we’re taking.

Q: Talking of cave rescues, we inevitably come on to the Thai cave incident. What was it like being thrust into the limelight of the international media while trying to deal with first, finding the group, and then two, working out how to safely extricate them?

A: In Thailand, we ignored the media, with good reason. Our job was to focus on the diving, and subsequently the rescue.

I don’t think I quite realised how much the story gripped the world until my return to the UK.

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Outside the Thai cave

John on stage with his fellow rescuers at Eurotek

I tried to take the problem one step at a time, the real issues we had initially were the poor weather, high water levels in the cave, and a difficulty in establishing ourselves on site, and obtaining the support and materials we needed. Unusually, the rescue became very much more an effort in team building and persuasion than expected.

Q: Your new book, Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives, focuses on the Thai cave rescue.

What was it like trying to capture everything that went on at the time in print form?

A: The book provides the inside track on the rescue, and also gives an insight into much of my cave diving career. I wanted to write a book that gives the reader a chance to experience exactly what some of those moments felt like. Books about cave diving can often feel a bit empty. Explorers often play down events and how they felt. I’ve tried to offer an honest, warts and all description, but explain how I overcame the challenges I faced.

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I’m a caver first, I’m interested in the cave passage and the challenge of exploration. Every cave is different, it presents different challenges and requires a different approach 25

Q: As the title suggests, your book – as well as being an enthralling read about the Thai incident itself – is very much an educational experience, tying in life lessons gleaned from previous cave dives, rescues and exploratory dives that aided you on this particular mission, but which can also be applied to everyday life.

How did you come up with this approach for writing the book?

A: Having delivered a number of workshops on leadership and problem solving under pressure, people often spoke to me afterwards, suggesting next time they were in a tight spot, they would ask themselves ‘What would John do? ‘. As well as providing the inside story of the Thai cave rescue, offering those lessons to the reader as part of a story that demonstrates their use seemed a natural thing to do.

The Thai rescue was global news

THIRTEEN LESSONS THAT SAVED THIRTEEN LIVES

BY JOHN VOLANTHEN Books about the Thai cave rescue are like buses – you wait an age for a cracking one to come along, then two arrive on the scene at the same time!

Hot on the heels of Rick Stanton’s Aquanaut – reviewed in last month’s issue – comes Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives by John Volanthen (with the assistance of Matt Allen).

Like Stanton’s, this book makes for enthralling reading, and I defy you to be able to put it down once you have started it until you reach the final pages. John took a slightly different tack to Rick, and this book focuses on the Thai cave rescue, from the moments the cave-diving gurus received the call for assistance, through the trials and tribulations of dealing with red tape, bureaucracy and in some cases resistance to their presence in Thailand, to the moment they found the children – and then the challenges of working out exactly how they were going to get them out of their predicament.

However, interspersed between the different elements of the Thai drama, John also uses each chapter to impart an important life lesson that he had learned from his previous underground rescues and some of this record-breaking cave exploits. While we are not going to be saving Thai children from a flooded cave system, John explains how his methodical approach can be applied and used to tackle everyday issues, whoever you are.

Like Rick, John doesn’t shy away from saying what he thinks, and it is clear there were certain members of the cave diving fraternity who came to assist with the operation who were not held in the highest regard by the British cavers.

Like Aquanaut: A Life Beneath the Surface, Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives has only reinforced my belief that cave diving is most definitely NOT for me, but it is essential reading and should be on every diver’s bookshelf.

Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives is available now in hardback, priced £20.

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Inside the Thai cave during the rescue

The rescue was a group effort

The book provides the inside track on the rescue, and also gives an insight into much of my cave diving career Q: Hollywood, as expected, is making a movie about the rescue of the Wild Boars – what do you think about having movie star Colin Farrell playing yourself? Have you been roped in to assist with the production in any way?

A: I’d not heard of Colin until I heard he was due to play me.

I’ve since got to know him through zoom and WhatsApp. He has been amazingly diligent in his efforts to ‘get into character’, going as far as taking up running during the filming, and ultimately completing the Brisbane Marathon. It’s quite odd teaching someone to ‘be’ you.

Q: What is your most-memorable diving experience?

A: I will always be a caver at heart, consequently my best diving memories are multi-sump caves where it’s necessary to alternate between being a diver and caver. Exploring the end of the Font Del Truffe in the Lot, France must rate highly.

While most only venture a few sumps in, after over two kilometers of diving and some interesting caving along the way, you are really out on a limb.

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

A: I’m not sure I have a worst diving memory, but if I had to choose, it would certainly be in that vast, dangerous, salty, wobbly thing called the sea, where there is no nice roof above your head to catch you in the event of a rapid ascent.

Q: As well as further promotion for your book, what does the future hold for John Volanthen?

A: Lots of diving and running, plus work to pay the bills. Cave exploration abroad has been curtailed somewhat due to the pandemic, but I have the odd project on the go in the UK, and the bigger dives abroad aren’t going away anytime soon. n

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY DIVING SEABIRDS AND FAST-MOVING SUBJECTS Following his last article on working the subject, Martyn Guess provides some insight into and also tips on photographing diving seabirds and fast-moving subjects in order to get the best out of the photographic opportunities we find underwater PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS

I

n these travel-restricted times, we are having to make the most of the diving opportunities available to us and for the majority, this means on our doorsteps. I recently travelled to South-East Scotland to get into the water with diving seabirds.

This spectacle happens all around the world, so I recommend you check out locally where you can witness this amazing action. In my case I travelled to the Berwickshire Marine Reserve around St Abbs and Eyemouth in the Scottish borders. Each year in June and July, there are thousands of guillemots nesting precariously on the narrow cliff ledges.

These birds spend the majority of their lives out at sea and only come into shore to breed. They dive underwater to find fish and sand eels to feed their ever-hungry young chicks and it was this phenomenon which I wanted to record. Whatever breed the birds are when and where you go, you will be sure to experience fast-moving and adrenalin-pumping action.

Once we found the specific area under the cliffs where there were the most diving birds, we carefully and slowly got into the water and got under the surface quickly so as not to spook them. Once submerged I swam slowly towards the cliffs and suddenly at about 9m-10m depth was joined on my dive by birds swimming/flying past me in every direction. It is amazing to witness this as the birds are not at all fazed by us humans being close to them, as they hunt for whatever prey they are looking for. I watched for a while and then started to think about how I was going to capture this extraordinary behaviour.

The photography is not easy as the birds are erratic and change direction very quickly and are also very fast. There are a number of different things to think about and while I will talk specifically about the guillemots, the basics are the same for other birds or fast-moving fish and larger subjects like sharks and dolphins, and also feeding frenzies underwater.

Best of Manado

Image 1. Close up of guillemot flying through the water

Firstly, think about the type of images you want to record.

Close ups of the subjects showing them clearly, facial features, eye contact, wing positions, etc (image 1) or larger scenic shots recording a true-to-life image of the scene in front of you (image 2). In truth you probably need to take both types of shots to create a nicely balanced and pleasing portfolio.

As you will be relatively shallow it is important to think about the relative position of the subjects against the surface, the sun and also the depths below you. As the birds move so quickly and erratically it is easy to track one and end up shooting straight towards the surface, where it is easy to burn

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Image 3. Eye contact – strobe lit

Image 2. Flying frenzy wide angle

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Please contact the Scuba Travel team or check out their website for details of planned trips this year as we hopefully come out of Lockdown. www.scubatravel.com out the top part of the frame. Or end up shooting down into the much-darker sea background below you, where it is easy to end up with dark, underexposed images. If you can organize yourself, it is worth spending time on a specific type of shot, say close-ups at eye level, and then change settings again say for surface shots.

Having interrogated a few people before I went on the trip, I concluded that a wide-angle zoom lens would give me the most flexibility and the chance to get close ups as well as scenic images. In my case, as I use a full-frame DLSR, with limited zoom rectilinear lens options, I chose to use the Nauticam Wide-angle Corrector port. I think a fisheye lens would give you too wide a view and alter perspective of birds closer to you. For cropped sensors, the Tokina 10-17mm is a good option or with mirrorless cameras a mid-range zoom would work well. Compact cameras with their zoom range certainly give the flexibility required.

With the lens set to a mid-wide position at first, I quickly found that it is impossible to get close and also see the subject through the viewfinder. Virtually all of the shots I took were by using the camera at chest height so that I could watch the birds over the camera and shoot at the same time.

You do end up with a lot of images with the birds not quite

BIOGRAPHY MARTYN GUESS

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

where you want them in the frame, but with a bit of practice you soon get the subject pretty central (image3) or this can be dealt with in post-processing cropping.

I also moved the camera with the birds as they flew past to swing through them. I was often shooting against just a sea background so fast swinging or panning of the camera helped with sharp images, although it is important to use a fast shutter speed. When taking wider angle images of a scene rather than specific birds, it is much easier to shoot through the viewfinder.

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Image 4. Diving from the surface – adds context

With the lens set to a mid-wide position at first, I quickly found that it is impossible to get close and also see the subject through the viewfinder

Image 5. Sun rays and surface add context

I chose to use strobe lighting for the tighter images although you do need to be close to the subjects to get the light on them. I found that setting the camera up for multiple shutter release and low power on my strobes allowed me to keep shooting as I panned through the shot.

I tried both auto ISO and manual selection and found that auto helped for the darker backgrounds but not too well for shots shooting up towards the surface. Apertures were set to give a good depth of field – around F11 in my case, although

I changed this around depending on the background light levels, given that the fast shutter speed is necessary to capture the fast-moving birds.

When I started to process the images after the trip, the images with the under surface showing or with sun rays, added quite a bit of context and interest and were probably my favorite type of shot for this subject (Images 4 and 5). It was easy to get the exposure right, by taking my time and then find a subject close by to put in the frame. You will be spoilt for choice – trust me! As the birds speed down from the surface, they leave a small trail of bubbles which adds to the interest and context. The close-up images show the birds nicely but unless there was say a jellyfish or another bird in the shot, it is difficult sometimes to determine whether the bird is actually underwater, which of course is the reason I was photographing them. I guess that being able to get close in mid-flight is something that you can’t do on dry land, so definitely worth having close-up images in your portfolio.

I have used similar settings, techniques and lens choices for shooting spinner dolphins in the Red Sea, where you tend to be snorkeling with strong sunlight. When shooting bait balls and also sharks, the chest high camera position together with panning is a great technique to use. I recommend finding out if you can easily access similar bird action close to where you live – it is definitely worth the effort. n

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in the Maldives Stuart Philpott continues his whistlestop tour of three islands in the Maldives with Euro-Divers, moving on to Kagi for his third-and-final stop PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT

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T

o round off my whistle-stop tour, Euro-Divers (www. euro-divers.com) had arranged a visit to Kagi - a brand-new five-star resort located 54km from Velana international airport in the Northern Malé atoll. Kagi opened for business in November 2020 and was Crown and Champa’s latest offering.

Altogether, they own more than ten properties ranging from 3.5 star to uber-luxury located in the South Ari and Northern Malé atolls.

Kagi offers 50 luxurious rooms varying from beach and lagoon villas to water villas, all with private plunge pools. Other on-site facilities include several top-notch restaurants and bars, a massive over-water spa complex, a (non-motorised) watersports centre and the all-important dive centre. Note that all guests have to be 12 or over, and minimum stay is three nights.

There are two transfer options.

Guests can either take a 60-minute speedboat ride or a 15-minute seaplane flight. Personally, I think it’s easier to exit airport arrivals, walk across the road and jump onto a speedboat rather than take a bus over to the seaplane terminal and then wait for another flight, but I guess we all have different priorities.

I was sad to be leaving Meeru Island resort. The Euro-Divers staff had really looked after me and the local dive sites had

offered plenty of exciting picture opportunities. But the thought of spending my last few days at a luxury five-star resort being seriously pampered did sound attractive. One of the waiters on Meeru said that before the resort was built, Kagi had been the perfect Robinson Crusoe Island complete with swaying palms and white sandy beach popular for snorkelling trips and romantic beachside picnics. When I arrived at the jetty, I could see there had been quite a few changes.

After checking in I was given a tour of the island, which didn’t take very long. Kagi is small - it only takes about ten minutes to walk around the entire island. It’s basically spherical shaped, fringed by white sandy beach, with two rows of water villas protruding out to sea, both of which converge next to the main bar and restaurant complex complete with infinity pool. Although the island had been extremely busy over the Christmas period, it was very quiet during my stay with no more than ten other guests visiting from Canada, Dubai, UK and Germany. My main mission was to check out the dive centre and the dive sites and, with limited time available, I didn’t get a chance to test out the spa and wellness centre, but from what I heard, everybody was extremely impressed with the facilities, especially the state-of-the-art gym and daily yoga sessions.

The turtle swam directly at me and looked straight into my mask. A few moments later it decided to sit on my head. Saeed was laughing through his regulator!

SCAN ME

TO START YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE!

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Lionfish hunting on the reef

Maldivian Saeed Mohamed ran the dive centre. He had worked with Euro-Divers for more than 30 years at numerous landbased and liveaboard operations. Kagi offers 32 dive sites of which 15 are regularly dived, all within 15 minutes to an hour boat journey. Saeed said the shark and turtle dives were the most popular. Cylinders are normally 11-litre aluminium, but 12-litre and 15-litre are available on request. Meeru resort is only 45 minutes boat ride away, so it’s easy to get extra staff or equipment when necessary. Saeed also offered the full range of PADI training courses.

I immediately hit it off with Saeed. He knew all of the dive sites extremely well and could read the conditions perfectly.

Our first dive site was called Makandu Garden. Saeed said this was a popular snorkelling and diving site for hawksbill turtles. There was one other boat at the site when we arrived, with about a dozen snorkellers aboard, but no other divers. I followed Saeed around the reef at a depth of no more than 10m. The top of the reef was much shallower. I could see the snorkellers swimming after a large shoal of blue tangs.

Visibility must have been around 20-25 metres.

There seemed to be a lot of green algae covering the corals, maybe this attracted the turtles? After a few minutes I caught sight of a hawksbill obliviously nibbling away on the corals. I managed to get close enough for a wide-angle picture and then the most-bizarre thing happened. The turtle swam directly at me and looked straight into my mask. A few moments later it decided to sit on my head. Saeed was laughing through his regulator! The turtle just wouldn’t leave me alone. I spent the next 15 minutes ‘dancing’ with the turtle. It was totally non-aggressive, just curious. We carried on around the reef and saw another four or five hawksbills and again they were just as friendly. I really do recommend this site for close encounters!

Saeed was eager to show me Kagi’s house reef. The instructors at both Vilamendhoo and Meeru Island resorts had said this was one of the best snorkelling and diving sites in the North Malé atoll, offering plenty of marine life sightings.

We jumped off the jetty and headed around the island in a

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I caught sight of a huge stingray lying flat on the bottom.

I dug my fins into the sand to slow myself down, but I was still being dragged along

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clockwise direction. Unfortunately, the visibility was not the best, probably a milky five to ten metres on the day. We stayed at a shallow depth of around 6-10m. I noticed the hard corals were in really good condition. There were plenty of reef fish darting around, including triggerfish, barracuda, parrotfish, snapper, sweetlips and grouper and then to my surprise, I caught sight of a manta ray. It just appeared out of nowhere, stayed for a few seconds and then headed off around the reef wall. Saeed said that other guests had mentioned seeing a manta while they were snorkelling, so maybe Kagi has its own resident population? It’s a shame I didn’t have time to go back the following day and check out this theory.

Saeed had promised me nurse sharks and after a barren five minutes we found one, then another and so on until we reached a tally of seven for the whole dive. Unfortunately, most of them were wedged underneath the reef with just a tail sticking out, so not so good for pictures. We came across one monster four-metre-plus individual which was the biggest I have ever seen. An hour and 15 minutes later, we surfaced between the two water villa jetties. This had definitely been one of the best house reef dives I had experienced in the Maldives.

Normally if there is an ‘in’ current on one side of the atoll, there will be an ‘out’ current on the opposite side. But during my visit the currents were behaving strangely and we had two ‘in’ currents. This meant visibility was not so good and the current at most of the best sites was moving at a very rapid pace. We started off the day at Blue Canyon.

Saeed had warned it would be a negative entry descent, so I finned downwards as fast as I could while clearing me ears just as quickly. We finned against the ripping current and managed to duck under an overhang where there were a few sweetlips and a pufferfish also sheltering with us.

There was no way we could stay stationary at the site and take pictures so, after 20 minutes, we canned the dive.

Plunge pool at a villa

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The Euro-divers Kagi dive team

At Saeed’s favourite dive site, Finger Point, conditions turned out to be just the same. We did another negative entry and quickly finned down towards the seabed. I saw a squadron of eagle rays above and was in two minds whether to change direction and head up towards the rays. If I had the current would have swept me away from the site, so I decided to carry on downwards. There were a number of whitetip reef sharks patrolling the reef but alas the eagle rays had gone. We drifted off the point but the marine life activity significantly reduced so I turned around and headed back into the current.

We encountered shoals of sweetlips and snapper and a fleeting glimpse of a hawksbill, but too far away for a picture.

Saeed was trying his best to find me a site without any current. We dropped in at Belt Reef and although there was very little current to contend with, the water had a distinctive shade of green and looked quite murky. We finned along the vertiginous wall at a depth of between 15-20m. Under the overhangs there were huge pockets of glassfish with lionfish, mouths wide open, gorging on the feed. I looked out into the blue/green yonder but didn’t see any passing sharks or rays.

As a last-ditch attempt, we headed over to a site called KKK, which was located just a couple of km away from Kagi.

The idea was to ‘drift’ along the reef and see what marine life we could find. When we got to the seabed the current was running like a steam train. I caught sight of a huge stingray lying flat on the bottom. I dug my fins into the sand to slow myself down, but I was still being dragged along. I grabbed a rock to get a shot of some colourful soft corals and my regulator started to freeflow. We were absolutely flying.

We passed sharks and barracuda in a blur. I think they were shocked to see us moving so quickly! We travelled more than a kilometre in 20 minutes before the current eased off.

I think it’s hard pushed to beat the Maldives as the perfect diving holiday destination. The standard of accommodation and food is usually top rate and the dive sites and marine life sightings always deliver. Euro-Divers had chosen three very different resorts for me to visit. Vilamendhoo was the perfect choice for divers, Meeru a good all-rounder and Kagi best suited for some luxury pampering. Out of the three resorts I visited, I do have a personal favourite, but I’m not going to kiss and tell - you’ll just have to visit all three yourself and come up with your own conclusion! n

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LAD AND DAD first sea dive

Dive instructor Kevin Murphy was desperate to get in the water for his first sea dive with newly qualified son Sam, but after efforts to get to Malta were thwarted by COVID restrictions, the siren lure of North Wales delivered the goods PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN MURPHY

The tides were coming on to neaps, the water was a tropical 14 degrees C and visibility was easily ten metres or more

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Sam also went out on a RIB

M

y first sea dive with my son Sam had been a long time coming! Sam qualified as a RAID Junior Open Water Diver in August 2020 on a trip to Malta, and four travel vouchers later, it looked like our August 2021 trip was about to be cancelled due to COVID restrictions (Malta requires anyone over 12 to have both vaccination jabs, but in the UK, we are not currently offering vaccinations to anyone under the age of 18). So, with the UK basking in Mediterranean-like weather at the end of July, I decided to look closer to home for our first dad and lad dive outing in the sea.

With my dive centre Severntec Diving being based near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, my nearest coastline lies over the border in North Wales, and after assessing the tidal and wind conditions, I opted for one of my regular training sites – Porth Ysgaden, on the Llyn Peninsula.

Arriving on site, we were greeted with flat-calm seas and blue, cloudless skies – the perfect recipe for some top-quality UK diving. The tides were coming on to neaps, the water was a tropical 14 degrees C and visibility was easily ten metres or more. The life in the sheltered bay was awesome as usual – tompot blennies, schools of sea bass, edible crabs, lobster, wrasse, pollock, and much more.

The best part about diving in Ysgaden is we didn’t get below 5m, which meant that the light was phenomenal and we managed two 45-minute dives. Sam also got a trip out in a RIB, and even took the wheel for a run, and we had the most amazing view from our roof-top truck tent. This is what British diving is all about! Now Sam is acclimatised to UK waters, next on the agenda is a trip over to Otter Watersports followed by a RAID drysuit course.

Severntec Diving will be running more trips to Porth Ysgaden, and other locations around North Wales and beyond, in the coming months, so keep an eye on the events page on our Facebook group, or check out the website: www.severntecdiving.com

Sam ready to put up the roof tent

Sam ready to dive

WE’RE ALL DIVERS

The weekend turned into a bit of an impromptu multiagency diving session. Also at Ysgaden enjoying the tranquil conditions were BSAC divers from the Wirral and Chester, and on the Sunday we met members of Bangor and Liverpool universities. I even got chance for a catch-up with Jake from Seasearch North Wales. It was great to see the camaraderie displayed over the weekend, regardless of what training agency the divers belonged to. There were even freedivers on site, and one of them recognised me from the GO Diving Show, where he had done a sidemount trydive with me! The diving world is a small place…

It was great to see the camaraderie displayed over the weekend, regardless of what training agency the divers belonged to 37

Kevin showing off the buoyancy characteristics of one of his cylinders

Kevin in a sidemount rig

Cylinder handling drills

In instructor mode Kevin in Maltese waters

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SIDEMOUNT TRYDIVES AT GO DIVING ROADSHOW

On Friday evening, there will also be a BBQ and the chance to hang out and chat with the exhibitors, speakers and your fellow divers

Want to try sidemount diving? A limited number of trydive sessions will be available at the GO Diving Roadshow at NDAC on Friday 17 September and Saturday 18 September.

Kevin Murphy will be again leading the trydives, as he has done at the last two GO Diving Shows in Coventry, only this time rather than a pool, you will be sampling the waters of NDAC, which has plenty of sunken attractions to see even in the first 10-15m. As well as the sidemount trydives, there is the opportunity to join tech guru Mark Powell on skill development sessions, take part in underwater photography workshops with Paul ‘Duxy’ Duxfield and Phil and Anne Medcalf, and wander around a whole host of exhibitors, including Fourth Element, PADI, O’Three, Santi Diving, Kent Tooling, Shearwater Research, British Virgin Islands, Roots Red Sea, Scubapro and NammuTech.

The event is hosted by adventurer, author and TV presenter Andy Torbet, and he will be speaking on both the Friday and Saturday evenings. Cave and deep diver Phil Short and TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff will also be presenting on Friday evening.

Diving is all about the social scene – which has been stifled due to COVID-19 - so on Friday evening, there will also be a BBQ and the chance to hang out and chat with the exhibitors, speakers and your fellow divers.

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and if you want to do a trydive – make sure you register, as there are only six spots available both days. Once they are gone, they’re gone. www.godivingshow.com/go-diving-road-show Ready to dive in sidemount

Conducting a sidemount trydive Instructing at NDAC

ROAD SHOW SEPTEMBER 17-18 NDAC CHEPSTOW

Individual divers, buddy pairs and clubs are invited to what promises to be the ultimate dive festival in 2021!

With the main GO Diving Show being postponed until 4-6 March 2022, the team behind the premier diving event in the UK calendar decided the nation’s diving fraternity deserved a get-together where people could check out the latest gear from manufacturers, have a go at different types of diving, take part in photographic and technical workshops, listen to some outstanding talks from a range of top-quality speakers and, most importantly, actually go diving! Thus the GO Diving (Road)Show was born, based at the sprawling NDAC facility near Chepstow. The event will run from Friday 17 September to Sunday 19 September.

WWW.GODIVINGSHOW.COM SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

There is plenty to keep non-divers of all ages occupied too while you are enjoying yourself underwater – NDAC is also home to ziplines, a giant swing, kayaks, paddleboarding and the sprawling Atlantis aquapark.

These can all be booked direct through NDAC.

BOOK 5 TICKETS AND GET 1 FREE!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Adventurer, TV presenter, technical diver and all-round top bloke Andy Torbet will be hosting the event, as well as being keynote speaker on the Friday and Saturday evenings. There will also be talks from TV presenter, author and British diving advocate Miranda Krestovnikoff, tech legend Phil Short, who has a brandnew presentation about the B-17 Tulsamerican project, and Clare Dutton, who will be showcasing the unique Scuba Escape – the world’s first underwater escape room, which is based in picturesque North Wales.

TECHNICAL DIVING

Want to dip your fin-tips into technical diving? Training agencies including RAID will be running trydives for those wanting to sample twinset and sidemount diving for the first time, and tech icon Mark Powell will be conducting in-water skill development sessions.

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Want to dip your fin-tips into technical diving? Training agencies including RAID will be running trydives for those wanting to sample twinset and sidemount diving for the first time, and tech icon Mark Powell will be conducting in-water skill development sessions.

GO DIVING!

Of course, the best thing about being located at NDAC is that you can actually go diving as well! NDAC is one of the most-popular inland dive sites, and it offers depths from the shallows right down to full-on technical levels. Within the vast expanse of water, divers will find Land Rovers, cruisers, airplanes, helicopters, armoured cars, diving bells, gun turrets, hyperbaric chamber, double decker bus, a trawler and various training platforms.

PRICING SOCIALISE! (Remember those days?)

The Friday evening will culminate with a BBQ and a social evening, where divers and exhibitors can mingle, chat about diving, and enjoy being out and about.

All are welcome, from individuals to buddy pairs and groups.

In fact, this is the perfect club weekend – schedule your dive courses for the event, so that when you are having your surface intervals between diving, your members can wander the exhibitor stands or listen to a talk, and then on the Friday evening, you can all enjoy the BBQ and social evening.

EXHIBITORS

• Full ticket (Friday 17 September – Saturday 18 September) £69 (includes access to talks, workshops, exhibitors, BBQ/social evening on Friday night, and diving in NDAC on both days).

• One-day ticket (Friday 17 September) - £45 (includes access to talks, workshops, exhibitors, BBQ/social evening, and diving in NDAC).

• Non-diving ticket (Friday 17 September – Saturday 18 September) - £25 (includes access to talks, workshops, exhibitors, BBQ/social evening on Friday night).

• Not interested in diving or the workshops? Then you can come along to NDAC for free on Sunday 19 September to speak with the exhibitors.

Exhibitors confirmed so far include Fourth Element, O’Three, Roots Red Sea, BVI Tourist Board, Santi Diving, Shearwater Research, PADI, Naui UK, Scubapro, Nammu Tech, Kent Tooling, Scuba Escape and Vivian Dive Centre/Duttons Divers.

More will be announced nearer the time, and if you want to book a stand, contact: bookings@godivingshow.com

Enter the

PRISM The Hollis Prism II closed-circuit rebreather has gained CE approval, and as it goes on sale across the UK, Mark Evans headed to NDAC for a trydive on the unit PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES NEAL AND PAT HOLLIDAY

C

losed circuit rebreathers, or CCRs. These are undoubtedly cool pieces of kit. Maybe you dive one yourself already, but if not, most of us will have seen divers on CCRs at our local sites or on dive boats with us. They look daunting, complicated pieces of kit, and they do require a particular mindset to dive them safely – but are they as dangerous as some people make out?

I am always a bit dubious when a piece of diving equipment warns you, in no uncertain terms, that diving it without the proper training will lead to your death, but that is what you find emblazoned across most closed-circuit rebreathers, some in a more in-your-face fashion than others. Add to this the sad fact that many of the diving fatalities I have had to write about over the years have involved CCRs, including longtime Scuba Diver contributor and friend Gavin Anderson, who tragically died while diving his rebreather off Scotland.

Combined, this was enough to have me steer clear of CCRs. I may have been diving for over 35 years and have thousands of dives, but I just didn’t feel that going the CCR route was right for me, although I could see several massive advantages when it came to underwater photography in particular – no noise, no bubbles, and extended dive times.

However, over the years, technology has been steadily advancing and there are more and more CCRs coming on to the market. And I finally succumbed when so-called ‘recreational rebreathers’ were released, qualifying first on the Poseidon MK6 CCR, and then the Hollis Explorer eSCR. Both units had their plus points, but both also had their negatives. I got on better with the Explorer, taking it on trips

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to the Red Sea and up to the Orkney Islands, where it held its own on a boat full of technical CCRs, as well as diving it around England. It was easy to set up, felt quite small and compact on your back, and it looked cool, with its Stormtrooper-esque backplate.

However, I had nothing but issues with the electronics, both the main ‘brain’ and the handset, and this seriously knocked by confidence in the unit.

Suffice to say, neither the MK6 or the Explorer had enough allure to draw me away from my trusty open circuit rigs. When I had qualified on the Explorer, my instructors were trying to tempt me on to its technical sibling, the fully closed circuit Prism II, but at the time it was not CE-approved and I was not ready to take that step.

Fast forward several years and it’s all change. Hollis – along with Oceanic – is now owned by Huish Outdoors and sits alongside brands like Zeagle, Atomic Aquatics and BARE. The Explorer is no more, having been discontinued, and the Prism II is the flagship CCR – and it has just recently received CE approval. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Hollis Prism II trydive event, but in early July, I made my way down to NDAC in Chepstow ready to give this CCR a run in the quarry waters.

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Prism II dive surface valve

On the trydive in NDAC

The other nifty thing about the Prism II is the fact that it can be configured with front-mounted counterlungs or back-mounted counterlungs I have always liked the look of the Prism II ever since I first saw it at the DEMA trade event in the USA. It is quite compact, and with the clip-on cover, looks rather sleek, and I was looking forward to learning more about it and actually getting it in the water.

Trevor Leyland from Rebreathers UK (distributors for the Prism II in the UK, Ireland and the EU) was heading up the team, and he’d drafted in various instructors from around the country to assist with taking myself and other members of the diving press for our trydives. Lucky for John Crawshaw from Dive Manchester – he had the privilege of taking me in!

The Hollis Prism II is a fully closed-circuit rebreather, which can be electronically or manually controlled, which means you, the user, can choose how you want the loop PPO2 maintained. I know that many CCR divers like to ‘fly’ their units manually, and not rely on electronics, and given some of my past experiences of rebreather electronics, that doesn’t surprise me, but the Prism II uses a tried-and-tested Shearwater Petrel as its handset, which filled me with a lot of confidence. Kudos to Hollis – they could have spent thousands developing their own handset, but at the end of the day, when someone else has made a very well-regarded unit, why not make full use of it?

The other nifty thing about the Prism II is the fact that it can be configured with front-mounted counterlungs or back-mounted counterlungs. I usually dive in a travel wing, and don’t like having a lot of clutter around the front of me.

The MK6 I dived had front-mounted counterlungs, whereas the Explorer had back-mounted counterlungs, which probably explains one of the reasons I preferred the latter. For the Prism II trydive, I was using a unit fitted with back-mounted counterlungs. Both examples were on display, and personally,

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I would definitely go for back-mounted over front-mounted every day of the week.

Whichever version you go for, you will be astounded by the ease of the breathe – the Hollis Prism II has got the lowest work-of-breathing of any mixed-gas CCR on the market. I hadn’t dived a CCR for over three-and-a-half years, yet this smooth breathe, with seemingly little resistance, instantly became familiar and was an extremely pleasant experience.

During the day, Trevor took us through a short presentation detailing the history of the unit, and some of its USPs. As well as the aforementioned Shearwater handset and the option of front and back mounted counterlungs, the Prism II also uses standard hoses throughout, so no special fittings required, and it also uses standard, easily obtainable batteries. Another neat feature is the clear ‘bucket’ that mounts the radial scrubber. This is clear, so you can easily see that one, there is a scrubber actually in there, and two, whether there are any issues, such as water ingress, etc.

The oxygen regulator

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Conducting a pressure test

All smiles before going into the water

The Prism II ships with a DSV (dive surface value) as standard, but you can get a BOV (ballout value) featuring a high-performance regulator as an option. I had a version of this BOV on the Explorer I used and it was an impressive little unit. Our trydive units were already built up, but Trevor stripped down one of his units so we could see how it goes together.

Everything seems to be robust and well-made, and you can tell that a lot of thought has gone into its construction.

Just little things, like the fact that the metal clips that hold the top on the scrubber ‘bucket’ cannot be opened once the diluent and oxygen cylinders are in-situ, and that the first stages have been specifically designed to aid hoserouting into the CCR. Statistics show that the vast majority of CCR deaths are down to human error, not a problem with the rebreather itself.

Take check-lists, for example. On both my rebreather courses, we referred to a checklist every time we built up the unit to ensure that everything had been correctly configured and confirmed. When I did the trydive on the Prism 2, John and I ran through a check list step-by-step – and even Trevor, who has been diving the unit for more than eight years, said he still uses the check list during preparation. It is better to be safe than sorry – you only need to miss one single thing and it could be potentially fatal – yet I have witnessed people prepping their CCRs and going diving without a check list in sight. At the end of the day, it is all down to personal choice

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– but given many deaths are down to the oxygen cylinder not being turned on, the scrubber not being correctly fitted and other elementary mistakes that would have been picked up and dealt with when using a check list, is it worth the risk?

Back to the actual trydive. Remember I said I got used to the breathing action of a CCR quickly thanks to the low WOB of the Prism II? The same couldn’t be said for my buoyancy! You really are back to being a beginner again when you move on to a CCR, regardless of how many recreational and technical open circuit dives you have done. As an open circuit diver, once we are neutrally buoyant, we can go up and down by breathing in and out. After years of open circuit diving, this becomes a very natural thing to do. However, this all goes completely out of the window once you move on to a CCR. Breathing in and out makes absolutely zero difference to your buoyancy, as the gas in the breathing loop is either in the counterlungs or in your lungs.

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Cue lots of swearing when you first start diving on a CCR as you crash into the bottom, or swim into a rock, as your ingrained habit of breathing in to arrest your descent, or to rise up over an obstacle, makes no difference. You soon start to get to grips with remembering to use your wing and/or drysuit to control your buoyancy, but as soon as you begin to relax a bit, that muscle memory comes back into play and the swearing starts all over again. Suffice to say that John had to patiently hover while I swore and cursed as I got used to diving a CCR once again.

When you are diving a CCR, you have to be bang on your game monitoring what gas mix is in your breathing loop. CCRs like the Prism II have oxygen sensors, but you still need to be monitoring what the handset is showing you on its display.

When diving a CCR, the gas you are breathing can kill you if the partial pressure of oxygen in the gas is too high, or too low, or if the partial pressure of carbon dioxide is too high.

Your CCR should give you a warning on the computer screen and on the heads up display, but you also have to notice and react to these warnings. Thankfully, the screen on the Shearwater is extremely clear, and I just got into the habit of glancing at it every minute or so to check all was well, but it is comforting to have the HUD right there in front of your face showing that nothing is amiss. When there is an issue, it is blindingly obvious, and the displays on the handset and the HUD leave you in no uncertain terms that there is something that needs your attention.

Mark soon got to grips with the unit Checklists are vital on a CCR

WHY DIVE A CCR?

So if CCRs are this complicated and require this much effort and concentration to dive them, why would you go down that route? Well, there are many reasons people opt to dive CCRs. Photographers and videographers love the fact that CCRs are completely silent, so you can closely approach your marine life subjects without spooking them, and the vastly extended bottom time means you can spend longer getting those perfect shots or footage. However, the big winners with CCRs are technical divers. Closed-circuit rebreathers allow tech divers to make deep, complex dives in open water, and in overhead environments like caves and wrecks, which would just not be logistically possible on open circuit due to gas demands. And with the ever-rising costs of mixed gases, a CCR can essentially pay for itself within the space of a dozen or so dives, as you use a fraction of the gas you would on open circuit, so that initial purchase price – the Hollis Prism II is £8,449 without cylinders / £8,798 with - does not seem so out of this world.

Silent diving on the Prism II

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CONCLUSION

So, has this changed my mind on CCRs? Well, yes and no.

Learning to safely dive CCRs needs extensive training, and while you are diving on one you need to be constantly vigilant, monitoring the gas in your breathing loop. More so, you need to be prepared for the more-intensive regime of cleaning and preparation that is needed both before and after a dive on a CCR. If you have the right mindset, and commit to the strict routines required to dive them safely, CCRs can open up a whole new world to you. If you are not the sort of person to be absolutely fastidious in your preparations and cleaning regimes, or willing to accept that you are going to be essentially a beginner again when you first start out, I’d suggest that CCRs are not for you and to stick with open circuit.

I would say, if you are tempted to go down the closedcircuit rebreather route, take your time and look at all of the different units on the market. Talk to instructors on the different models, get their take on things, and then once you have narrowed down your selection somewhat, go for trydives to see what they are like in the water for yourself. If may well be at this point you decide that a rebreather is not for you, or you may just be bitten by the bug. I was certainly impressed by the Hollis Prism II – the work of breathing is phenomenal, the build quality is first rate, and it doesn’t feel cumbersome on your back (I’d equate it to twin 10s). So, who knows what the future might hold… n

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SCUBA EQUIPMENT CARE DRYING AND STORING YOUR GEAR

Looking after your diving equipment could just keep you alive and avoid potential incidents, as Guy Thomas explains

A

fter reviewing how to best clean and rinse your gear, let’s have a closer look at drying and storing it. Of course, the following are general rules and tips, and do not replace user manuals of any equipment, so you may also want to consult those for more specific instructions.

HOW TO PROPERLY DRY YOUR GEAR

Yes, the sun will dry your kit faster, but prolonged exposure to UV will make colours fade (bleaching effect) and make them look worn and shabby, earlier than you think. Sunlight can deteriorate neoprene suits, hoses, latex or rubber seals, and all plastic materials, O-rings/gaskets and even zips. In high temperatures, neoprene will also lose its elasticity.

Hang your kit outside, ideally in the shade, then bring it back inside. Drying materials in a well-ventilated room is an option too, but careful not to place them next to heaters, to avoid fire hazard and damage to your equipment.

Dry neoprene materials inside/out to protect the outer layer. Do not use a tumble dryer - it will only reduce their life spans. Specific electric heating elements are available to dry boots and gloves, but attention is needed to avoid overheating and fire. Hang your drysuits (neoprene or trilaminate) in upside-down position, with the use of an appropriate hanger. This position - either inside or outside will allow any remaining water to drain.

Coming to the BCD, the outside isn’t such a problem, but drying the inside is another story. The easiest way is to inflate the BCD and drain any remaining water through inflator hose or dump valves. Repeat a couple of times for best results, then leave the BCD inflated and let it dry. Treat DSMBs similarly - unroll them and hang them partially inflated.

Some parts of diving masks - as the one between nose and glass - are prone to calcium deposits. Dry these parts using a cloth or towel, and extend their life span.

Fins are more resistant, but don’t like extreme heat either.

While drying in the sun, avoid placing other materials on top of them. Fins can change form and get curved when subjected to heat, and this can affect their efficiency underwater.

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STORING IT THE RIGHT WAY

Always store materials in a cool, dry place, protected from sunlight and high temperatures - above 49°C. Keep them away from any source of ozone, chlorine or exhaust gas, and avoid contact or exposure to oil, solvents, gasoline and chemicals.

Keeping your BCD partially inflated when stored is good practice, also using special hangers where you can attach regulators. Regs can also be placed in a bag or box, but always make sure hoses are not tightly bent. Protective regulator bags for storage and transport will keep this precious piece of equipment safe.

Use a cylinder cap to prevent dust or impurities from getting in the valve or even into the first stage (or its sintered filter). This is especially important when using enriched air mixtures and oxygen clean materials Before storing them, make sure drysuits are actually dry, with no trace of humidity inside or outside. It’s best to hang them upside-down (zip closed) using a specific heavy-duty drysuit hanger, which avoids pressure points on the shoulders, or store them lying flat - no heavy objects on their top to avoid kinks or punctures! Limited space? Just avoid folding or bending the zip, as this could damage a crucial (and expensive!) part of your suit. Keep zips clean, and apply a suitable lubricant.

Use unscented talcum on latex seals, as they can easily deteriorate, stick together, and ultimately break.

Store masks and snorkels separately, preferably in their own boxes, protecting their silicone components. The same applies to computers, a precious piece of equipment that you want to keep safe from harm.

Remove batteries from diving torches and lights before storing them, especially for longer periods. Batteries can leak and their acid will damage your equipment.

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What about cylinders? Avoid moisture from getting inside the cylinder, even if it’s difficult to ensure, as it partially depends on the filling installation used. What you can do is avoiding to store tanks completely empty, thus leaving some pressure inside. Even small amounts of inside moisture can cause corrosion, so don’t store them on their side, as walls are thinner than the bottom. Place cylinder in upright position, properly secured to avoid falling. Should it fall, the fact that it’s almost empty does not make it safer, as valves can get damaged, and cause severe accidents and injuries when refilled.

Do not keep cylinders full if you plan to store them for a longer period - over time, oxidation might reduce the oxygen percentage inside.

Use a cylinder cap to prevent dust or impurities from getting in the valve or even into the first stage (or its sintered filter). This is especially important when using enriched air mixtures and oxygen clean materials.

READY TO USE?

Cleaning, drying and storing your gear doesn’t make it automatically ready to use again. In our next article, we will take a closer look at how to make sure your equipment is ready to be used. n

DAN MEMBERSHIP

Before taking the plunge make sure your DAN membership is still active. If it isn’t, join DAN or renew your membership at: www.daneurope.org Your DAN membership ensures the services of the biggest international network for assisting divers anywhere, during any emergency.

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BEYOND TECHNICAL

www.narkedat90.com

Project Baseline Q&A

Marcus Blatchford Pete Mesley

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

Over the past three months, we have been showcasing the incredible photogrammetry from Truk Lagoon’s Project Baseline. Here we chat to Marcus Blatchford and Pete Mesley about the challenges of such an epic operation PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF MARCUS BLATCHFORD AND PETE MESLEY

Thankfully I had been doing long, deep photogrammetry dives for a good few years previous to the project starting, over this time I have been able to buy the correct equipment for the job and make sure it all interacts together in the simplest of ways

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Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia

Bunaken National Marine Park I had a fantastic time at Siladen Resort. The resort itself is a quiet and idyllic oasis, the food was outstanding, but it’s the fishes that will have me coming back. The dive crew were some of the friendliest folk I have met. Always smiling, and so happy. I can’t wait to dive there again.

Dr. Richard Smith

w w w.s i l a d e n.c o m

COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES •view SENSORS all products online www.narkedat90.com TOOLS • SOLENOIDS Q: What were your first thoughts when you became involved with the Truk Lagoon Project Baseline?

A (MB): When Pete first put his idea to me, it was a complete surprise - the scale of the job is simply huge! I pointed out that there are two basic forms of 3D model, the first is a 3D representation that looks similar to the scanned object, the second is a scaled and potentially geo-referenced model of survey quality, the latter requiring a huge amount more work to be put in than the former. Pete’s initial project plan is more for more visual representation and comparison than being survey quality. Although survey quality would be great, the additional time, labour and equipment involved are simply out of our direct financial reach. Before committing I put a plan together of what I thought to be achievable on the first trip to try to ensure it was within Pete’s vision.

A (PM): This is going back quite a few years, I always remember thinking how cool it would be to be able to see the wreck in its entirety. Feeble attempts at photo collages about 15 years ago was the first attempts at this massive task. The results were average at best, then I kind of lost interest. Until recently. Over the last five or so years, photogrammetry has come into its own. I have wanted to create baseline models of these wrecks for so many reasons and just had to make a start. But I knew very little about it. This is where Marcus and I started getting into conversation about mapping these wrecks. Personally, at the time, my thoughts were ‘3D modelling isn’t really my thing. I am more of an ‘arty-farty’ photographer and modelling a wreck doesn’t really take any artistic skill, it’s just sit there and click away’.

But what I learnt the more I got into it was how honed in my observation skills got. I have dived these wrecks many, many times, yet when I started modelling these wrecks my understanding of the wrecks in their entirety increased a thousand-fold. The more I get into this, the more invested I am in learning more about these rusting hulks. There is a definite need for this sort of thing and my excitement grows every time I work on another wreck.

Capturing the wreck images

Q: Shooting images to capture the data necessary for photogrammetry is a very different discipline to normal underwater photography. You are both very accomplished underwater photographers, how did you get to grips with this new style of photography?

A (MB): Organic photography consists of two parts: 1) Creating an image that is exposed and focussed correctly; 2) Creating an image that is composed in a way to be appealing to the viewer.

Once again, the latter is far more difficult to achieve than the former. Thankfully photogrammetry requires the images to be exposed well, in focus and have overlap with previous exposure – and, of course, a shed load of them! Composing the image is passed on from the photographer to the viewer. The viewer can rotate and zoom the model in the way they wish to see it.

A (PM): Being an ‘arty-farty’ photographer I really wasn’t looking forward to taking the thousands of images needed to capture the data needed to create these models. But it’s really quite challenging in its own right. We use techniques where the camera is mounted onto the scooter and we then set the camera up beforehand and off we go. So if you get the settings wrong, then all of the images won’t come out. So it has its own challenges. Once the camera is set up, then it becomes more of a ‘hoover’ the information up not missing any areas!

Deep inside an engine room

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COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS Q: Capturing thousands of images must be a daunting prospect at the best of times, but doing it at depth as in Truk Lagoon must have raised immense challenges in itself.

A (MB): Thankfully I had been doing long, deep photogrammetry dives for a good few years previous to the project starting, over this time I have been able to buy the correct equipment for the job and make sure it all interacts together in the simplest of ways - this goes for not only the camera equipment but my life support equipment too.

Pete’s equipment is very similar to mine - although I shoot Canon and he shoots Nikon - we both have JJ rebreathers which are pretty bombproof, we both use almost identical decompression gradient factors, our scooters (although different makes) have similar burn times and speeds - the biggest challenge is travelling with it all!

A (PM): It’s like most things, if you have complex tasks to complete, add depth to that equation, then you need to be on top of your game. I have spent many a dive getting absolutely nothing simply because I wasn’t properly prepared before the dive. So most of the bottom time would be eaten up getting the rig sorted out. I guess we learn the best through experience (learning the hard way!), so when there are tasks to do, and the wreck is in deep water, it’s really important to get things sorted before you get down. Or things just aren’t going to work out for the dive!

Q: If people have been intrigued by photogrammetry from the series of articles, how can get involved?

A (MB): A number of training agencies are either in the process of or have released photogrammetry courses, I know that GUE and IANTD (UK only at the moment) already offer courses. I believe BSAC have a course, as do the Nautical Archaeology Society. There are also, of course, Facebook groups with many members who are more than happy to pass on their knowledge and experiences. The beauty of photogrammetry is that pretty much any camera can be used for scanning, so it truly is accessible to folks with action cameras right up to professional camera systems - even images from traditional film cameras can be used (although the cost of film and processing would probably far outweigh a the cost of a simple digital camera).

Pete with a ‘cheeky shiraz’

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Truk’s wrecks are impressive

A (PM): My best advice. You need to do a course. You don’t need fancy gear, use what gear you already have. Start on small, digestible projects (don’t try and map a 500foot ocean liner for your first project). It’s best to take too much footage than too little. Understand that it’s not just gathering the image information, it’s also learning how to use the software. This all takes time. Be patient. Be persistent. And keep at it.

Q: What comes next for Truk Lagoon Project Baseline?

A (MB): The Micronesian borders are still closed due to COVID. Their roadmap suggests that once they have completed their vaccine programme, they will start opening up again. When this happens, the project plans to continue.

A (PM): Why stop there right? Then I start thinking ‘How cool would it be if I mapped all the diveable wrecks in New Zealand?’ Then, I started talking to various people round the world who are doing their own thing with the 3D modelling. What if we could have a centre location site for everyone to be able to access these amazing models?

A portal that people all round the world could share their work. The wrecks would be linked to their respective sites for information about them etc. All this, in turn, gave birth to the ‘World Wide Wreck Baseline Project’. This is a non-profit project so it will expand when more data comes available.

There is a definite need for these models of wrecks for many reasons. The technology will only get better and the more people are partaking in documenting their local wrecks, before you know it we will have thousands of wrecks for all to enjoy in one place! n

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MARES MAGNETIC CONNECTOR | SRP: £23

The innovative magnetic securing system by Mares is the ultimate way to connect your diving accessories and equipment. Gone are the days of dangling hoses and lost dive lights. The Magnetic Connector is a versatile and unique system that includes many uses such as an octopus and console holder, torch/dive light hook, camera attachment, and much more!

The Magnetic Connector’s simple yet effective design allows you to quickly find the connection site, especially when the connection point is not easily visible. The audible ‘click’ of the attachment also lends assurance that everything is securely connected. The advanced engineering of the mechanical closure system locks the fastened item in place safely and reliably. It can hold over 60kg of equipment!

The Magnetic Connector’s compact design not only keeps your diving accessories secure, but as streamlined as possible. In fact, the Magnetic Connector is even shorter than a double-ended carabiner and just as easy to install. By simply unscrewing the connector’s head, the threaded pin can easily connect to all BCD D-rings.

Another valuable benefit is its 360-degree free rotation, which allows for the perfect placement of your equipment and accessories. The free-swivelling ball head also allows the connector to tilt in every direction for maximum comfort.

The Magnetic Connector is currently available in two colour options, black and yellow.

Mares indeed went above and beyond when designing this useful accessory. Although it is rugged and extremely secure, Mares still made it easy to use by allowing divers to connect and disconnect their equipment to it, not just single-handedly, but with the use of only two fingers!

The Magnetic Connector is simple, quick, and safe. It unlocks quickly even under a full load and is the smartest alternative to a carabiner. www.mares.com

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CHRISTOPHER WARD C63 SEALANDER ELITE SRP: £1,150-£1,380

The C63 Sealander Elite is British watch brand Christopher Ward’s new ‘EveryWatch’ – the ultimate go anywhere, do everything watch that’s right at home on your wrist whatever you’re into; from running, cycling and trekking to diving and adventure sports.

The lightest mechanical watch Christopher Ward has ever made, the C63 Sealander Elite’s design is inspired by elite sport – where weight is often of the utmost importance.

Made from Grade 2 titanium – and with weight-saving cutouts around the edge of the dial – it’s light to the point where it hardly feels like you’re even wearing it, while water resistance (up to 150m) makes it just as useful on your wrist when you take to water.

As well as being lightweight, the C63 Sealander Elite is supremely comfortable too thanks to its hidden crown – a ingenious and precise detail that’s never been offered on a Christopher Ward watch before and means you’ll never feel the crown digging into the back of your hand no matter how you contort your wrist.

Furthermore, its matt-black dial is sure to make a statement, and at just £1,150 on a hybrid or #tide ocean material® strap (or £1,380 on a bracelet) it offers ultimate value for money – in fact you’ll find few other titanium watches in this price bracket, let alone with this level of finish. www.christopherward.com

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ATOMIC AQUATICS T25 | SRP: £TBC

OCEANIC VIPER 2 FINS SRP: £44.95 FULL-FOOT / £73.95 OPEN HEEL The Viper 2 fins are described by Oceanic as being ‘ideal for any skill level’, and that they ‘still pack a punch with the performance and aesthetics of an elite model’. They also come in both full-foot and open heel variants. The Viper 2 includes a precision blend of hydrodynamics for ultimate comfort, efficiency and performance. The flexible power thrust channel and enhanced channel rails direct water flow off the tips of the fin and now provide uncompromising power and efficiency at a great value.

New features also include a polished blade and redesigned performance rails to give the Viper 2 a much-needed update. www.oceanicworldwide.com

Atomic Aquatics has released an ultra-exclusive limitededition regulator – the T25 – to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. The T25 is a highly evolved version of the iconic T3 all-titanium regulator, but it has been designed using an even-more exotic process.

To start, Atomic Aquatics machined the T25 from solid bars of titanium Ti-6AI-4V alloy. After this initial phase, we plated it with a new proprietary diamond-like hardness coating (DLC) which, as a by-product, produces a radiant, iridescent colour sheen. Atomic have dubbed it ‘burnt titanium’ to reflect its stunningly beautiful, durable and unique finish.

The T25 burnt titanium finish is highly unique and no two regulators appear the same.

The price for the UK market is yet to be announced, but you’ll have to be quick – there are extremely limited numbers available. www.atomicsquatic.com

OCEANIC DUO MASK | SRP: £42.95

Solid and rugged, yet well-priced, the Duo is a sturdy, entrylevel mask for beginners who crave top performance at a reasonable price point.

A 100 percent silicone skirt and double-feathered edge guarantees a comfortable, dry seal and tempered safety glass provides a broad field of view.

The Duo comes in seven different colour varieties, so you can mix and match with the rest of your kit.

You can also get prescription lens from -1 through to -8 in half diopters – there are priced at £22.95 per side. www.oceanicworldwide.com

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SCUBAPRO S-TEK RANGE

The new S-Tek Technical Diving programme re-invents the classic backplate-and-wing system with a clever design focused on adjustability, fit and comfort. A comprehensive line of accessories rounds out the collection offering a unified programme for technical divers.

The revolutionary design combines premium materials and durable construction with purist features and technology.

3D formed backplates with fully radiused edges, softened organic shape and recessed wingnut socket increases diver comfort, while angled webbing slots optimise webbed harness threading, offering greater comfort and reduced webbing abrasion over time. Durable S-Tek donuts feature rounded profiles allowing for smooth, controlled air migration and a new best-in-class Scubapro-designed K-Style Inflator.

It is available as a Pro System with moulded Monprene pads that cushion shoulders, waist and back for increased comfort, while highly adjustable Tek Lok shoulders contribute to a snug, individualised fit; and as a Pure System, with a continuous webbing harness and a stainlesssteel waist buckle that provides a custom, individualised fit.

A comprehensive line of accessories rounds out the collection - Single Tank Adapter, Bungee Regulator Necklace, Low Profile or Cold-Water Stage Kits, Trim Weights Kit, Pro Fluid Form Weight System, Expedition Thigh Pocket, Expedition Reels, Spinner Spools, Cookie Monster and Arrow Monster Markers, Glide, D-Ring and Bolt Snap Hardware and exclusive Colour Kits are part of the extensive new S-Tek programme. www.scubapro.eu

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AQUALUNG i330R | SRP: £269 Mark Evans: With dive equipment, I’ve always advocated ‘buy once, buy wisely’, and urge people to get kit that will grow with them, rather than buy basic and out grow it soon into their rise up the diving ladder of skills and experience.

However, it has to be said that the vast majority of people starting out on their diving journey will never venture into open-circuit technical diving or closed-circuit rebreathers, so really, they don’t need to blow a shedload of cash on an all-singing, all-dancing computer that has a whole host of features they will never, ever use or need.

Many entry-level computers still boast features that would allow the user to dabble in some entry-level technical diving (I am talking multiple nitrox mixes and gauge mode) so there is still the option for them to accompany you further on your diving adventures before an upgrade becomes necessary.

And that is the case with the Aqualung i330R. The i330R is the new kid on the block in the dive computer market, and I reckon it is going to give the established players a run for their money, as it is the only one under £300 with a full colour screen and a rechargeable battery.

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takes you into the sub-menu. When you want to return to the main screen, you press and hold both buttons in. Very easy and you can get your head around it within a couple of minutes of playing with it straight out of the box. Entry-level dive computers need to be easy to use, and I always think it is a solid fail if you need to reference the instruction booklet or digital manual to find out how to conduct basic operations.

When it comes to maximising your dive time, the i330R uses a tried-and-tested Z+ algorithm, and once you are back on the surface, you can download your dives to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth and the DiverLog+ app to make logging your dives a doddle. You can also use DiverLog+ to manage your computer settings.

Alongside that colour screen, one of the main features of the i330R is the fact that it is factory-sealed, and has a rechargeable battery,

The i330R is quite a compact unit, but with that vividly bright full-colour IPS display, it is exceptionally easy to see even in bright sunlight and bad visibility. Some full-colour screens in the past have suffered when you have been in the shallows on a sunny day, but the display on the i330R had no issues.

Obviously, on a night dive, it would really pop.

The screen display – with the depth at the top, no-deco time in the middle, and the max depth and dive time on the bottom – is very clear, and the bars on either side (one for showing tissue loading, and the other indicating your ascent rate) work well.

There are only two buttons mounted on the right-hand side to navigate through the intuitive menus, and these can be operated wearing thick gloves. A single quick press lets you scroll through the sections, and a long press

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Here at Mike’s Dive Store we are offering FREE replacement parts for 10 years on any BCD or regulator purchased from us!

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Let our expert team of divers get you kitted out and ready to get back in the water with the help of free live-streaming video calls, huge stock choices and click and collect on all orders from our London store (if delivery isn’t an option).

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28/01/2021MDS_half.indd 14:38 2

28/01/2021 14:38

AQUALUNG i330R | SRP: £269 so there are no worries about flooding it when you do a battery change – always a concern when you have a unit with a user-replaceable battery. Battery life is good – Aqualung reckons you can get 30 hours out of a charge - but you can top up the juice via the USB and magnetic charging cable as and when you need to on your dive trip.

The brightness of that screen can also be dialled down if you want to extend the battery life a little more. To protect that display, a screen protector is already fitted – a nice touch, and you don’t have to faff about fitting your own and then getting air bubbles underneath.

The computer is fitted with a NATO-style webbing strap rather than the convention rubber versions, or the bungee cord that is often offered as an option. I like NATO straps – they are strong and secure and they look good as well.

Remember, aesthetics is important.

So, the Aqualung i330R. I have to say, for £269, it is phenomenal value for money. The fact that it has Bluetooth capabilities and offers air, nitrox, freedive and gauge modes - and in the nitrox mode can handle up to three mixes from 21-100 percent - makes it worth that price tag anyway, but once you factor in the rechargeable battery and the full-colour display, it represents even more of a bargain.

To put that into perspective, to get a full-colour screen on a wrist-mounted computer previously, you would have needed to add another couple of hundred pounds on to that amount to get something like the Shearwater Research Peregrine or the Suunto EON Core. Both of these are extremely capable computers in their own right, but the i330R costs nearly half as much as their retail prices.

No, it doesn’t have air-integration or a digital compass, but Aqualung had to leave some features out to keep it so keenly priced, and in my opinion, I think the benefits of that vivid, very clear display and the rechargeable battery outweigh the lack of these features. www.aqualung.com/uk

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BEST DIVERS ALDEBARAN | SRP: £300 Mark Evans: The Aldebaran sounds like some main bad guy in the next Netflix fantasy drama, or maybe that winged chap from Flash Gordon, but it is actually a 150m-waterresistant dive light from Italian firm Best Divers.

At first glance it looks like a standard anodised aluminium dive torch, with a plastic lantern-style handle, but a quick look around the front at the ‘business end’ shows where this differs from other lights. There are four white LEDs spaced evenly around the outer edge of the wide lens, but right in the centre there is a red LED. This ‘colour compensation’ is designed to bring back red shades to their original colour. Now, I have yet to dive this in the tropics, but even in the depths of Vivian Quarry, when we shone the torch on some of the encrusting growth on the slate walls, and the rusting remains of some of the mining equipment, it did indeed seem to bring back some of the rich colours. It will be interesting to see how it does with corals and sponges in warmer waters – watch this space for an update when that happens!

Regardless of that red LED, the torch is phenomenally bright, pumping out 3,500 lumens on full power via a 14 degree beam. You get around 120 minutes on full power, but can also drop this down to half power – and then fully off – using the sliding switch. This is quite small, but can be operated with thick neoprene or even drygloves.

There is a twist mechanism to lock the switch so that the torch cannot be accidentally turned on. This is mainly for during transportation, etc, anyway, but I’d advise setting this to open before diving, especially if you are going into cold water with gloves on, as this is decidedly awkward to turn once you are gloved-up.

It comes with a plastic lantern-style handle, which comfortably sits in your hand, but if you don’t want to use this, it is easily removed and you can then hold the torch itself in your grasp.

It comes in a neat bright-red padded zipped case, which holds the torch itself with its lantern handle in place, a lanyard, the two batteries, the charging station and the USB charging cable. www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk

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DORSET

KENT

DORSET DIVING SERVICES

KENT SCUBA LTD

t: 01202 122006 e: info@dorsetdiving.co.uk a: 25A Ringwood Road, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0RF 5 Star PADI Dive Centre offering PADI Courses, Kit Sales, Servicing, Air Nitrox and Trimix Fills.

In house IDEST test station and workshop for on site repairs. www.dorsetdiving.co.uk

t: 01843 621188 e: dive@kentscuba.com a: 23 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5DG Scuba is our passion and we want to share that by enabling others; turning your dreams into realities. www.kentscuba.com

UNDERWATER EXPLORERS

t: 01227 700374 e: sales@divingproducts.co.uk a: Windgates, Church Lane, Waltham, Near Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5SS Kent Tooling Diving Products produce the widest range of rebreather and diving supplies and accessories in Kent and the UK. www.divingproducts.co.uk

t: 01305 824555 e: info@underwaterexplorers.co.uk a: Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1FD Leading Dorset dive centre stocking all major brands, air, nitrox, trimix fills, rentals and servicing beside Portland Marina and across from Chesil Beach. www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk

ESSEX BESPOKE SCUBA DIVING LIMITED t: 01708 837032 e: contact@bespokescubadiving.co.uk a: Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Althorne Way, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7FH Our mission is to provide quality & professional scuba training in a relaxed friendly environment. www.bespokescubadiving.co.uk

BLACK WATER DIVING t: 07841 561680 e: info@blackwaterdiving.co.uk a: 18 Lower Park Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4NA PADI Dive training focussed on beginners.

Try Scuba Diving for £20. Private swimming pools. Learn to scuba dive with 1:1 instruction at Blackwater Diving. www.blackwaterdiving.co.uk

DIVERSE SCUBA t: 01375 892444 e: info@diverse-scuba.co.uk a: Ye Old Plough House Motel, Brentwood Road, Bulphan, Essex, RM14 3SR Diverse Scuba are one of the leading 5 STAR PADI IDC dive centres in the UK providing scuba diving courses and services to the Essex region. www.diverse-scuba.co.uk

ORCA SCUBA DIVING ACADEMY t: 01268 520111 e: info@orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk a: 17 Repton Close, Burnt Mills Estate, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1LN Established in 2007 the Academy a vision of Gary to deliver the very best Scuba Diving School in Essex. www.orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk

KENT

KENT TOOLING DIVING PRODUCTS

HARROGATE DIVESHACK UK t: 07779 605863 e: tim@diveshack.uk.com a: 17 Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1UF Harrogates number 1 dive store. www.diveshack.uk.com

LANCASHIRE CAPERNWRAY DIVING AND LEISURE LTD e: info@dive-site.co.uk a: Jackdaw Quarry, Capernwray Road, Over Kellet, Lancashire, LA6 1AD The UK’s finest inland dive site... Welcome to Capernwray, the beautiful diving venue on the edge of the Lake District. www.dive-site.co.uk

EAST LANCS DIVING e: info@eastlancsdiving.co.uk a: Daisyfield Pool, Daisy Ln, Blackburn, BB1 5HB East Lancashire’s only PADI approved Dive Centre - Undertaking all PADI courses and Specialities from Try Dive to Professional. www.eastlancsdiving.co.uk

MILTON KEYNES MK SCUBA DIVING t: 07957 710334 e: contact@mkscubadiving.co.uk a: Unit 50A, I-Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 9PY Friendly, professional and patient PADI, SDI and TDI scuba instructors, we proudly offer you high quality service, equipment and facilities. www.mkscubadiving.co.uk

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BLUE OCEAN DIVING

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t: 01622 212022 e: scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk a: West Park Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 7AF 5* PADI scuba diving courses and training, organised diving trips and events, scuba equipment and friendly advice based in Maidstone. www.blueoceandiving.co.uk

t: 01603 485000 e: info@scuba4me.co.uk a: 62 Whiffler Road, Norwich, NR3 2AY We are Norfolk’s Premier dive centre with our own on-site swimming pool and well stocked shop with the latest equipment. www.scuba4me.co.uk

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NOTTINGHAMSHIRE GO DIVE t: 01332 665353 e: sales@godive.net a: Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby, DE21 7NP Take your diving to the next level with GoDive, the UK’s first fourth element concept store. Start shopping with us today! www.godive.net

PLYMOUTH AQUANAUTS t: 01752 228825 e: info@aquanauts.co.uk a: 88 Vauxhall Street, The Barbican, Plymouth, PL4 0EY Waterfront full service centre with direct access to the best wreck and reef diving the UK has to offer. www.aquanauts.co.uk

ROTHERHAM DREAM DIVERS LTD t: 07976 526050 e: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk a: 18-20 Greasbrough Rd, Parkgate, Rotherham, S62 6HN PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre based in Parkgate, Rotherham. Our instructional team has been teaching PADI courses together in the Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and surrounding areas of South Yorkshire since 2005. www.dreamdivers.co.uk

SHROPSHIRE SEVERN TEC DIVING t: 01939 291303 e: severntecdiving@gmail.com a: The Glyders, Church Road, Baschurch, Shropshire, SY4 2EG We are a Scuba Diving Training Center with over 20 years experience with a multi-agency approach to scuba diving. www.severntecdiving.com

SOMERSET DIVE ACADEMY t: 01935 353525 e: info@dive.academy a: Unit 7-8 Boundary Avenue, Commerce Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8UU Somerset’s Premier. Scuba Diving Centre.

Book a lesson. www.dive.academy

STAFFORDSHIRE SCUBA COURSES t: 07743 719172 e: info@scubacourses.co.uk a: Trent House, Trent Walk, Joiners Square, Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 3HE Offering a full range of training, servicing and expert advice. www.scubacourses.co.uk

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‣ WRECK HUNTERS ‣ ROYAL ADELAIDE

‣ MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

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UNDERWATER EXCAVATION Mike Haigh, Project Director Wreck Hunters, focuses on underwater excavation, which is the diving equivalent of ‘the dig’ ‘WE OWE THE DEAD NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH’ – VOLTAIRE.

F

or many, the culmination of work on any archaeological site is the excavation stage.

The objective this phase is to discover, record and explain the stratigraphy of the site in order to understand it. In the words of the father of British archaeology, Sir Mortimer Wheeler, ‘We are not digging up things, we are digging up people.’ This is an unrepeatable experiment. We do not normally get a second chance.

It is in the excavation phase that the diving archaeologist enjoys an advantage over his/her land-based colleague.

Unless blessed with superpowers, the terrestrial archaeologist will not be able personally to ‘fly’ over the site effortlessly as their diving counterparty can.

From the site survey a master plan will have been developed, which will form the basis of the excavation. It is not easy to discern successive layers of deposit underwater, but it can be done. In the case of the Mary Rose, the remains and deposits from the ship could be distinguished from the ‘gear’ of 19th century salvage divers, and the occasional losses of objects from pleasure craft travelling over the site. People like to talk about shipwrecks as ‘time capsules.’

Unfortunately, these ‘capsules’ are not sealed.

The trick to making a complete record of the site is careful recording. Every historic object, whether raised or merely observed and recorded in situ must have its own number together with a short label describing what it is. We covered in a previous article the methods for recording and lifting objects. A high level of discipline is needed in all this which hopefully will deal with the ‘diver in the hole’ syndrome where a diver, having found one object, is lured on by the hope of finding more. Everyone on site must understand that nothing is to be touched, moved or raised until fully recorded.

This may be by measurement, drawing, photography or ideally all three. Excavation is destruction, the only justification for which is proper recording. In addition, a whole set of diving safety protocols needs to be in place, as this is, of course, a

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diving operation.

As with any excavation, below or above water, the logistics need to be carefully planned. There needs to be a working platform, which can range from a simple inflatable to a purpose-built pontoon. Often a substantial grid is erected around the site for divers to rest on to avoid contact with the remains of the wreck. Most tools used for digging underwater are simple. A lot can be achieved by ‘hand fanning’ and the use of simple tools. But sometimes a compressor needs to be situated on site to run more powerful equipment.

When a lot of material, usually sand or sediment, overlays the site ‘heavy gear’ is often needed to remove it. The three most-used devices for this being the airlift, the water-dredge and the prop wash. The latter was invented by treasure hunters to remove large sand deposits. It works by using the thrust from a vessel’s propellor, directed downward by means of a tube with a right-angle bend. Used carefully, it can be a useful tool; used carelessly, it leaves the site looking like the result of a bombing raid!

For the diver involved in excavation there are two overriding concerns - correct weighting and the cold. You may spend long periods in unusually shallow or deep water where your weighting needs careful attention. Not helped by the fact that you tend to be working in one place without moving much, so not generating much heat. This often results in the need for more insulation and the need for more weight. Most archaeological diving ends up requiring you to maintain close contact with the bottom. Don’t stint on the weight.

This may all seem like an insurmountable tangle of theories and regulations, but it can be done right. Anyone who has done much underwater archaeology will testify to the vividness and excitement which discoveries can give the ‘diving digger’. www.wreckhunters.co.uk

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