Scuba Diver #54

THE RESCUE

JILL HEINERTH ON THE NEW NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY

2AM ETERNAL

COLIN GARRETT SETS HIS ALARM FOR AN EARLY MORNING DIVE

SILENT PHOTOGRAPHY HOW CLOSED-CIRCUIT REBREATHERS GO WELL WITH UW SHOOTING

SUN SHINES ON INAUGURAL DIVE FESTIVAL AT NDAC MINE DIVING

WRECK HUNTERS

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK ISSUE #54

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 CONTRIBUTORS Jill Heinerth, Nicolas Remy, Colin Garrett, Phil Short ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Ross Arnold Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 701 Email: ross.arnold@scubadivermag.com

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is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2514-2054 Times are changing and to keep the magazines 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. Your continued support is most appreciated.

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Sun shines on the GO Diving Roadshow The weather gods were kind in mid-September, when the inaugural GO Diving Roadshow took place at NDAC near Chepstow. Forecasts of grey skies and potential showers were thankfully completely off the mark, and instead the dive festival was rewarded with blue skies and warm sunshine.

With the main GO Diving Show being postponed until 4-6 March 2022, we decided we need to do something to see out the end of this year’s diving season. The COVID-19 pandemic has stifled much of the camadarie that makes diving what it is, and so this dive festival aimed to try and bring back some sense of normality to the diving fraternity.

The GO Diving Roadshow was essentially a truncated version of the main event, with top-notch speakers, a host of exhibitors, workshops and skill development sessions, all rounded out with a social evening and food.

Cave diver Chris Jewell, TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff, explorers and tech divers Phil Short and John Kendall, and underwater photographer Ellen Cuylaerts headed up the speaking roster.

Anne and Phil Medcalf ran the underwater photography workshops, while Scott Gillham, Tim Clements and Mark Powell did sidemount trydives, CCR trydives and skill development sessions respectively.

NDAC is the perfect facility at which to run this dive festival, as there is much for divers and non-divers alike, from the inviting waters of the quarry itself to paddleboarding, ziplines and the inflatable Aqua Park.

For a full report on this year’s event, turn to page 16. We’ll be back in 2022 - keep an eye out for the date for your diary!

Mark Evans, Editor-in-Chief

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THE RESCUE

JILL HEINERTH ON THE NEW NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY

2AM ETERNAL

COLIN GARRETT SETS HIS ALARM FOR AN EARLY MORNING DIVE

SILENT PHOTOGRAPHY HOW CLOSED-CIRCUIT REBREATHERS GO WELL WITH UW SHOOTING

SUN SHINES ON INAUGURAL DIVE FESTIVAL AT NDAC MINE DIVING

WRECK HUNTERS

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK ISSUE #54

Cover.indd 1

PHOTOGRAPH © ANT WESTGARTH

24/09/2021 06:48

Regular columns

Monthly features...

8 News round-up

16 GO Diving Roadshow

Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards, dive fatalities off the South Coast and North Wales, Royal Evolution joins Aggressor Adventures in Sudan, BDMLR opens new seal hospital in Cornwall, dive industry mourns tech pioneer Dan Burton, and the release of Our Living Oceans.

14 DAN Europe Medical Q&A

The DAN Europe team explain how the dive reflex protects the brain and heart.

46 Divers Alert Network

The DAN experts discuss the role of the service technician.

66 Wreck Hunter

Methods of searching for lost shipwrecks.

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The National Diving and Activity Centre played host to the inaugural GO Diving Roadshow in mid-September, and exhibitors and visitors made the most of the glorious weather, as Mark Evans explains.

24 The Rescue

National Geographic is releasing a documentary about the Thai cave rescue, appropriately titled The Rescue, and here explorer extraordinaire Jill Heinerth gives her opinion on the film.

28 Underwater Photography

Following his last article on working the subject, Martyn Guess discusses his thought processes for pre-planning a photography dive to help create stand-out images.

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...continued

Gear & testing

32 Dorset

56 What’s New

38 CCR and photography

58 Test Extra

Who doesn’t like a UK night dive? The anticipation, the excitement, the senses well and truly heightened, the notknowing of what will reveal itself. Back in June, Dorset divers Colin Garrett and his wife Sarah took UK diving deep into the night – 2am, to be precise.

Nicolas Remy looks at the pros and cons of combining the technology of closed-circuit rebreathers with underwater photography.

48 TECH: Sweden

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans looks at news releases to market, including Fourth Element’s OcenPositive beach towel, and their new range of headwear, such as bucket hats and baseball caps. Plus, the Bearskin apresdivewear from Santi Diving.

Scuba Diver Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Adrian Stacey rates and reviews the Suunto EON Steel Black, and Junior Editor Luke Evans gives his opinion on the Fourth Element Hydra drysuit.

Avid cave and mine diver Phil Short goes back to his ‘happy place’ - Langbans Mine in Sweden – a location he describes as being the ‘best mine dive in the world’.

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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

OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED Ningaloo Coast-based photographer Aimee Jan has been announced as the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2021

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imee’s beautiful image of a green sea turtle surrounded by glassfish was captured on the world-famous Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Chosen from thousands of submissions from around the world, it was a unanimous winner among the seven world-renowned Ocean Photography Awards judges.

In second place is Exeter-based photographer Henley Spiers, with a beautiful photograph of diving gannets off the Shetland Islands, Scotland. In third place is Sydney-based photographer Matty Smith, with an image of a hawksbill turtle hatchling heading out to sea for the first time.

This year has also seen the introduction of the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, a new nomination category designed to celebrate inspiring women in ocean photography. LAbased photographer and biology teacher Renee Capozzola has been announced the inaugural winner for her beautiful portfolio of work.

Hannah Le Leu was crowned the Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, Martin Broen took the title of Exploration Photographer of the Year, and Kerim Sabuncuoglu won the Conservation Photographer of the Year. A free outdoor public exhibition alongside the River Thames, on the Queen’s Walk near Tower Bridge, will be open to the public until 17 October.

The Ocean Photography Awards has been produced by Oceanographic Magazine in partnership with Blancpain, Aimee Jan’s overall winning shot

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Kerim Sabuncuoglu was the Conservation Photographer of the Year

Princess Yachts and Tourism Western Australia, and in support of conservation organisation SeaLegacy.

Marc A Hayek, president and CEO of Blancpain, said: “As a keen scuba diver and underwater photographer, I appreciate what it takes to capture extraordinary photographs of the ocean: passion, skill and commitment to your craft. The finalists of the Ocean Photography Awards 2021 display those assets in abundance. Their images reveal the ocean for what it is – or at least what it should be – a place full of life, colour and wonder. They also remind us of the injustices we are inflicting upon it. What a powerful collection of photographs.”

Kiran Haslam, chief marketing officer at Princess Yachts, said: “We are honoured to have seen outstanding images submitted this year; they are of incredible standard, capturing some truly exceptional moments. The images submitted in this year’s OPA, without doubt, poignantly highlight the fact that the most important thing we can do right now is act quickly to protect our planet and our ocean.”

David Templeman, Western Australian Government Tourism Minister, said: “This year’s finalists have done an incredible job, not just in capturing aquatic adventures so evocatively, but in inspiring new audiences to treasure them.”

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Hannah Le Leu was crowned Young Photographer of the Year Renee Capozzola took the Female Fifty Fathoms Award

Martin Broen took the title of Exploration Photographer of the Year

Cristina Mittermeier, co-founder and president of SeaLegacy, said: “The calibre of the images submitted to the second annual Ocean Photography Awards was incredible! I, along with my fellow judges, were challenged and more than impressed by the entries this year. We spent a lot of time discussing the power these images have to inspire people all over the world to advocate for ocean protection. We also spent a considerable amount of time admiring the incredible artistry. Thank you to everyone who entered, and congratulations to this year’s finalists.” www.oceanphotographyawards.com

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ROYAL EVOLUTION JOINS AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES FOR SUDAN SAFARIS

Aggressor Adventures is expanding its fleet of luxurious liveaboard dive yachts in the Red Sea with the addition of the Red Sea RE Aggressor, formerly M/S Royal Evolution.

The Red Sea RE Aggressor hosts up to 24 guests with the finest liveaboard amenities in the southern Red Sea. With this expansion, Aggressor now has three dive yachts operating in Egypt and now to Sudan. The travel company also offers Nile River Cruises from Luxor to Aswan.

Beginning January 2022, the Red Sea RE Aggressor will offer three unique itineraries to Sudan, Deep South Sudan and Deep South Egypt. All Sudan itineraries, along with the Deep South Egypt, depart from and return to Port Ghalib, Egypt, thus avoiding any complexities flying in and out of Sudan itself.

“We are extremely excited to add Sudan to our growing list of destinations. As a shark lover, I get an adrenaline rush just thinking about the addition of the Red Sea RE Aggressor and her southern routes,” says Wayne Brown, Aggressor Adventures Chairman & CEO. “We’ll have dives with schooling hammerheads, thresher, grey reef and silky sharks and whalesharks, all with a backdrop of amazing soft corals. Who could ask for anything more?”

‘Deep South Egypt’ itineraries are eight days and begin

diving at St John’s and Dangerous Reefs. Two days are spent at Zabargad and Rocky Islands, where swift currents draw manta rays, dolphins and silvertip sharks. The week commences with stops at Fury Shoal and Dolphin House.

Fourteen-day ‘Sudan’ itineraries have check-out dives at Fury Shoal before cruising south to the Umbria wreck and the Sanganeb Plateau. Sha’ab Rumi is home to Jacques Cousteau’s Conshelf II underwater structures and fantastic hammerhead, grey and silky shark encounters.

‘Deep South Sudan’ 14-day itineraries are truly one-of-akind dive adventures. The Red Sea RE Aggressor departs from Port Ghalib to the remote Suakin Islands, including Masamarit, Loka and Dahrat Abid. These pristine waters and mostly undiscovered sites offer astounding shark dives with massive schooling hammerheads, whalesharks, grey and silky sharks. The return route north is just as rewarding with visits to Sha’ab Rumi, Abington Reef, Pfeiffer Reef and St John’s Reef.

“Guests can take their Red Sea RE adventure to the next level by adding a relaxing river cruise on the Nile Queen, or Cairo or Luxor exploration to their itinerary. Aggressor travel agents can also customize a land programme specific to each guest’s wants and needs, complete with private transfers, accommodations, and private guided tours,” says Lisa Stierwalt, Travel Agent with Aggressor Adventures. www.aggressor.com

DIVE FATALITIES OFF THE SOUTH COAST AND IN NORTH WALES September proved a bad month for scuba divers in the UK. Two divers are still missing, and presumed dead, after failing to return from a dive on the artificial reef HMS Scylla in Cornwall on Friday 3 September, and a man died during a dive trip off Caernarfon on Sunday 12 September.

In the Cornwall incident, a third diver managed to surface and underwent treatment for DCI at the DDRC in Plymouth.

The trio were diving on the Leander-class frigate in Whitsand Bay, which was sunk in 2004 as a dive attraction and marine habitat, in the late afternoon/early evening, and the alarm was raised to HM Coastguard at 7.45pm.

A major search operation involving the RNLI vessels from

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Plymouth and Looe, a S&R helicopter from Newquay, and Devon and Cornwall Police was conducted into the early hours of Saturday 4 September looking for the missing divers, to no avail.

In North Wales, a multi-agency search involving North Wales Police, a Coastguard Rescue Team, Porthdinllaen and Trearddur Bay RNLI lifeboats, and the search and rescue helicopter from Caernarfon, took place off the Gwynedd coast after the alarm was raised just before 3.30pm on the Sunday. A 64-year-old diver, who had been with a group, failed to resurface with the other divers. Sadly, the man’s body was recovered at around 7pm.

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BDMLR OPENS SEAL HOSPITAL IN CORNWALL

EMPEROR PRICING MEANS NO HIDDEN EXTRAS

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) has opened a purpose-built seal hospital in Cornwall to cater for an increasing number of injured seals found in recent years. The new hospital, which opened its doors at the weekend, has ten pens and is also going to serve as a national training hub for the BDMLR Marine Mammal Medic volunteers.

A CrowdFunder campaign launched back in February helped raise £150,000 towards the cost of the construction of the seal hospital. BDMLR co-ordinator Lizzi Larbalestier said: “We have been caring for pups in various locations around Cornwall, including people’s homes, for over ten years now.

“This hospital will enable all our BDMLR medics to provide the highestquality care for our sick and injured seal pups.”

She added: “Help and donations from local suppliers, and the Cornish community, has enabled us to move from breaking ground to a fully constructed facility in just four months and within a tight budget – just in time for the grey seal pup season.”

WE ARE DIVING IN THE RED SEA AND MALDIVES NOW! Contact us for the latest updates on new flight arrivals

Contact reservations@ emperordivers.com We’re the team to help you go diving again!

DIVE INDUSTRY MOURNS LOSS OF TECH PIONEER DAN BURTON

The diving world is in mourning over the loss of tech diving pioneer and talented underwater photographer and videographer Dan Burton, who died on Saturday 18 September in a tragic paramotor accident in the Scottish Highlands.

Fifty-four-year-old Burton was in the final stages of a challenge to circumnavigate Britain with Conservation Without Borders founder Sacha Dench, and they were using battery-powered paramotors to mark the forthcoming UN climate change conference in Glasgow.

The accident, reported to be a collision between the two paramotors, happened near Loch Na Gainmhich. Dench was said to be seriously injured but in a stable condition. Burton, who was a very experienced paramotor pilot, was renowned around the world for his underwater photography and videography skills, and he was among the first to explore the realms of technical diving with different gas mixes, etc.

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EXPLORE THE RED SEA IN SAUDI ARABIA WITH SCUBA TRAVEL

Dive specialist tour operator Scuba Travel will be running a premium liveaboard – the M/V Typhoon – in the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia from the end of this month.

Designed and built by the award-winning Tornado Marine Fleet, the steel-hulled M/V Typhoon – which will be known as the Saudi Explorer during its time in the country – is set to become the flagship of the fleet and boasts a stylish, modern interior and exterior.

This ship has the ability to sail in all sea conditions due it its steel hull, which also gives it excellent stability.

Throughout the interior of the ship, the tones are neutral and the style modern, with an ‘L’ shaped hotel-style restaurant on the lower deck equipped with a sound system and large HD screen.

None of the cabins on the M/V Typhoon / Saudi Explorer are below deck, affording guests a sea view from every room. The main deck comprises of five en-suite twin cabins and a double suite. The suite situated at the very front of the main deck offers clients spectacular views across the sea and coast. The upper deck has four cabins with double beds convertible into twin beds. All cabins are air conditioned.

The outdoor common areas and the diving area have been designed to meet the expectations of the most-demanding divers. The flybridge has a bar area with photo-video equipment and charging bench. The sundeck is equipped with sunbathing area, deck chairs and jacuzzi. Food, soft drinks and water are included.

In Saudi Arabia, the consumption of alcohol is prohibited, so none will be available on board.

Hammerhead sharks, whalesharks, turtles and so much more await in the southern Red Sea of Saudi Arabia, which

are famed for their pristine coral reefs, including Yanbu and the Seven Reefs. There will be two to three dives a day during the itinerary. www.scubatravel.com

OUR LIVING DPG/WETPIXEL MASTERS UNDERWATER IMAGING COMPETITION DivePhotoGuide (DPG) and Wetpixel are excited to announce the launch of the DPG/Wetpixel Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2021.

The contest celebrates the splendour of the oceans, the skill of the entrants, and the intricate and challenging art of underwater imaging.

For 2021, the contest aims to give back to those that have historically supported the Underwater Competition Series. The global pandemic continues to adversely impact dive travel and underwater imaging brands, so it is our turn to help them in their time of crisis. As such, the contest continues to celebrate its sponsors, but rather than offering sponsor-donated prizes, it will award the winners of each category a simple cash prize of $250. In addition, the Best of Show winner – the top image among the category winners – will receive an additional cash prize of $750!

We call on underwater photographers and videographers

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of all levels, from novice to professional, to join and compete in what has become the ‘World Championship’ of international underwater imagery events.

As well as the cash prizes, there is also huge status and kudos in being placed among the finalists. The selected winners are the world’s best underwater shooters, judged by an all-star panel. Their images and videos will expose millions of dive, travel and photography magazines and websites to their work worldwide.

Winners will be revealed on UnderwaterCompetition. com and published by supporting media partners worldwide shortly thereafter. The entry fees are US$10 per image or video entered. As with all Underwater Competition Series events, 15 percent of entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.

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OUR LIVING OCEANS BRINGS OCEAN CONSERVATION INTO THE HOME

EarthxTV presents a new original series – Our Living Oceans – that reveals the hidden life within our oceans.

In partnership with the Khaled bin Sultan Oceans Foundation (KSLOF), Our Living Oceans engages scientists, conservationists and local leaders from around the world who are working to preserve, protect and restore ocean health.

Episodes feature HRH Princess Hala bint Khaled bin Sultan, National Geographic explorer-in-residence Dr Sylvia Earle, Dr Ved Chirayath of the NASA Ames Research Centre and many more at the front line of ocean research, education and outreach.

Deep-sea submersible pilot and 2013 National Geographic Young Explorer Erika Bergman hosts Our Living Oceans. In the premiere episode, Bergman leads viewers to the beginnings of the ten-year Global Reef Expedition that assessed the health and resiliency of one-fifth of the world’s coral reefs.

Our Living Oceans tells the story of how the ocean has been affected by climate change and the rapid increase of the world’s population over the last 50 years. With amazing ocean footage, the series uncovers what we can do to correct our current course. Dr Earle explains the crisis state that exists with the coral reefs – ‘Since the 1970’s, half of the coral reefs on earth have been lost or are in serious decline’. The health of the coral reefs directly affects humanity as it provides food, income, and protection from storms.

The second episode of the series airs on 20 September. Reefs and Mapping takes a closer look into coral reef research. Bergman speaks with the scientists that created the largest collection of high-resolution coral reef maps, asking the question ‘Can these maps help identify which reefs have a chance of surviving?’

Our Living Oceans will follow the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and their partners on the Global Reef Expedition, in addition to others on the cutting edge of ocean research and advocacy.

Princess Hala, a director on the board of the KSLOF since 2016, and others – marine scientists, educators and communicators – from the Foundation will share their expertise and experience during the course of the series.

Among the contributors is the Foundation’s Director of Science Management, Alex Dempsey, who has been lead benthic scientist in all of the Global Reef Expedition missions.

Marine Ecologist, Renée Carlton; Director of Communications, Liz Thompson; and Director of Education, Amy Heemsoth, will also speak to the Foundation’s work supporting global coral reefs from their unique standpoints.

Alongside experts from the KSLOF, Our Living Oceans will feature Dr Ved Chirayath, whose work at the NASA Ames Research Centre has helped advance remote sensing and mapping of coral reefs; Sylvia Earle, who was the first female chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Angelo Villagomez, an Indigenous Chamorro from the Mariana Islands whose work with the Blue Nature Alliance showcases community support for large marine protected areas; and Ben Halpern, whose research lies at the interface of marine ecology and conservation planning.

Tune into Our Living Oceans at EarthxTV on Mondays 8/7c or catch the show on the EarthxTV app, Roku, Apple TV, Google TV or Amazon Fire TV.

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Ask DAN

DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

How the dive reflex protects the brain and heart

Q: What is the mammalian dive reflex?

A: The mammalian diving response, or ‘dive reflex’, is the way our body automatically prioritises blood delivery to the brain and heart when we hold our breath underwater. When your head is underwater, you are using up the oxygen in your blood and not replacing it by breathing, a condition known as hypoxia. The brain and the heart are exceptionally sensitive to hypoxia, whereas other parts of our body, such as our arms and our legs, can tolerate hypoxia much more easily.

Immersing your face in cold water triggers the trigeminal nerve (also called the fifth cranial nerve) in your face and sends signals to the brain. The brain then activates the vagus nerve (or 10th cranial nerve), which is part of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system helps control things such as our heart rate and breathing without us having to think about it. The vagus nerve slows down the rate at which our heart beats - when it beats more slowly, it doesn’t need as much oxygen to function.

Simply being immersed in water creates a hydrostatic pressure effect on the body that essentially squeezes some of the blood from our extremities back toward our heart.

The vagus nerve also causes certain blood vessels to constrict (called vasoconstriction), subsequently pushing even more blood from our extremities back toward our heart and brain. Immersion of your face in cold water or breath holding can cause these effects, but they are much more pronounced if you hold your breath while also immersing your face in cold water.

Interestingly, there is also a response by our spleen to breath holding underwater. Red blood cells carry oxygen in our blood to our tissues. Extra red blood cells are stored in the spleen and can be added into the blood circulation during times of stress - such as hypoxia, bleeding and strenuous exercise - by the action of splenic contracture. Extra red blood cells allow more oxygen to be carried to where we need it. Some populations of indigenous breath-hold divers, such as the Bajau of Southeast Asia, have developed larger spleens and thus a larger reservoir of red blood cells and better tolerance to hypoxia. Conversely, we don’t see this effect in people who have had their spleen removed.

All diving mammals experience these dive reflexes, although in humans it is less intense than in diving animals.

Elephant seals, for example, can dive to more than 1,500m holding their breath and during migration can spend more than 80 percent of the time underwater. Researchers tracked an elephant seal that breath held to more than 1,200m for two hours.

Whether you fall into the water by accident or you are holding your breath for competition, your brain and heart need oxygen. While we may not be as adept as the elephant seals, you can see how the dive reflex helps to ensure our brain and heart get the oxygen they need when we hold our breath underwater.

If you have a medical question, send an email to medic@dan.org

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WRECK HUNTERS

2022

DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE UK SINCE 1981

It’s finally happening!

Calling would-be undersea detectives for 2022!

Plus, the chance to meet the project director at the Go Diving Show.

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.

Learn all the skills of undersea archaeology, from traditional to cutting edge techniques. If you’re a relatively experienced diver with some 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

www.wreckhunters.co.uk 0117 9596454

WreckHunters__UK.indd 1

All ROHO dry suits for men, women and children are available for MADE TO MEASURE AT NO EXTRA COST. The ROHO team are also available to help you bespoke your suit with size, colour and accessories to make your suit truly original and unique.

AFTER ALL THERE ARE NO TWO DIVERS THE SAME, SO WHY NOT HAVE A DRY SUIT THAT REALLY FITS YOU!

Contact our team on 01924 444888 dive@roho.co.uk

info@wreckhunters.co.uk

18/08/2021ROHO 06:461/2 new.indd 1

22/09/2021 08:38

The National Diving and Activity Centre played host to the inaugural GO Diving Roadshow in mid-September, and exhibitors and visitors made the most of the glorious weather, as Mark Evans explains Photographs by Jason Brown / www.bardocreative.com

EVENT SPONSORED BY

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NDAC isn’t just for divers! There are plenty of family friendly activities to keep the whole clan entertained during a visit - choose from paddleboarding and kayaking to ziplines, a giant swing and the inflatable Aqua Park.

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T

he COVID-19 pandemic swept across the planet just weeks after the GO Diving Show in late-February 2020, and with the continuing disruption through 2021, this premier event had to be postponed until March 2022. However, the GO Diving Show team thought that everyone was in dire need of some form of get-together – and so the GO Diving Roadshow was born.

The National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) near Chepstow was selected as a home for the Roadshow for numerous reasons, the two most-important being location – it is quite centrally located, so ideal to get to from the southwest, London, the east and the northwest – and the vast range of activities on offer, which means it has plenty to keep divers and non-divers, young and old, occupied.

The GO Diving Roadshow – sponsored by Tobago Beyond - was essentially a truncated version of the main event, with exhibitors, workshops and speakers, with the added bonus that at NDAC, attendees could actually go for a dive in the quarry as well! Alongside the diving, there was also the chance to go on the ziplines, try out a paddleboard, or go on the inflatable Aqua Park.

We were extremely lucky with the weather – the forecast said chance of showers and overcast, and we ended up with glorious sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures.

The perfect backdrop for a weekend at NDAC!

Exhibitors

Of course, the central draw of any show are the exhibitors, and in the marquee and the surrounding area, we had a selection of manufacturers, tourist boards, training agencies and resorts, including O’Three, Fourth Element, Nammu Tech, Shearwater Research, Divers Alert Network Europe, Midlands Diving Chamber, Roots Red Sea, British Virgin Islands, NAUI, Tobago Beyond, PADI, Kent Tooling and the Philippines Tourist Board.

DAN Europe were doing diver health checks, with Chantelle Newman.

Miranda Krestovnikoff on stage

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The Aqua Park was fun for all ages!

Helen Frances preparing for a sidemount trydive

Divers and non-divers alike visited the show

Tobago Beyond were the show sponsor

Scuba Diver Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans getting some dive time in with son Luke

Thai cave hero Chris Jewell

TV presenter, adventurer and stuntman Andy Torbet was due to grace the stage with his presence, but alas he was called away at short notice for filming work with a certain Mr Spielberg…

Sally Cartwright gets sized up for some merch

Dates for your diary!

The GO Diving Show returns in 2022 from 4-6 March – we have moved to a bigger venue, the NAEC Stoneleigh, which is even-more centrally located in the middle of the country, so getting there wherever you live is easy, and with more than 11,000 FREE car parking spaces, you don’t have to worry about not being able to find a spot.

You can expect the usual smorgasbord of keynote speakers – once again headed up by the ever-popular Steve Backshall – workshops, trydive pools, interactive displays and, of course, hundreds of exhibitors. www.godivingshow.com

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Speakers

The stage was located in a fenced-in corner of the car park alongside the marquee, and we had TV presenter and author Miranda Krestovnikoff, who waxed lyrical about what diving and waterborne exploits she had been up to during lockdown, and Thai cave rescue hero Chris Jewell, who took us on a whistlestop tour of a few cave adventures he had been on in the past 12 months.

Also taking to the stage over the weekend were deep diver and explorer Phil Short, who regaled the audience with his emotive story about aircraft archaeology and closure for veterans, cave diver John Kendall, who explained the challenges of using photogrammetry techniques in cave systems, underwater photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, who spoke about combining photography with conversation efforts, and Clare Dutton, who showcased the innovative Scuba Escape concept.

TV presenter, adventurer and stuntman Andy Torbet was due to grace the stage with his presence, but alas he was called away at short notice for filming work with a certain Mr Spielberg…

Phil Short, Ian France and Andy Torbet

Plenty of divers took the opportunity to explore NDAC Ellen Cuylaerts spoke about conservation and underwater photography

The quad zipline was always busy

Tim Clements conducting a RedBare CCR trydive

Having the quarry waters right on our doorstep, it made sense to make use of them 20

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Phil Medcalf talking underwater photography

Diving

As we mentioned before, the fantastic thing about being located at a dive site was the fact that attendees could actually go diving! Over the course of the weekend, divers of all ages and levels of certification ventured into the NDAC waters, which are well stocked with a veritable treasure trove of underwater attractions, including armoured vehicles, boats, cars, recompression chambers, diving bells, buses, helicopters, airplanes and much more.

Surface fun and games

The great thing about NDAC is that as well as the awesome diving on offer in the quarry, there are numerous other activities to be enjoyed too. Over the course of the weekend, we had people out on the water on paddleboards, inside a Zorb roller, flying high on a hoverboard, taking to the skies on the ziplines, and scrambling over the inflatable obstacles of the Aqua Park.

Socialising DeeperBlue’s Stephan Whelan catching up with the Fourth Element crew over a morning coffee pre-show

After so long dealing with COVID-19 and all of its associated restrictions, both exhibitors and attendees relished being able to meet up in actual person and talk all things diving. The Friday and Saturday evenings saw the main bar area of The View being the focal point for socializing. n Mark Powell during a skill development session

Workshops

There were both wet and dry workshops at the Roadshow.

Tech guru Mark Powell was running skill development sessions on the Friday in the quarry waters, while on land, underwater photography duo Anne and Phil Medcalf delivered a series of photo seminars on the stage throughout the Friday and the Saturday.

Photography topics included Pimp or switch? (Is it time to upgrade your camera or will accessories give you what you want?), Cracking composition! (How to improve your underwater images without spending money), Don’t let your camera be the boss. (Using manual settings to get better pictures underwater), and Where the light comes in. (Using flash and available light in creative ways).

Ethan Arnold inside the Zorb roller

Trydives

Having the quarry waters right on our doorstep, it made sense to make use of them, so attendees could sign up for a trydive on a RedBare CCR or a sidemount set-up.

Tim Clements was kept busy over the weekend taking people off for a bubble-free experience courtesy of Nammu Tech, while RAID’s Scott Gillham took care of those sampling sidemount for the first time.

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THE RESCUE

National Geographic is releasing a documentary about the Thai cave rescue, appropriately titled The Rescue, and here explorer extraordinaire Jill Heinerth gives her opinion on the film Photographs courtesy of National Geographic

I

n the summer of 2018, the world watched as one of the most unlikely and heroic rescues of all time unfolded in the rainy jungles of Thailand. Although few are unaware of the outcome of the rescue, most viewers will be shocked by the close calls, logistics and fortunate circumstances that made the mission a success.

On 26 October, National Geographic has a special theatrical release of their new documentary film, The Rescue. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the film has already won The People’s Choice Award for Documentaries at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Telling a story this complex is challenging, but the filmmakers got it right. I was riveted with the re-enactments and surprised that so much real-time coverage was available for the edit. Significantly, I was relieved that the filmmakers did their due diligence to celebrate the reported 10,000 people that came together to save the team. The film focuses on the diving team, featuring the hairy logistics of finding and then evacuating the children from what might have been their tomb almost 4km from the cave entrance.

On 23 June, 12 young ‘Wild Boars’ footballers between the ages of 11 and 16 entered the cave with their coach Ekkaphon Chanthawong after practice. The cave beneath the ‘Mountain of the Sleeping Lady’ was a favourite playground for the soccer team and other local kids. On this day, the kids dropped their bicycles at the entrance and headed into the gaping maw of Tham Luang Nang Cave.

The network of passages is over 10km long, with twisting tunnels that thread beneath the Doi Nang Non mountain range. Although seasonal flooding causes closure of the cave each year, on this day, nobody was concerned. The rainy season was still a month away.

As night fell, parents started to get worried that the kids had not returned from practice and the word went out to local authorities. British caver Vern Unsworth, a resident of Thailand, was one of the first to respond to the call. He planned cave mapping efforts that day and was surprised to learn it was flooding. Unsworth knew that they had to act quickly. He advised the Thai government about the dangers of the situation, leading them to bring in the British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC) and Thai Navy SEALs.

John Volanthen in full cave-dive regalia

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He offered ‘Nobody’s to blame, not the coach, not the boys.

They were just very unlucky... It wasn’t just the rain that day, the mountain is like a sponge and waters from earlier rains were raising the levels’. As the rain continued to fall, the underground river became an almost impassable torrent of chocolate brown water. Within five days, the United States Air Force Tactical Rescue Squadron, Australian Federal Police Dive Team, Chinese divers, and others arrived at the entrance, but not enough expert support with the right skills and gear. Teams combed the mountainside for alternate access, and others installed massive pumps to dewater the cave. But Unsworth knew they needed the Cave divers Rick Stanton most-experienced cave rescue divers in the world to assist. and John Volanthen in Thai-based Belgian diver Ben Reymenants, French diver diving gear Maksym Polejaka and other local explorers were busy laying line in the fast water, but they needed help. It was then that Unsworth sent a note requesting the government to fly in Rick Stanton and John Volanthen from England. With the cave water still rising and running faster, Rick and John were the best chance for finding the boys. Few of the team thought that a rescue would ever happen.

In the film, a government official holds up the note from Unsworth, and the scene breaks to England, where we learn about Stanton and Volanthen. If you aren’t a member of the Cave diver Rick cave diving community, you might not know their names. If Stanton preps you saw some of their homemade gear, you might dismiss for dive them as hacks. But these two men have the ingenuity and perseverance that few possess. Contrary to what most might assume, cave diving rescuers are rarely compensated or even reimbursed for their expenses. Most often, cave diving recovery divers pay all of their costs and take personal time to assist during a crisis. They do so out of a sense of community, generosity and knowledge that they are the best practitioners of the sport. Stanton and Volanthen have an unmatched exploration portfolio and have had to respond to complicated cave diving body recoveries on numerous occasions. Beneath their steady outward demeanor in the film are souls affected by the weight of enormous responsibilities brought on by their sheer talent.

When Stanton and Volanthen first entered the cave, they discovered a team of four Thai volunteer pump operators trapped by rising water. Had the chaos outside the cave left these men unsupported and overlooked? What other surprises might the dive team encounter? Extricating the pump workers proved extremely risky, leaving Rick and John to wonder how they could ever Cave divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen evacuate the kids if they could find them. inside cave On 2 July, ten days after the Wild Boars team first entered the cave, Rick and John

As the rain continued to fall, the underground river became an almost impassable torrent of chocolate brown water

Rick Stanton assembling his dive kit

On 2 July, ten days after the Wild Boars team first entered the cave, Rick and John found the children and their coach. They were generally safe but hungry found the children and their coach. They were generally safe but hungry. Four kilometres from the entrance and almost a kilometre below the top of the mountain, 13 lives were in grave danger. Expecting to find bodies, Stanton and Volanthen had prepared themselves for a grim discovery.

When they surfaced in a putrid-smelling vaulted chamber where the team had found high ground, they were shocked by the boys declaring ‹thank you!’ While I was working on a film in Greenland, I recall watching the news and thought I heard Stanton or Volanthen say ‹believe’ repeatedly and ‹how many of you are there?’ I wasn’t sure if they were convincing the children that help would soon return, or whether they were convincing themselves that what they were seeing was real. In either case, the British pair were distraught that the possibility for rescue was extremely slim and that the fresh faces they just met would not reach the surface alive.

Volanthen, a scout leader, shot a video of the boys for the waiting families and delivered it to the Thai Navy SEALs waiting in the Sump 3 Chamber. Even before Stanton and Volanthen had left the cave, the world was watching his video on news channels everywhere. It was time to celebrate, but the cave diving team knew the work had barely begun. There were few options for rescue before the rainy season would flood the passages to the ceiling.

Other circumstances were presenting a dire situation. The unsanitary conditions in the damp cave chamber were

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leading to health issues among some of the boys. Although mentally strong, the kids were frail and hungry, and the oxygen levels were dropping as the carbon dioxide levels rose. With every breath, conditions were worsening.

As Thai Navy SEALs headed into the cave with food, medical supplies and emergency blankets, the British cave divers were asked to serve as advisors. Stanton and Volanthen knew their services would be required again, so they produced a list of critical people needed on site.

The dive to reach the kids would take up to six hours, with a return time of five hours. Strong currents, zero visibility, and squeezes as tiny as 38cm x 72cm would make the dives difficult and successful rescue seemingly impossible.

Fortunately, the heavy rains broke, giving the pump teams a chance to make progress. They eventually removed approximately one billion litres of water from the cave, a critical task for lowering the levels and reducing the torrent of fast water.

Still, they needed a miracle. As the families prayed outside the cave, Stanton convinced Dr Richard Harris, an anaesthesiologist, cave diving explorer and wilderness medicine expert, to fly in from Australia with his diving partner, Craig Challen. The two would consider an audacious plan that would involve rendering the children unconscious to get them out. But as the only anaesthetist, Harris would need to train the rescue team of fellow cave divers to monitor respirations and inject medications while evacuating

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Tham Luang Nang Non is a karstic cave complex beneath Doi Nang Non, a mountain range on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. It is 10km long and has many deep recesses, narrow passages and tunnels.

Cave diver emerges from water

Divers working through the cave

the kids. Success was unlikely, and if the plan failed, his decisions might land Dr Harris inside the Thai judicial system.

Despite the chaos of the events, the movie excels in its well-paced presentation. The directors allow the footage to breathe, leaving viewers at the edge of their seats. The production is sparse and straightforward. Interviews with members of the rescue team are darkly lit like the cave and presented with the stoic matter-of-factness of the unshakeable men. Hints of emotion from the rescuers offer a more-profound reality that these cave divers sometimes practice their craft in the places where friends have died.

You cannot see their faces without recognizing that each man carries heavy grief from their life experiences.

It would be impossible to capture the contributions of everyone involved in the mission in one short documentary.

Still, the directors did an excellent job of accurately piecing together the viewpoints of the rescue cave divers while noting the contributions of the international groups that came together to climb, pump, organize and comfort.

Roughly 10,000 people contributed to the efforts from nearly 100 government agencies. Police officers, military units, volunteers, engineers, doctors, priests, and cooks came A diver swims through an underwater cave

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Jason Mallinson rappels down industrial site

The Rescue premiere

The Rescue will have a one-night-only premiere event in the UK and Ireland on Tuesday 26 October, before opening in cinemas on Friday 29 October. https://films.nationalgeographic.com/the-rescue together with optimism to pull off one of the most-inspiring events in diving history.

On 10 July, Richard Harris brought the last child out, moments before a major dewatering pump failed. The last rescuers abandoned equipment to escape the air-filled spaces as the water again flooded to the ceiling. The story is one of hope, success but also great sacrifice. One cannot forget that retired Thai SEAL Saman Kunan lost his life delivering supplies to the children, and SEAL diver Beirut Pakbara died from a blood infection contracted during the rescue. Harris also suffered a significant loss, learning of his father’s passing soon after leaving the cave.

From a grateful cave diving community, I want to express my congratulations and thanks to everyone on the rescue team. You are the pride of our sport, offering the world both hope and optimism in a dark time. n

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PLANNING A PHOTOGRAPHY DIVE

Following his last article on working the subject, Martyn Guess provides some insight into his thought process when pre-planning a photography dive to help create stand out images Photographs by Martyn Guess

M

y last couple of articles have looked at different photography techniques and observing behaviour to get some more interesting images.

I touched on planning ahead in these articles and I recommend readers check them out and refresh their memories as I want to expand on the planning aspect.

I see a lot of budding photographers that turn up to dive and the only pre-dive decision they have made is maybe the choice of lens they will be using, be it macro or wide angle. In part, the decision is already made for them by the destination they are diving, such as a muck-diving macro location or a blue-water shark dive, for example, or maybe they are using a compact camera with a fixed lens.

When diving they react to what subjects and scenes are in front of them. This is, of course, fine, and I know that when reacting to opportunities some good photographs are taken, but with a bit of pre-planning and thinking, maybe a different lens choice or technique can be planned and then brought into action and some more pleasing and different images created. A lot of photographers get into the water and then forget to try different techniques, camera settings or types of lighting or strobe positions as they go into a safe mode and just want to get a shot in the ‘bag’. It is perhaps only when they are back at their computer that they start to think about what if I had tried opening the aperture or back lighting Image 1. Turtle silhouette. The camera was set up for this shot as I knew there were a lot of turtles the subject, or using on the site and I planned ahead.

1/320th F18 no strobes inward lighting techniques

Image 2. Motion blur grey seal.

Dark overcast day so I pre-planned for this type of shot and set up my cam-era in advance 1/8th Sec ISO 100 F16

or made a silhouette (Image 1) or tried slow motion blur (image 2). Thinking specifically about different techniques to adopt before diving, taking into account the time of the day and conditions, will help concentrate the mind. As an aide memoire, I print cribs and messages to myself and stick these on the back of the camera housing and recommend this to help you remember what you have planned.

My thought process starts from notes taken during a previous trip and at home before a new trip. I am an avid note taker, and I will review the notes I made of what happened on a trip, camera settings and type of lighting for certain types of images that worked or failed, equipment used or required. I then compile a synopsis which is usually made sitting on a plane coming home. When I go on the next trip, I refer to these notes beforehand and start to plan what I want to achieve. I will usually have seen an image or two from another photographer that I like and plan to try something similar, or perhaps I had tried something which didn’t quite work on the last trip so I plan how I can achieve

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A lot of photographers get into the water and then forget to try different techniques, camera settings or types of lighting or strobe positions as they go into a safe mode and just want to get a shot in the ‘bag’

Image 3. Blue shark in the evening light.

I pre-planned the time of day to dive having regard to the bright sunshine

BIOGRAPHY MARTIN GUESS

Image 4. Caribbean reef sharks – overcast and stormy day so pre-planned to take this slow motion shot

the image I am after. This approach works very well for me and whiles the hours away sitting on a plane or coach! When I am on a trip, I then refine my plan by reference to the best time of day to get the light I want (Image 3), the equipment and accessories like diopters, magnifiers, strobe set up, Snoots, etc, that I plan to dive with.

By way of example - I like motion blur images. I may therefore plan to use the technique before a dive. I look at previous images I have taken that I am happy with to check out my settings in advance – what worked best and then on the day of the dive I take in to account the weather, the natural light, the depth, etc, that I will be diving to consider if this type of shot is feasible. If, for example, it is an overcast day, then I am going to plan shots of this nature as lower natural light levels are a real help with the very slow camera speeds required (Image 4). Maybe I need to take a neutral density filter with me to reduce the light that will hit the sensor with very slow shutter speeds or maybe I need to plan to dive deeper where there is not so much natural light.

Another example of planning ahead might be where I dived a site recently and am going to do it again. If I know there is a subject on the site which will look great with backlighting, such as a rhinopias (Image 5) or a leaffish (Image 6)

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. or a seahorse. (Image 7), I will typically then check out some previous successful images in my library, look at the settings and then make sure the torch I am going to use is in my pocket and that my buddy knows how to use it (Much easier to explain on dry land than underwater!). During a trip the same dives will probably be undertaken a few times and therefore you will already have an awareness of what you are likely to see. If not, the guides will tell you at the briefing of course but you might need to chat to them in advance so that you can prepare with lens choice, lighting, settings, accessories, etc.

I strongly recommend that you look at pictures in magazines, and images that appear in competitions and where you can, other photographers work on their websites.

You will quickly find images that inspire you and that you want to try and create yourself. Learn about the techniques that were used to create the images you like and then plan to practice wherever you have the opportunity.

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Image 5. Lacey rhinopias -torch back lit with a tiny amount of front lighting.

I pre planned the tech-nique knowing the subject was on the site

The two techniques I have referred to in this article to plan before a dive are easy to master. Check out the specific article I wrote for this magazine for motion blur images.

Back Lighting

You can use a strobe with a piece of old wetsuit arm attached to reduce the light beam, but I prefer to use a narrow beam torch, which is far easier to position than a strobe attached to an arm. I either place the torch behind the subject if it is safe to do so and nothing is going to be disturbed or alternatively get my buddy or dive guide to hold the torch for me, which does require the pre-planning that I have mentioned as they need to know what you want them to do (Image 8). Back lighting will work very well for an interesting shaped subject or one with a hairy or lacey edge, such as the rhinopias in image 5 or seahorse in image 7. Something which will become translucent such as the leaf fish in image 6 is worthy of backlighting and will create a memorable image. The technique will hide a messy background and will elevate an image to something memorable. You can just rely on the back light itself so turn off your strobes and position yourself in front of the subject where you can’t see the torch beam. You will see just the light around the edge of the subject. You might need to lower the camera speed to see the outline of the light around the edge of the subject. You can also use one strobe on a low setting to light the front of the subject and the backlight to create a bright edge. The image of the rhinopias is an example of back lighting where a blip of light illuminates the front and shows off the wonderful skin pattern. A backlight strobe will give you a much bigger light so has to be positioned well out of the frame.

With wide angle backlighting the use of a remote trigger

Image 6. Leaffish with strong torch back lighting – I pre-planned this technique knowing I would find this subject

will enable the strobe to Image 7. Seahorse with torch backlighting and a little front strobe light. Pre-planned technique as I be fired and positioned knew I would find this subject out of sight of the camera. This type of remote lighting must be preplanned with your buddy which again goes back to my planning ethos. There are quite a few well known back lit images of a motorbike from the Thistlegorm wreck in the Red Sea, which are a great example of the impact that can be created with this technique.

The next time you go on a photography dive, think before you go about what sort of shots you want to achieve. Research the technique you will need and the best settings for the equipment to be used before you dive. I am confident that pre-planning will help your images improve and help to create a diverse portfolio of images. n

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U

nder the artificial illumination of diver’s torches and video lights, the underwater world after sunset can be transformed into something spectacular. A dive site that is visited regularly throughout the daylight hours can completely change when revisited at night, and a whole new world of marine creatures be visible.

I have dived Chesil Cove at Portland in Dorset hundreds of times at night, it is my favourite time for filming and photographing the many animals that either visit here throughout the year, or simply call this cove at the mostsoutherly end of Chesil Beach their home.

Diving at night during the summer months does come with a drawback however - it takes a fair amount of dedication to wait for the sun to set before venturing into the inky blackness, and even then at around 10pm, I have often found myself asking ‘Is this truly a night dive?’ as the sun has usually only just dipped below the horizon and topside, at least, there is still a good amount of ambient light.

Thus, an idea I have had for many years now - but always seemed to put to one side - is, ‘what would it be like to go diving in the month of June exactly halfway between the sun setting and the sun rising?’ Would more nocturnal animals be out and about? Would they be more active? Would they be more approachable? So many questions, the urge to find out was becoming increasingly stronger.

In 2019, I had the pleasure of working alongside TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff and her team, assisting them with the BBC One Show film ‘Ray at Night’, whereby we went in search of undulate rays off Chesil Cove. I had mentioned the idea about my midsummer night excursion with Miranda while walking along the famous shingle bank – and to this day can recall her smile and response, a very simple and enthusiastic ‘do it.’

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Who doesn’t like a UK night dive? The anticipation, the excitement, the senses well and truly heightened, the not-knowing of what will reveal itself. Back in June, Dorset divers Colin Garrett and his wife Sarah took UK diving deep into the night – 2am, to be precise Photographs by Colin Garrett

Gurnards are distinctive bottomliving fish with large heads and eyes. The head is protected by large bony plates and spines, and the lower three rays of the pectoral fins are separate, finger-like processes that contain sensory organs.

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Red mullet are a species of goatfish, easily recognisable for their colouration and barbels under the chin.

Bull huss

2020 came and went, COVID-19 basically bringing most UK diving to a halt. There was the odd dive here and there, but in the grand scheme of things, the year was pretty much a nothing year and many of us yearned for 2021 and a slight sense of some normality again. Normality for myself, however, meant getting this dive done – and with the summer months soon upon us, I set my date as 6 June. I was on holiday this week so it helped a fair bit not having to worry about getting up for work the same morning. The evening before the dive we set up all our dive gear ready for our early morning venture, making sure our torches had batteries that were fully charged. Happy in the knowledge all was well, we loaded the car up and went to bed with the alarm set. It seemed before we even knew it the alarm was going off, so bleary eyed we got up, donned our wetsuits and made the short journey from our home in Weymouth to Chesil Cove. It was now around 1.30am. Arriving at the cove, where parking – unsurprisingly – wasn’t an issue, we kitted up in the dead of night beneath an incredibly star-filled sky and the only sound being that on the smallest of wavelets breaking over the pebbles. Conditions couldn’t have been better, and we were ready to go – it was now 2am.

Beneath the surface our torches lit up the darkness, just as they had done so many times before. On this occasion however, as we started to head out to sea, it felt very different indeed. The feeling one gets when you have waited so long for something and finally the day of reckoning arrives. I was now wide awake.

These highly intelligent animals are always a delight to see underwater WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

As we approached the skeletal remains of the Preveza wreck, which lies in 6m-8m of water, several lobster were patrolling the seafloor – looking like blue armoured tanks under the video lights – as they investigated the many holes and crevices for a potential meal.

Leaving the wreck, we immediately sighted a fair-sized bull huss swimming effortlessly over the rocks and seaweed in search of prey. These little sharks are quite common all along Chesil Beach, but are usually seen by divers resting on the bottom.

As we continued seaward, another creature of the night – the common squid – came in to look us over, perhaps attracted by our torches. These highly intelligent animals are always a delight to see underwater and, as you look into their eyes, it often feels like a case of who is watching who?

Beyond the rocks and seaweed, the seabed turns to sand, and it wasn’t long before we spotted a very large blonde ray. Over the last few years, we seem to be seeing less and less rays here – of all species – for whatever reason, so it was hugely exciting to see such a large and mature male. Our attention was soon drawn to a beautiful red gurnard. These brightly coloured fish look incredible under torchlight at night and few divers I doubt would be able to resist taking a photo – the red colouration of their body is so vivid and their eyes an amazing blue and yellow that is quite mesmerising.

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These sandy patches at Chesil Cove are also good areas to regularly spot cuttlefish, red mullet and juvenile conger eels, and on this particular dive there were plenty out and about searching for prey. In the sand itself however our attention was immediately drawn to a truly nocturnal animal, the night anemone (Halcampoides elongatus). These burrowing anemones, which during the daylight hours retract into the sediment, are not often seen by divers and this was a first for us despite all our years of earlier night dives here.

Around this point, I had really begun to feel that the decision to get up for this 2am adventure had been the right one. The encounters just kept on coming - colourful dahlia and strawberry anemones, strange-looking topknot and large ballan wrasse to name but a few. But sadly, after around 40 minutes – and after checking our dwindling air – it was time to start heading back towards shore to our entry and exit point.

Arriving back at the Preveza, we did our three-minute stop to off gas some of the nitrogen absorbed throughout the dive and I still found my eyes being drawn to more night time activity. Yellowish green European eels moved in and out of the pebbles, weed-covered spider crabs looked for scraps of food in the shallows, and above us a lone compass jellyfish drifted by. I remember smiling at this point, knowing we had just done something quite special and to the best of my knowledge, we are the only two people to dive here at this time of day.

Safely on the beach, we removed our masks, regulators and neoprene hoods before simultaneously reciting the highlights of the last hour - it was clear that we had both thoroughly enjoyed it. The sheer variety of wildlife underwater had been almost overwhelming, and then – as we made our way up the pebbles – we were given one final treat, for just a few feet away, a fox decided to stroll leisurely by completely uninterested in us being there. It was a surreal moment. Back at the car, we removed our kit and got changed before reflecting on what we had just done, seen and achieved. The idea of diving at this time had now become a reality and it had certainly lived up to my expectations. I truly believe, from what we witnessed, is that the animals are far more active at this time than on our previous earlier night dives.

Seeing the night anemone had been fascinating and after a bit of reading up on the animal afterwards, it became apparent that this really is a true ‘creature of the night’ and an animal I have never seen at Chesil Cove before, despite the fact I have dived here many hundreds of times under the cover of darkness. This finding has led Sarah and I to the question of ‘would we do this dive again?’ It certainly is fair to say that it took an enormous amount of dedication to get the dive done, but in hindsight the simple answer is ‘yes’. It was a fantastic dive with life everywhere we looked. There is also a warm sense of knowing that we had done something that we hadn’t heard of being done before.

We are now looking forward to and dreaming about next summer… n

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H

aving spent 800-plus hours taking photos while on a rebreather, I certainly see several pros and cons to consider, before you invest $1,000s on training and equipment. In this article, I will review how rebreathers benefit underwater photography, but also highlight the specific challenges they come with.

Using examples from my own experience, I will hopefully help you decide whether getting a rebreather is the right thing for your photographic journey.

The pros

Perhaps the most sought-after advantage of rebreathers is getting closer to wildlife. With no bubbles and no first stage regulator noise, welcome to a true silent world! Most marine critters will welcome the change too, allowing you to get closer. I dove ‘le Graillon’, a popular shoredive in the French Riviera for four years without ever seeing the endangered dusky grouper in that spot. The first time my wife Lena and I dived with rebreathers there, we saw three! As soon as we heard bubbles in a distance, the grouper nearby went to hide. Even in places where fish are more comfortable with divers, such as Sydney’s shore dive sites, my rebreather gets me a tad closer to subjects.

As we all know, getting just 50cm closer makes a big difference in underwater photography.

Rebreathers also make it easier to get below large animals and frame upwards wide-angle compositions, without bubbles ruining the shot or spooking the creature. When diving Manta Bommie (Stradbroke Island, Australia) last year, I didn’t have to hold my breath while manta rays slowly cruised towards me.

At some point, Lena was shouting in her loop to get my attention, as I didn’t notice the manta stationed just above my head.

How often did you curse your SPG when shortage of gas meant you had to ascend and leave a great photo subject? Rebreathers are game-changers on bottom time - my closed-circuit rebreather gets me three

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hours of no-deco diving at 20m. For deeper or longer dives, decompression accumulates slower as you’re breathing an optimized gas mix. This extra time opens lots of possibilities underwater - covering long distances, exploring further, and navigating back and forth regardless of currents (within reason). There is just more flexibility in planning a dive. For example, my wife and I sometimes dive ‘The Leap’, a drift dive at the entrance of Botany Bay (Sydney), which is dived on an incoming tide, with the tide helping divers reach the exist steps, 350 metres into the bay. When it suits our photographic goals, we jump at slack time, spending two hours near the entry point, and then another hour swimming against the current and taking extra photos over 300 metres. There is also flexibility to amend the dive plan, depending on which photographic opportunities appear underwater.

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It is no secret that rebreathers bring key advantages to underwater image-makers, yet they are also more complex to dive and maintain than traditional scuba gear. Underwater photography being a gear-intensive activity by itself, you may wonder, would it be wise to combine the two? Nicolas Remy offers an insight Photographs by Nicolas and Lena Remy

Rebreathers have actually been around far longer than traditional scuba equipment. In fact, the first basic rebreather based on carbon dioxide absorption was patented in France in 1808 by Pierre-Marie Touboulic, a mechanic in Napoleon’s Imperial Navy.

Rebreathers allow getting closer to wildlife

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Without bubbles sharks came close enough for a shot with my model-wife

A very slow approach and the absence of bubbles saw me floating perfectly still, a metre away from this school of barracudas

Lena takes a closeup portrait of a wobbegong shark

With ample time before me, I spent 30 minutes photographing this stargazer striking on preys, until I captured the peak of the action

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Last time I dived Australia’s famous Fishrock, I spotted a large shadow in the distant blue, the opposite direction from the mooring I was heading towards. Could it be the elusive school of hammerheads, which sometimes visit the rock? Fair enough, I had spent a long time at depth already, reaching ten minutes of mandatory safety stop, but my dive computer said that another five minutes at that depth would only increase my safety stop by one extra minute… Yes, I will be fighting a bit of a current on the way back, but hey, after two hours of diving I had only consumed 50 bar on my three-litre oxygen tank, so there was ample gas available…

All-in-one, a rebreather allows you to maximize photographic opportunities, within the limits of your experience, equipment and surface commitments.

Sometimes, the photographer’s challenge isn’t getting closer to marine life… but away from fellow homo sapiens!

Fishrock (Australia) features a photogenic 120-metre swimthrough ocean cave, often visited by many divers, and such abundant company makes it hard to strike a pleasant composition. With no constraints on gas consumption, we happily let groups pass by, wave them bye-bye, and enjoy this beautiful underwater studio just for ourselves. Same thing on the Umbria wreck (Sudan) a few years back - we waited for other divers to leave, let the visibility settle down, and only then started shooting the famous three Fiat cars.

Communication for photo buddies is always a challenge, but it is made easier with rebreathers. It took us a while to get used to ‘speaking’ in a breathing loop, and though we’re not really formulating sentences, we can understand simple sounds that convey a meaning. For example, if I call my wife’s name and she hears me (easier when there are no open-circuit divers nearby), she will look towards me and understand from my signals if I need her to strike a pose, or just want to show her something. If Lena is adjusting the position of a snoot for backlighting, I will make appreciative sounds to tell her when I like the lighting. This way, I can give her feedback without looking away from the viewfinder.

Lastly, rebreathers are very stable to dive - the breathing gas circulates between the unit’s counterlungs and your lungs, without gas losses (for closed-circuit rebreathers), meaning without buoyancy changes. Think macro shoots where you cannot lay down on the seafloor, this extra stability can be pretty helpful.

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The cons

However, this stability comes at the expense of… flexibility.

Gone are the days where I could just take a deep breath and find myself ‘hopping’ away from the photo subject.

My lungs were a sophisticated buoyancy compensator which I controlled just with my mind, how amazing is that? On a rebreather, depth changes mean additional gas consumption - those three-litre tanks can last hours… provided you avoid going up and down the reef too much.

You get used to it though, rebreather divers learn to swim around obstacles, instead of above or below.

Another issue is the Work Of Breathing - traditional scuba equipment is comfortable to breath in any position, since the regulator constantly has 10 bar extra pressure of gas to push in our mouth, all we need is to let it flow. On a rebreather though, breathing gas circulates only with the action of your lungs (pumping in/out). In standard diving position (nearly horizontal, torso slightly up) most rebreathers are very comfortable to breathe. Getting upside down to photograph that fish hidden between rocks is another story. I simply don’t do this anymore.

Also, a rebreathers’ mouthpiece is bulkier than a second stage regulator, especially when a bailout valve is fitted. This will be a problem with DSLRs, where you must look through the viewfinder - you may not be able to get close enough. I have resolved that issue by installing an external 45 degrees viewfinder onto my housing.

In the maintenance department, pre and post-dive procedures will take longer with a rebreather. Pre-dive, the rebreather needs to be properly assembled and tested (for batteries, leaks, and key functions), and post-dive it needs to be rinsed, disassembled and dried. It takes me around 30 minutes to assemble my rebreather (bit less when I don’t need to change the CO2 absorbent), and around the same for full post-dive care, which can be shortened when I am diving again the following day.

In the water, ‘flying’ a rebreather involves extra tasks, even on non-decompression dives. Along with BCD and drysuit, there is a new volume of gas to look after buoyancy-wise - your lungs and the breathing loop. You can still release gas from your nose, but you will need to push buttons to add gas (how often depends on the type of rebreather). Moreover, a rebreather diver must frequently monitor the oxygen mix that he/she is breathing to ensure it remains safe, and add oxygen or diluent accordingly.

This can be done pushing buttons, but as a photographer, I chose to dive an electronic rebreather which will automate some oxygen additions and free my hands. Yet, electronics may fail, so it is critical for the diver to keep awareness of the gas mix and take manual actions when/if needed.

I am very satisfied with the possibilities which rebreathers have opened for my photographic pursuit, and although they come with some disadvantages, I would not look back

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A pair of dusky grouper fighting during breeding season. A rare event that we could observe and photograph up-close

Getting up close without disrupting the circling grey nurse sharks

Open-circuit buddies had to ascend after an hour, but we could keep on enjoying the sponge gardens of Old Man’s Hat (Sydney, Australia) for an extra 30 minutes

Lastly, rebreather support isn’t available everywhere, especially in remote places. CO2 absorbent can be shipped ahead of the trip, Nx32 will suffice if you dive a semi-closed rebreather. For closed circuit rebreathers, the dive centre will have to fill 100 percent oxygen tanks. Depending on your specific rebreather model, you might be restricted to using specific two- or three-litre tanks, which you will need to travel with, if they aren’t available to rent locally.

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Having extra time in the Umbria wreck, we waited for the visibility to settle down, before photographing the famous Fiat cars

The SS Umbria, built in 1912 in Hamburg, was sunk off Wingate Reef near Port Sudan on 9 June when her captain scuttled her to prevent the Allies getting hold of the munitions stored within her holds - and they are still there to this day.

All-in-one, a rebreather allows you to maximize photographic opportunities, within the limits of your experience, equipment and surface commitments After waiting for fellow divers to pass through Fishrock Cave, we had more privacy to photograph the wobbegong team

Conclusion

All-in-one, I am very satisfied with the possibilities which rebreathers have opened for my photographic pursuit, and although they come with some disadvantages, I would not look back. Over the years, I have had many experiences which I couldn’t have on traditional scuba gear, be it witnessing rare animal behaviours, getting closer, or exploring dive sites further from the crowd.

The extra logistics did lead me to discard specific dive destinations here and there, but the world is big, and I never found myself out of travel options.

Besides, the trend of recreational rebreather diving is picking up, manufacturers are releasing models that are simpler to maintain and travel with, so I expect the support for these great tools to only expand, and see more and more photographers diving one! n

WANT TO SEE MORE?

For more images from Nicolas and Lena, visit their website, www.nicolaslenaremy.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @nicolaslenaremy

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SCUBA EQUIPMENT CARE THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN

In this final part of the series of four articles, we discuss the role of the service technician.

A technician is specially trained and certified to do maintenance on your dive equipment

T

he equipment you purchased comes with a user manual. It can be a printed version, or digital media on the manufacturer’s website. I know, we are here for diving, not reading, but this manual has important information. It will specify how to take care of your equipment, and explain when maintenance is needed to keep the warranty valid. Some manufacturers have specific requirements that you should be aware of.

The service technician

This amazing person has gone through specific training with one or more manufacturers and is licensed as a kind of a ‘doctor’ for your diving gear. They will take it apart, change faulty or broken parts, reassemble the unit and restore it to working order. Service technicians usually work for a dive shop. They might not be able to service equipment from every manufacturer, but they will be able to point you in the right direction should they not be able to service your equipment. Some of you might be service technicians, but most aren’t. Just to avoid any confusion, here are some guidelines to determine if you are one or not.

You are not a service technician if: • You don’t know how to assemble and disassemble your equipment.

• You think you know how to service gear but don’t have any training from the manufacturer.

• You fix problems with duct tape.

• You don’t have the appropriate tools or spares.

• You don’t have a valid service technician certificate from the manufacturer.

If one or more of the above applies to you, don’t service dive equipment – leave it to the pros.

Periodic maintenance

Most people think regulators needs to be serviced once a year. You may be surprised to learn that isn’t always true.

Maintenance schedules are actually written in the user manual. Most manufacturers require annual servicing, but some use a longer time interval. And it isn’t only about time, but also how often the regulator is used. The manual might say you need service annually, or every 100 dives or diving hours, whichever comes first.

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Although there are no requirements for periodic maintenance on a wetsuit or a simple mask, full diving masks, drysuits and BCD are another matter. Check the manual to see if your equipment needs periodic maintenance and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

As pressure vessels, cylinders require visual and hydrostatic testing; national laws specify the exact maintenance intervals. Don’t forget that the same law applies to pony bottles and Spare Air cylinders. It is also worth mentioning that valve replacement should be done by a technician. It is simple, but that doesn’t mean you should do it yourself. Threads and valves can be damaged as a result of improper disassembly and assembly. Finally, if your cylinder falls on its valve, have it checked by a technician as the valve or threads could be damaged.

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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Call in the technician

Imagine you found a problem that you couldn’t fix yourself, for example replacing a small O-ring in a low-pressure hose fitting. If you don’t know how to do it, are not trained, or don’t have the right tools, you should bring it to a technician.

If you don’t have the right tools, you can cause damage.

A leaking valve (drysuit or BCD) might need to be opened for cleaning or might need replacement. This is actually relatively easy to do, but again consult the user manual to see if you are allowed to do it yourself. When we disassemble components, such as pressure release valves or replace them, there might be parts such as O-rings or seals that need to be replaced before reassembly. Also make sure the components you replace are from the same manufacturer as the old one.

The MacGyver do-it-yourself technician

Be aware of this kind of technician. Fortunately, they are easy to recognise. Something breaks when you are about to enter the water and you don’t have spare parts? No worries; here he comes with strings, cord, tie wraps and duct tape.

Nothing is too difficult for him. If your drysuit or BCD keeps inflating, he will suggest you disconnect the hose when it’s not needed. He will do everything in his power to save your dive. It all seems too good to be true, until you discover the problem is not fixed and you end up having an emergency.

Take spares with you on every dive trip, but also be responsible —call the dive if you can’t fix a problem.

Usually the certificate lists the type and brand of item serviced and the serial number WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Have a dive centre and do maintenance yourself?

That is fine, if you are trained and certified for it. If not, then you have a safety and liability issue. And remember that the dive centre’s equipment is used frequently, sometimes on a daily base. That means that service will need to be done more often.

Proper servicing

When your equipment is serviced by a certified technician, they typically give you the old or broken parts. It’s a way that a professional proves that they serviced and repaired your gear. You should also get a maintenance certificate that proves the service or repair was done by a professional.

Usually the certificate lists the type and brand of item serviced and the serial number. This avoids questions when there is a problem, including possible warranty issues.

How to maintain the health of your equipment

In this series we looked at how we should keep dive equipment in good condition. If you want to know more, check with your instructor or dive centre and ask if they have equipment specialty courses. There you will not only learn more about how your equipment works, but also how to maintain it in a good (and safe) condition.

The value of your life and equipment is too high to underestimate the need for proper maintenance. The time and investment needed to maintain your gear properly is relatively small and will ensure that you can dive with peace of mind. n

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beyond technical

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Avid cave and mine diver Phil Short goes back to his ‘happy place’ - Langbans Mine in Sweden – a location he describes as being the best mine dive in the world Photographs by Erik Matteusson and Anders Torstensson

From a divers’ perspective, the mine is managed with permission and support of the mine museum by a group of Swedish technical divers along with several other mines in Sweden. So access to dive is easily arranged, starting with an orientation that includes a guided tour of the surface features including the six-plus shafts leading down to the flooded levels

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It looks like a scene from either an Indiana Jones movie or an Abandoned Gold Mine ride at a theme park but, it’s real!

Langbans Mine

A

s you descend a wooden stairwell ahead, you make out the image of a railway line, a little further and it comes into focus, running from right to left, emerging from a small tunnel to the right and continuing out over a void in a huge chamber. The rails cross this void on a bridge, suspended from the roof of this enormous hall by huge chains fixed to the wall and ceiling. It looks like a scene from either an Indiana Jones movie or an Abandoned Gold Mine ride at a theme park but, it’s real!

Langbans Mine

This bridge lies at 70m of depth some way into the Langbans Mine in Sweden, an amazing time capsule of industrial archaeology.

Langbans Mine is situated in farmland Sweden, the nearest city being Filipstad. The mine at Langbans was mined from 1711 to 1972, but has traces from as early as the 15th century. The area and specifically the mine has been described as one of the most mineral rich places in the world having produced over 270 different minerals. The prime purpose of the mine, however, was the extraction of iron ore later processed on site in the Langbanshyttan blast furnace from the 16th century until 1933. Also the mine is famous as one of the factory manager’s sons, John Ericsson, the Swedish inventor known for the screw propellor and the Monitor battleship, was born and raised here.

From a divers’ perspective, the mine is managed with permission and support of the mine museum by a group of Swedish technical divers along with several other mines in Sweden. So access to dive is easily arranged, starting with an orientation that includes a guided tour of the surface features including the six-plus shafts leading down to the flooded levels. Although most of these can be visited and passed under during dives in the mine, all diving activities

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take place from one entrance point where kitting up benches, platforms and stairways into the water have been constructed, making access easy.

The water temperature is a constant 6 degrees C at all depths, so for Scandinavian mines in general ‘warm’, and crystal clear with ten metres plus of visibility usual.

As with most mines, the galleries were dug to follow ‘seams’ of ore and are formed in levels. The most common accessible, lined levels in Langban are 21m, 40m, 55m and 75m and the original miners’ maps have been reproduced and the guide lines added, making a dive simple. The levels are connected in several places, including the ‘Loka’ shaft that goes from its surface winch building (still intact and

Phil ready to dive

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www.narkedat90.com flight of wooden stairs to the 70m level before crossing a huge hall and entering the ‘Loka’ shaft at 80m and continuing to its base and the room beyond from there… and, of course, reversing the whole route and decompressing to return.

The first phase of our set-up/build-up dives was to put all the gear the two of us would need into the mine and then make a series of dives to ‘stage’ the bailout and deco gases and lay the directional markers and jump lines at all junctions on the route. Next, we had to take air cylinders to fill the two decompression habitats ready for use. They hold their air for many days or weeks, but not forever, so occasionally need topping up. We do not breathe the habitat environment, rather we keep the CCR loop in the mouth throughout the deco, but being dry significantly increases the warmth, for example the 6m habitat with two divers in after about half an hour of deco has risen to 12 degrees C or more rather than the frigid 6 degrees C of the water. A huge difference on a four-plus hour run time!

The bailout requirement necessitated five different Trimix blends plus pure Oxygen and several of the Trimix blends required two cylinders of each to allow safe bailout from a worse-case scenario of CCR failure at the furthest/ deepest point of penetration. This meant that Oscar and I had 14 x S-80 cylinders staged in the cave for the dive.

We were carrying two to three at all times and at regular points swapped them out for the next most-suitable mixes. We also staged various other equipment including metal thermos flasks Mines are man made and of hot drinks

Habitat in the mine

preserved as part of the museum) to the water surface and then the elevator cables descend to the bottom at 130m.

Other shafts including the last working shaft used up to the mine’s closure in 1972 descend beyond 300m.

Personally I have been diving Langbans yearly for the last six or more years teaching CCR Mine, CCR Normoxic and Hypoxic Trimix classes and CCR Advanced Mine classes in DPV, Multi Stage and Cartography, as well as many fun dives. To me, I often say each year when I arrive back that I’m in my ‘happy place’ and it’s true - for me, it’s the best, most-preserved and varied artefact-rich mine I have been privileged to dive in.

This year I had the opportunity to make seven days of personal dives at the mine between work commitments and classes, so my ‘buddy’ Oscar Svensson and I decided to plan, build up to and set up a dive we had both wanted to achieve for many years - the room at the base of the ‘Loka’ shaft at 130m.

Now to dive that room did not involve a straightforward vertical descent from water surface to base, rather a complex route initially descending from the divers’ entrance to the 55m level, then a DPV journey through the tunnels to a descent following a

inherently present a higher risk environment than the vast majority of natural cave systems, which were formed over a long period of time and are thus far more stable.

Scootering through the mine

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beyond technical

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The water temperature is a constant 6 degrees C at all depths, so for Scandinavian mines in general ‘warm’, and crystal clear with ten metres plus of visibility usual for the 6m habitat (and a waterproof speaker and media player for music) and additional heating batteries for the heated undersuits.

No plan is complete without a team and in the case of deeper Langbans dives, the rules require an in-water team to meet the ascending deep divers on ascent, a shallow water team to check on the divers in the 6m habitat and surface support throughout. The team we had on the weekend for the final set-up dive to 115m and the actual dive were simply marvellous and went above and beyond to support us in every way. This meant that as we ascended from the final dive, they could take no longer needed gear from us and remove it from the mine so at the end, the mine was clear and no further dives were required to ‘clear’ the mine. This did however mean the entrance platforms at the end of the dive were covered in more cylinders and regulators than a busy resort dive centre may need!

So ready at last we descended, checked our staged Oxygen at the 6m habitat and continued down to the 50m level before starting the DPV run of 150 metres to the prelaid jump to descend a stairwell to the 70m level. Here is one of the most-spectacular sights I have ever seen in a mine, you enter a huge hall with the roof at around 65m and no floor in sight, just a black void below. To the right is a small tunnel, but to the left the tunnel exits onto a ‘hanging bridge’ supported over the void on chains from the wall and ceiling, which you DPV across to the far side of the hall. A further descent into the void beneath the bridge on a pre-laid line passed under an arch and enters the circular ‘Loka’ shaft, with the multiple elevator cables rising above and descending below you. Here we began the descent, A mine cart is just one of the artefacts

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Phil and Oscar celebrate the successful dive

passing the 115m area reached on the previous days set up and gradually approached the shaft base, where a huge elevator counter weight was reached at the end of the cables. A perfectly preserved wooden stairwell was found to lead off from the safe base with bannisters and rails leading down to a small room, the floor festooned with the detritus of a working mine and the tunnel leading from this room was sealed with a huge wooden wall with a small door on large orange (oxidised) iron hinges. This shaft was used to transport workers only to this level, when the archive maps are consulted, beyond this wall and door is a long access tunnel leading to the ‘Nya’ shaft that reaches the very base of the mine and all levels in between. A brief look, a little GoPro video captured and time to turn the dive with the TTS climbing rapidly. We reversed the route and picking up staged gases on route, headed up to our first deco stop at 57m and then every 3m from there up to our final 6m stop.

At 18m we were able to enter our deep habitat, actually an airfield dome in the roof of the mine with a floating pontoon. Within the pontoon was an open centre (Moon Pool) with a submerged floor, and completed our 18m, 15m and half of our 12m stops. It’s a bit chilly when you leave the air habitat and re-enter the water but not for too long, as after the remainder of the 12m and the 9m stops we could enter the luxury of the seated 6m habitat where the long stop could be competed in relative comfort.

These dives would simply not be safely possible without these habitat as in the event of a serious drysuit leak, in-water deco at this temperature to complete safe and efficient decompression would be unlikely.

So once again, thank you to all the divers who helped on all the build-up dives and offered their support, it simply wouldn’t have happened without them. An incredible opportunity to learn more and see an additional part of this fascinating time capsule on industrial srchaeology hidden in the Swedish forest. n

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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

FOURTH ELEMENT OCEANPOSITIVE BEACH TOWEL | SRP: £34.95

The sea sponge - one of the oldest forms of animal life present on our planet today. These ancient creatures have survived millennia because of their simple structure, which allows them to adapt and evolve quickly to suit different environments. Sponges and their photosynthesising endosymbionts produce up to three times more oxygen and organic matter than they consume, they filter and purify a huge volume of water every day and make a major contribution to the marine food web and maintenance of reef biodiversity.

Worldwide rising ocean temperatures, over-harvesting, dredging fisheries and sewage discharge are putting these unique creatures under threat. Fourth Element wanted to bring this small but mighty creature into the spotlight, highlighting and raising awareness to its importance in our ocean environment.

Their super soft and absorbent, 100 percent GOTS-certified organic beach towel design was inspired specifically by the glass sea sponge. One side of this towel is soft terry loops, ideal for drying, and the other side is a luxurious plush velour, perfect for relaxing in the sun. www.fourthelement.com

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TRIWA X SEA SHEPHERD | SRP: €139 Swedish brand TRIWA has launched an exclusive watch in collaboration with one of the world’s most prolific ocean conservation organizations, Sea Shepherd. The watch is made from recycled ocean plastic as a statement on our oceans’ health and as a way of further funding Sea Shepherd’s mission.

In 2020, TRIWA launched the first collection of watches made completely from recycled ocean plastics.

The collection, called Time for Oceans, was developed together with Tide Ocean Material as a way of making use of ocean debris. Since then, TRIWA has been looking for the right NGO to create a statement watch with and to further fund direct oceans conservation actions. After a year of preparations, TRIWA finally launches Time for Action together with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The watch is made completely from recycled ocean plastic and features Sea Shepherd’s signatured logo printed on both the dial and the backplate of the watch.

This statement timepiece comes in a fully recyclable TRIWA packaging, together with a Sea Shepherd limitededition sleeve to mark the collaboration. For each watch sold, 15% goes back to Sea Shepherd. www.TRIWA.com

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SANTI DIVING BEARSKIN EXPEDITION SET | SRP: £55-£70

Santi has added to its range of apres-dive products with the launch of the Bearskin Expedition Set. The set comprises the Polar jacket (SRP: £70), the Polar Vest (SRP: £55) and the Polar trousers (SRP: £60).

The Polar jacket is made of warm, thick fleece and has a full-length front zipper.

There are three pockets with zips, and the jacket is reinforced with Kevlar fabric on the forearms and shoulders.

The Polar vest is made from the same fleece material as the jacket, and incorporates three pockets with zips as well.

The Polar trousers are made of the same fleece material as the jacket and vest, and have two zipped side pockets, as well as detachable leg openings on the calves, making it easier to pull on heavy technical boots. The knees and buttock areas are protected by a super-strong Kevlar material. www.santidiving.com

FOURTH ELEMENT DIVER APPAREL Fourth Element bucket hat (SRP: £24.95) Bucket hats are perfect for life outdoors, keeping the head, neck and face protected from the sun and shielding you from downpours. Lightweight and quick drying with a silicon and faux suede branded badge, this soft hat is made from recycled plastic bottles, reducing the amount of plastic entering our oceans. Available in sand or black colour schemes.

Fourth Element Tech Diver cap (SRP: £24.95) Fourth Element’s best-selling Tech Diver design reimagined into a baseball cap, great for all those adventuring to their techincal limits. A modern six-panel design made from recycled polyester with adjustable metal closure for fit.

Fourth Element OceanPositive cap (SRP: £24.95) Made from organic cotton grown without the use of toxic chemicals, this soft cap has a curved visor to shield you from the sun on the beach or the dive boat. The metal closure at the back lets you adjust the cap for the best fit, allowing you to get on with your adventure. It is available in grey and black. www.fourthelement.com

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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

FOURTH ELEMENT HYDRA | SRP: £999 Luke Evans: Let me just start by saying I am not a massive fan of cold-water and drysuit diving. I like warm water, good visibility, 3mm wetsuits… All that extra weight, the bulkiness, and the hood and gloves just puts me off. I did a bit of drysuit diving in December as I wanted to see some of the underwater attractions in some of the inland dive sites, especially the airplanes and military vehicles, but I got chilly in the cold freshwater as I was wearing a missmatch of my Dad’s undersuits, and my own winter base layers.

In the sea off Anglesey in North Wales during summer, I did better. The water was in the teens centigrade, and there was so much life to see – everything from crabs and lobster to blennies, pollock, wrasse and jellyfish. I really enjoyed those dives.

What put me off the most was struggling to get in and out of my drysuit. I had an Aqualung Fusion Sport as my first drysuit, and it fit me well, but the design – kind of an inner ‘bag’ and an elastic ‘outer skin’ – meant it was hard work to get on, and just as hard to get out of. That was probably my main reason for avoiding doing more UK diving.

I am nearly 15 and growing fast, as teens do, and so I was out of my Aqualung and in need of a new drysuit. I wanted to be able to get in and out of it easily, as my Dad does in his Fourth Element Argonaut. It used to annoy me that he could be in it and zipped up ready to dive before I had even got my legs in properly!

At the GO Diving Roadshow at NDAC, I met up with the Fourth Element team and they sized me up for a drysuit. Not an Argonaut, but a Hydra. The Hydra is their neoprene drysuit, and it looks more like a wetsuit to me than a drysuit. I was a little dubious as to how easy it would be to get on, but I was amazed how quick I was able to put it on all by myself. The only time I needed Dad’s help was to zip it up, as the YKK plastic zipper is across the shoulders.

I fit into a size small perfectly – it was almost like a made-to-measure, with a little bit of growth room in the legs and chest. I am a teenager, after all!

No more miss-match undergarments for me, now – I got a J2 base layer and a Xerotherm top (SRP: £95.50), trousers (SRP: £95.50) and socks (SRP: £21.50).

The Xerotherm is Fourth Element’s staple base layer, made from Polartec Powerstretch material, which was originally developed for NASA! How cool is that!

It is comfortable, warm and super-stretchy. The J2 base layer (SRP: £84.95 for the top and £84.95 for the bottoms) is very thin, so I can wear it under my Xerotherm for additional warmth, but as Dad said, it has great anti-microbial performance thanks to the use of silver ion technology, so it can handle long, repetitive wear without the risk of skin infections developing – or a sweaty teen, apparently!

I was so excited to try it all out, we headed off for a dive into NDAC immediately.

It felt good to have undersuits that fit me properly, and with the Xerotherm under my drysuit, I was warm and comfortable, but amazed how easily I could bend and stretch around. I did not feel too bulky or restricted as I had in the past, it was almost like wearing a 5mm wetsuit. I much prefer the neoprene neck seal and wrist seals to the latex on my Fusion Sport, much more comfortable.

According to my Dad, the Hydra is made from high-density neoprene, which is compressed from 7mm to 4mm, which is a great combination of the thermal protection afforded by neoprene but with a greater consistency of buoyancy at all points of the dive.

He said the outer surface of the high-density neoprene is laminated with a hard-wearing fabric, which offers superior abrasion resistance, while the inside has a smoother lining to aid donning and increase general comfort. I can definitely say the smooth lining works!

One thing I really hated about the Fusion Sport was the fact it only

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had soft socks, and I needed to wear wetsuit booties over these. It was such a hassle! The Hydra has Fourth Element’s excellent 4mm compressed neoprene dryboots fitted as standard, and their combination of double-layer reinforcement, good grip and ergonomic footbed make them very comfortable. So much nicer to put on!

In short, I love my Hydra! It looks awesome, with some massive Fourth Element graphics on the back, and I like the subtle colour scheme. I did a 51-minute dive in NDAC in 16 degree C water in just the Xerotherm undersuit under the Hydra and was warm as toast. I think as the winter draws in, I will still want to be diving now I have this drysuit, and with the J2 base layer as well – and maybe my Dad’s X-Core vest for when the temperatures really drop – I do not think I will feel the cold as I did last winter.

The Apollo Bio-Dry valves were completely new to me. I had only used inflators with a push button on the front, but I soon got used to the hinged side-inflate button on the Hydra.

Same with the shoulder dump. Instead of twisting the entire thing to open and close it, there was just a small slider to move to render it open or closed. It worked well.

The Hydra comes with a Hydpro Smooth Pro low-pressure hose, which is a braided hose encased in a polyurethane coating, a 5mm neoprene Fourth Element hood, and a Hydra bag, which doubles up as a changing mat. This nifty drysuit bag is also available separately, priced £39.95.

I still hanker for warm, clear waters to dive in, but now, I am relishing doing more cold-water diving in my Hydra. Being in a comfortable, easy-to-get-on-and-off drysuit is key, I think, and I can’t wait for more UK dives. In fact, by the time you read this, I will have been diving with the seals off Lundy Island! I wonder what they will think of my Hydra? www.fourthelement.com

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ENJOY DIVING WITHOUT GETTING COLD SANTI FLEX 2.0

HEATING SYSTEM

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

SUUNTO EON STEEL BLACK | SRP: £975 Adrian Stacey: Suunto has pulled out all the stops to firmly establish the EON Steel Black as the must-have dive computer among more-advanced and tech fraternity. The device is CCR, trimix multi-gas compatible. Suunto even equipped the EON Steel Black with two algorithms, proprietary Fused 2 RGBM and the Buhlmann 16GF, in a clear attempt dispel any lingering doubt about conservatism of their computers. was intrigued to see how the algorithms would stack up against other and eager to test how easy the device is to use. To put the Eon Black through its paces, we went for two dives on the impressive wreck the ex-HMAS Brisbane, which sits at a depth of 30m.

the dive and has their to the I two each Steel of

GENERAL USE AND FEATURES As you would expect from Suunto, the EON Steel Black is well designed, aesthetically pleasing, and durable.

The first thing I noticed when I took it out of its box was the unit’s weight - it felt reassuringly heavy and capable of taking a lot of punishment. It also looks very stylish with a black brushed stainless steel front cover and chunky stainless-steel buttons, conveniently aligned down the righthand side.

For a computer that boasts a considerable amount of functionality, it is remarkably easy to use. Without reading a manual, I could easily set the time and date. Nitrox and tank pairing was simple, as was turning off all those unwanted and often annoying alarms. It is sensible to read the manual if you are going to start playing around with the algorithms and gas mixes, but overall, I found the menus to be intuitive and easy to navigate. What also helps is the large colour screen this computer boasts. With its anti-glare coating, I found the EON Steel Black as easy to read in the full glare as in the bowels of the wreck. The screen also means that the compass feature is very usable.

Other features include a USB rechargeable battery that offers a whopping 40-hour charge. The device will also retain this charge during long periods of inactivity as it goes into a deep hibernation when not in use. It is rated to 150m and, for some reason, can be paired with 20 tank pods simultaneously; I am not sure under what circumstances you would need this particular feature, but it is there none the less!

CONNECTIVITY As with almost every electronic device these days, the Suunto has an app, Bluetooth connectivity and GPS. This is simple to set up, and I could upload my dive details,

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Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

SUUNTO EON STEEL BLACK | SRP: £975 display them in the form of a standard log or a graph format, add pictures, and easily and quickly share on social media. For increased features and functionality and to facilitate more in-depth planning, there is the Suunto DM5 programme for both Mac and PC. This programme will be of particular interest to tech diviners who like to plan each dive meticulously.

The DM5 programme also allows the display and screen options to be customised. There are three different display layouts to choose from, with further customisation within each layout possible.

ALGORITHMS As I mentioned earlier, the EON Steel Black has two algorithms, but thankfully this is not as complicated to navigate as it sounds. You have a choice before you start the dive to pick which one you prefer to use.

The Fused 2 RGBM – This new algorithm has been developed by Suunto with the more-advanced diver in mind, giving greater flexibility to adjust personal settings.

This algorithm offers an easy way to adjust how aggressive or conservative you wish to be on a dive with five present options.

Buhlmann 16 GF – With adjustable gradient factors, this algorithm allows a diver far more control over how conservative or aggressive they would like to be on a dive.

So, to sum up what can become a highly complex discussion about algorithms, the RGBM has a certain amount of safety built-in while the Buhlmann leaves it pretty much up to the diver. The Suunto Fused 2 is less complicated and can be run aggressively if needed. In contrast, the Buhlmann with its gradient factors allows for great flexibility but requires a greater understanding of decompression and technical diving to use safely.

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While on my test dives, we ran both algorithms side by side, and I was surprised that there was very little difference between the two. Granted, I was only at a max depth of 30m for both of my dives and was not planning on any deco diving. Still, with previous Suunto computers like my old Vyper, my second dive would have been incredibly restrictive at that depth.

Suunto has now also removed the lockout feature for both algorithms, which means that you will not get locked out of the computer while on a dive if you have violated a deep or safety stop. Instead, the device will continuously recalculate deco stop if several are missed on an assent, which tech divers have been eager to see redressed.

CONCLUSION Nice styling and ease of use have never been an issue with Suunto products, the real test of the EON Steel Black was to see how it performs as a tech computer. Suunto has long held a reputation for being too conservative, punishing a diver for not doing as the computer has instructed and even locking out while still on a dive! An unforgivable sin in the eyes of some divers. These drawbacks have now been redressed, and Suunto has created an incredibly versatile dive computer that is great for recreational divers because it is as easy to use as you want it to be. It also ticks all of the boxes for the hardcore tech diver with the option of two algorithms. Could this be the dawn of a new era for Suunto dive computers? www.suunto.com

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DORSET

KENT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

DORSET DIVING SERVICES

KENT SCUBA LTD

GO DIVE

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

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

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

NORWICH

BLUE OCEAN DIVING

CHRISTAL SEAS SCUBA LTD

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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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: Seventec Diving, Unit 1J, Leaton Industrial Estate, Shrewsbury SY4 3AP 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

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SUSSEX OYSTER DIVING

WILTSHIRE DM SCUBA TRAINING

t: 0800 699 0243 e: info@oysterdiving.com a: Maritime House, Basin Road North, Portslade, E. Sussex, BN41 1WR PADI 5-star IDC centre in London and S.E. Holidays around the world, active club and local dives.

Exclusive lake in Surrey. www.oysterdiving.com

t: 07920 556116 e: instructor@hotmail.co.uk a: Filton leisure Centre, Elm Park, Fiton BS34 7PS DM Scuba hold pool training sessions in Bristol, Swindon and Bath giving you plenty of choice. www.dm-scuba.co.uk

PLANET DIVERS

t: 01142 332995 e: info@learn2dive.co.uk a: 185 Holme Lane, Hillsborough, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S6 4JR Welcome to Diveworld, dive school, dive club, dive retail and servicing, dive travel and more, the complete scuba package. www.learn2dive.co.uk

t: 07889 883232 e: info@planetdivers.co.uk a: Planet Divers, The Angling Club, Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AA A Friendly Crew, Great Diving all year round.

Excellent, Fun trips UK & Abroad for all levels, non-divers welcomed. www.planetdivers.co.uk

Your diving memories deserve

the best home www.divelogs.com

YORKSHIRE DIVEWORLD

Recreational, Instructor, and Technical Dive Logs Custom Dive Logs Log Book Stamps Gear ScubaTags Compact Lightweight Binders Custom Dive Slates Dive Maps Fish Identification Certification Card Holders

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE NEXT ISSUE!

WEST MIDLANDS AQUASPORT INTERNATIONAL t: 0121 706 6628 e: info@aquasportonline.com a: The Dive Centre, 50 Lincoln Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands, B27 6PA The only purpose built diver training centre and dive shop in the West Midlands and the only PADI Dive Centre in the whole of Greater Birmingham and Solihull. www.aquasportonline.com

BACK IN THE RED

With Egypt now on the green list, we showcase some of the country’s diving hotspots.

Q&A WITH ANDREW FORSTER

We talk to the driving force behind the Dive Project Cornwall initiative.

INTO THE BLUE

Steve Millard freedives with blue sharks off the South Coast.

WHEN TECH MEETS COMMERCIAL

Technical diving legend Phil Short spreads his wings and ventures into the world of commercial diving.

TECH: THE CARRIERE MINE

We explore inside a black marble mine in Belgium with Kurt Storms.

GEAR GUIDE: TEST EXTRA

Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans dives the Avatar drysuit, and tries out the Paralenz Vaquita action camera.

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The challenges of searching for ancient wrecks, part one Project Director Mike Haigh discusses the challenges facing wreck hunters when searching for ancient shipwrecks In truth, ancient wrecks are located in one of two ways. The first is by accident, which in my experience is the mostcommon method. A fisherman loses his nets on a piece of protruding timber, or a spearfisherman notices an ‘odd’ shape which turns out to be an anchor from a doomed vessel. The second is by thorough research and systematic searching. It is with the latter process that is the subject of this article. The three main problems that face those seeking of ancient vessels are: • The ‘general’ nature of the recorded location of lost ships.

• Charts of the time when many vessels foundered were not the hydrographic masterpieces that we enjoy today. Many were, in fact, copies of other cartographer’s work, so there is plenty of room for confusion and incorrect information to slip in.

• The depth of the remains. If your vessel is beyond the depth that divers can safely operate at, then you are limited in your approach to what we would call ‘electronic methods’ – some of which might be quite costly.

There has been a trend, some might even say an obsession, in recent years to search for deep water sites. Both in terms of diving archaeology and for what we might call ‘prestige’ shipwrecks. The theory is sound. Wrecks that rest in deeper water are less likely to be broken up and therefore more ‘rewarding’ in terms of their preservation and the knowledge, or other values, that they may hold. However, of the three to four million shipwrecks estimated to lie beneath the waves, a large number lie in the shallows. Surely, they deserve some attention! The first key point in the process is to ensure that, whatever search method is employed, a record of the area being covered is made. Many searches omit to do so – which, of course, means that whole exercise has been a waste of time.

Before any type of search is undertaken, a number of factors need to be determined, the most important

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being: ‘What sort of site you are looking for?’ ‘What is known of the background information to the loss?’ ‘What do you know about the general locality?’ From these it is possible to design a search plan which will define the area to be searched, the width of coverage of the area to be investigated, the type and size of object being sought and the velocity of the search. These factors will indicate how long the search will take.

Let us first deal with what I am going to call ‘visual’ methods. In the main, these involve divers and low-cost equipment in relatively shallow waters but requiring reasonable visibility.

Most divers will be familiar with swim line, grid and circular searches from their training programmes. In the past, to speed things up, divers were pulled along on underwater sledges. The Oliver was located by such a method. These days underwater scooters are used. In shallow water there is no reason why an underwater GPS system could not be employed. When we move beyond the operational depths of divers towed cameras and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) can be used.

Visual searches work best where you are covering a relatively small area. When you need to cover a large area, it is normal to use what we generally call electronic methods.

One of the simplest forms of electronic search equipment is the echo sounder. In 1990, I worked with a team of divers which managed to relocate the wrecked super tanker the Amoco Cadiz using just such a tool. More advanced methods include the use of magnetometers and side-scan sonar. The Mary Rose was located by an early version of the latter. The problem with all these methods is that they have to be towed behind a boat, which makes your search accuracy dependant on surface conditions. So, what do you do when your search area is ‘difficult’ to deal with, due to either sea conditions or other factors?

In the next article, we will look at exactly this question. www.wreckhunters.co.uk

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beyond ordinary... ... below the surface Nestled in the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea, Tobago’s coastal waters are alive with diverse colour. With reefs thick with unspoilt sponges and corals, Tobago’s nutrient-rich waters create a pristine haven for fish and other marine life.

An abundance of dive sites provide memorable opportunities for divers of all abilities, from beginner to advanced. www.tobagobeyond.com/tobago-diving-guide

Product of the environment

christopherward.com

DSWF registered Charity No:1106893

When polar ice melts, it harms habitats as far away as Asia and Africa. In 2022, conservationist (and Christopher Ward Challenger) Tom Hicks will lead an expedition to the North Pole to measure ice melt rates for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF). On his wrist will be the C60 Anthropocene GMT. Able to monitor two time zones at once, waterproof to 600m and with a sapphire dial that recalls polar ice, it can withstand whatever the Arctic throws at it. And with five percent from the sale of each watch going to DSWF, it’s playing its own part in the fight against climate change.