38 minute read
Divers Alert Network
from Scuba Diver #54
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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
The 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. 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.
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.
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
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
We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com
Computers • O2 Cells • Gas Analysers Cables & Connectors • Rebreather Parts PathFinder Strobes • Sensors Tools • Solenoids
Phil and the team with the hoard of cylinders
Langbans Mine
As 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 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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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 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 of hot drinks Mines are man made and
Habitat in the mine
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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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, 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
A mine cart is just one of the artefacts Phil and Oscar celebrate the successful dive
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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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
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
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Steel
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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,
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. 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
DORSET
DORSET DIVING SERVICES
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
UNDERWATER EXPLORERS
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
BLUE OCEAN DIVING
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
KENT
KENT SCUBA LTD
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
KENT TOOLING DIVING PRODUCTS
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
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
CHRISTAL SEAS SCUBA LTD
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
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
GO DIVE
t: 01332 665353 e: sales@godive.net a: Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby, DE21 7NP Take your diving to the next level with GoDive, the UK’s first fourth element concept store. Start shopping with us today! www.godive.net
PLYMOUTH
AQUANAUTS
t: 01752 228825 e: info@aquanauts.co.uk a: 88 Vauxhall Street, The Barbican, Plymouth, PL4 0EY Waterfront full service centre with direct access to the best wreck and reef diving the UK has to offer. www.aquanauts.co.uk
ROTHERHAM
DREAM DIVERS LTD
t: 07976 526050 e: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk a: 18-20 Greasbrough Rd, Parkgate, Rotherham, S62 6HN PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre based in Parkgate, Rotherham. Our instructional team has been teaching PADI courses together in the Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and surrounding areas of South Yorkshire since 2005. www.dreamdivers.co.uk
SHROPSHIRE
SEVERN TEC DIVING
t: 01939 291303 e: severntecdiving@gmail.com a: 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
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
PLANET DIVERS
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
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
WILTSHIRE
DM SCUBA TRAINING
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
YORKSHIRE
DIVEWORLD
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
Your diving memories deserve the best home
www.divelogs.com
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 C Card Holders
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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.
