Scuba Diver ANZ Issue 15

AUSSIE ROADTRIP

RATED AND REVIEWED

KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

THE FINAL PART OF THE EPIC DRIVE ‘N’ DIVE EXPEDITION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

THE MARES BLUE BATTLE BACKPLATE-AND-WING, AND APEKS VX1 MASK

ADRIAN STACEY CONTINUES HIS 19-DAY LIVEABOARD TRIP THROUGH INDONESIA

Aron Arngrimsson visits THE LAMSON and THE ARKANSAS

MARINE CREATURES YOU NEED IN YOUR PORTFOLIO

Our panel of industry experts discuss how to shoot a DSMB LIKE A PRO

+

Shoot Like A Pro

‣ Scholar ‣ Best wall/drift dives

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EDITOR’S NOTE INTRODUCTION TO OUR ‘BRIT DOWN UNDER’

Adrian Stacey is our resident ‘Brit Down Under’, and he has a long association with Australia. It was the first place he ever dived, his wife is Australian, their two children were born incountry, and they happily live in Brisbane.

With him at the helm of the Australia and New Zealand edition of Scuba Diver, you can be assured of a rich smorgasbord of articles from throughout the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southeast Asia and, of course, right here in Australia and New Zealand, each and every month.

With that, I’ll hand over to Adrian to make his introduction…

I was born in London and, with the exception of a year-long sojourn around the world, I lived there for the first 30 years of my life. It was on this round-the-world trip that I first learned to dive. I took a PADI Open Water Diver course in Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef. It was the most-memorable experience of my entire journey. I was well and truly hooked on scuba diving after that, fascinated by this alien world that exists on our very own planet.

However, it was not until several years later that the need to pack my bags and return to the ocean became too strong to ignore. I left my job in London selling photocopiers and moved to Egypt to become a dive instructor. For the next 13 years, I travelled the world working as a dive instructor, dive centre manager, cruise director and underwater photographer.

Over my career as a professional scuba diver, I was fortunate enough to visit and work in many different stunning locations, including Mexico, Costa Rica, Saba, Indonesia, Oman, Egypt and Thailand, to name but a few.

During this time, I also worked as a freelance photojournalist and have had numerous articles and photographs published in a variety of magazines.

While we were living in Indonesia, we discovered that my girlfriend was pregnant and we had a decision to make England or Australia? I now live back on the country where my love of diving began with my Australian wife and our two young children.

Of course I miss England - especially the weather! - but with so many amazing dive destinations here in Australia and the surrounding countries, it was an easy choice to make in the end. While I no longer dive as much as I used to, I am lucky enough to still work in the dive industry, in a job that I am very passionate about, and I look forward to you joining me on this journey each and every month.

Mark Evans Editor-in-Chief

Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand)

EDITOR IN CHIEF

PUBLISHERS

DESIGN

Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Tel: +61 422 611 238 Email: adrian@scubadivermag.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Lees Southeast Asia Editorial Manager Email: paul@scubadivermag.com

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.

Mark Evans Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com Matt Griffiths Email: matt@griffital.co.uk Mario Vitalini, Dr Richard Smith, Aron Arngrimsson, Adrian Stacey

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is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2515-9593

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AUSSIE ROADTRIP

RATED AND REVIEWED

KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

THE FINAL PART OF THE EPIC DRIVE ‘N’ DIVE EXPEDITION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

THE MARES BLUE BATTLE BACKPLATE-AND-WING, AND APEKS VX1 MASK

ADRIAN STACEY CONTINUES HIS 19-DAY LIVEABOARD TRIP THROUGH INDONESIA

ON THE COVER Aron Arngrimsson visits THE LAMSON and THE ARKANSAS

MARINE CREATURES YOU NEED IN YOUR PORTFOLIO

Our panel of industry experts discuss how to shoot a DSMB LIKE A PRO

+

Shoot Like A Pro

‣ Scholar ‣ Best wall/drift dives

ISSUE 15 | FREE MAGAZINE! WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MARIO VITALINI

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

6 News

20 Australia

Report on the AIDE show in Sydney, divers killed by dynamite fishing in Malaysia, and Japan returns to commercial whaling.

14 Medical Q&A

Dr Oliver Firth answers reader questions about whether a collapsed lung can effect a child’s future diving career, and dealing with cramp.

16 Dive Like A Pro

This issue, our panel of experts offer useful hints and advice on how to carry and deploy a DSMB, or delayed surface marker buoy.

66 Scholar

Joanna Smart has a busy month, diving against debris in Tasmania, and diving with great white sharks off the Neptune Islands.

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Dr Richard Smith and his four diving buddies conclude their epic diving roadtrip around southeast Australia, this time going in search of indigenous critters in unlikely sub-tropical muck near the sprawling city of Sydney.

26 Underwater Photography

Seasoned underwater snapper Mario Vitalini is in the hotseat this month, and he focuses his attention on five marine life subjects that should be in every diver’s portfolio, explaining how it is not necessarily rare and hard-to-shoot animals which capture peoples’ attention.

30 Shoot Like A Pro

Our panel of underwater photography experts - Martyn Guess, Mario Vitalini, Paul Duxfield and Phil and Anne Medcalf - explain how they prepare their camera systems for diving when they arrive at their destination, and what to do with it on an evening.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

36 Indonesia

54 What’s New

Adrian Stacey continues his epic 1,300-mile Indonesian liveaboard adventure, spending 19 days travelling and diving through legendary hotspots such as Komodo, Alor, the Banda Islands and Raja Ampat.

In this second installment, he checks out the diving - and topside attractions - in the Banda Islands.

42 THE BEST... wall and drift diving

In a new series, we check out some of the best locations for a particular style or type of diving, be that terrain or the marine life you will encounter. For this first article, we take a look at some of the best wall and drift diving locations in the region.

48 TECHNICAL: USS Lamson and USS Anderson

The Dirty Dozen founder Aron Arngrimsson explores further into Bikini Atoll, this time focusing his attention on the warships USS Lamson and USS Anderson, which while not as famous as the likes of the Saratoga deserve to be on your ‘to-dive’ list if you visit this iconic site.

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New products recently released, including the Fourth Element Summer Life Collection, Waterhaul sunglasses, Beuchat Powerjet fins, and the Santi Flex 80 undersuit.

56 Group Test: Test Extra Special

A collection of in-depth Test Extra reviews, on the Mares Blue Battle/Silver Knight backplate-andwing set-up, the Oceanic Veo 4 and Geo 4 dive computers, and the Apeks VX1 mask.

64 Long Term Test

The Scuba Diver Test Team reviews a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Mares Epic Adj 82X regulator, Suunto D5 dive computer, Apeks XL4+ regulator, and the Finnsub Comfort Harness and 20D bladder.

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Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from the Asia-Pacific region, 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

RECORD TURNOUT FOR THE 2019

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL DIVE EXPO

T

he annual Australian International Dive Expo (AIDE), held at the Sydney International Convention Centre from 1-5 August as part of the Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS) in Darling Harbour, enjoyed record attendance this year.

Exhibitors included a mix of dive resorts and liveaboards, tourism organisations, dive centres from all over Australia, dive equipment and diving apparel and accessories.

Equipment and accessories on show ranged from compressors, underwater scooters, drones, camera housing and full-face masks, to marine-inspired jewellery, eco-friendly wetsuits and marine-print apparel.

A wide range of dive resorts and liveaboards exhibited at the event, from budget options such as Sea Rovers in North West Bali and Ban’s Diving Resort in Thailand’s Koh Tao, to luxury options including Wakatobi Dive Resort and Aranui Boutique Liveaboard.

According to Wakatobi representative Linda Cash; “There was a really good energy about the show, and all the people we spoke to were seriously interested in booking a dive holiday. One family we spoke to had flown all the way from Townsville to research their next dive holiday.”

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Local dive centres exhibiting at the event included Tobruk Dive Centre, Dive Jervis Bay, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions and Hervey Bay Dive Centre. Asia-Pacific specialist dive travel agency Diveplanit Travel experienced a busy five days at AIDE, promoting exclusive show specials from resorts and liveaboards in destinations, including Indonesia, Fiji, Malaysia, the Philippines, Maldives and the Solomon Islands.

The agency awarded one lucky AIDE attendee a trip for two to Munda in the Solomon Islands worth over $4,500, chosen from the hundreds of people who visited their stand to enter a competition of skill. According to Diveplanit director Simon Mallender; “We were kept busy for the full five days of AIDE, and we’re pretty happy about that. It was time well spent.”

The five-day expo included an exciting line-up of experts covering a variety of topics, including technical diving, dive destinations, dive gear maintenance, photography, videography and diving health.

Also on the agenda, a forum on marine conservation, in which a panel of experts discussed the topic of ‘Marine Plastic Pollution’, and another on the increasingly popular niche freediving in which experts shared their thoughts and experiences, the prerequisites, the rewards and opportunities.

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Visitors were able to gather some useful tips and tricks on the best ways to maintain dive equipment and gear to ensure their longevity and functionality, and learn about the latest and niftiest of new technologies, such as underwater drones from demonstrations in onsite tanks.

As part of AIDE’s commitment to marine education, the expo line-up included a school programme organised by both SIBS and AIDE. The annual programme not only aims to get the next generation excited about the water world, it also aims to inspire them to take up scuba diving and explore different areas of interest and get involved in marine conservation. This year, the marine programme covered the key topics of scuba diving, freediving and ocean conservation. n

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DS N E I R DIVING WITH F

MALDIVES

NEW: Faarufushi Maldives

THREE DIVERS KILLED BY DYNAMITE FISHING IN MALAYSIA

INDONESIA THAILAND EGYPT S PA I N

Two Chinese tourists and their Malaysian instructor died after allegedly being killed by ‘fish bombs’ while they explored the reefs off Semporna, on Sabah’s east coast, on Friday 5 July.

The dead group – dive instructor Zainal Abdun and Chinese nationals Zhao Zheng and Xu Yingjie – were found motionless in the water, surrounded by dead fish, with shattered masks. The 24-year-old boatman and a 23-year-old guide, who dropped off the victims in the afternoon and raised the alarm after returning to the site later and finding sea foam, ‘lots of bubbles’ and the divers’ bodies, have since been arrested by police, who are treating the incident as murder.

Initial reports had tourism groups laying the blame squarely on dynamite fishing activities, but later statements claimed others nearby did not hear any explosions.

Sabah Police Commissioner Omar Mammah said: “There’s a strong possibility that the divers died because of (the fish bomb) explosion, and we are searching (for the fishermen).” He reiterated his commitment to stop fish-bombing activities in state waters, but said that the sea was too enormous for authorities to monitor all the time.

NEW: Roses, Costa Brava

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

JAPAN CLAIMS FIRST VICTIMS AS IT RETURNS TO COMMERCIAL WHALING

LET´S DO IT: DIVING WITH EURO-DIVERS! B O O K I N G A N D I N F O R M AT I O N :

www.euro-divers.com 8 ED_scuba_diver_mag_55x251.indd 1

Conservationists around the world have been lamenting the start of Japan’s first foray into commercial whaling in over 30 years – and as we went to press, at least five minke whales had fallen foul of the fleet.

Whales have been protected by the 1986 International Whaling Commission moratorium that banned commercial whaling, and Japan joined the Commission in 1988 – but continued hunting whales, citing ‘scientific purposes’, which many saw as a thin charade to enable them to continue hunting whales to sell the meat.

Now any such smoke-and-mirrors has been dropped. Japan pulled out of the Commission back in December, and has now resumed whaling within its territorial waters and economic zones. The argument is that hunting and eating whales is part of Japanese culture, but while a number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales for centuries, consumption only became widespread after World War Two when other food was scarce – and that is definitely not the case now.

The only positive – and it is only small – is that they have set a quota of 227 whales for the season (which runs until December). In 2017-2018, the Japanese fleet killed 596 whales under the ‘scientific purposes’ smokescreen.

Nicola Beynon of Humane Society International, accused Japan of beginning a ‘new and shocking era of pirate whaling’.

22.01.19 12:00

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YOU CAN. Explore a new world.

Discover more.

Become a PADI Freediver™ today. padi.com/freediver © PADI 2019.

© PADI 2019.

AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES SET TO CELEBRATE 300,000TH TRAVELLER

TECH DIVERS LOOT HISTORICAL SHIPWRECK OFF VICTORIA

Well-established adventure travel company Aggressor Adventures will celebrate their 300,000th traveller with over US$9,000 in prizes. And to commemorate this huge milestone, Aggressor Chairman and CEO Wayne Brown will surprise the lucky guest and shower them with gifts.

“We are so excited to celebrate our 300,000th traveller,” notes Brown.

“Aggressor Adventures has been a leader in adventure vacations since 1984, and we have loved exploring the world with each of the 300,000 travellers that have become part of our Aggressor family.”

In celebration of the 300,000thmilestone, the guest will receive a set of Aqua Lung dive equipment and a trip for two on Aggressor’s newest liveaboard yacht, the Arabian Aggressor.

Aggressor will also debut their new theme song and video to mark its 300,000th explorer. The song, which vividly details the excitement of an Aggressor adventure and the passion with which the company serves, will also be enjoyed from YouTube and Vimeo, as well as www.aggressor.com Since 1984, Aggressor Adventures has offered travellers liveaboard scuba and snorkelling charters, luxury river cruises and exotic wildlife safaris. Worldwide locations are Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands, Cocos Island, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Galapagos, Hawaii, Indonesia, Maldives, Mexico, Oman, Palau, Red Sea, Roatan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand and Turks and Caicos. www.aggressor.com

Technical divers are in the crosshairs of the authorities in the state of Victoria after a protected shipwreck lying in 80m was ransacked of artefacts.

The 52-metre Alert was a 19th-century iron coastal trader, built in Scotland in 1877 and used to run general cargo between Melbourne and Geelong. She was caught in a fierce storm on 28 December 1893 off Jubilee Point, south of Melbourne, and sank, taking all but one of the 16 crew down with her – only the ship’s cook survived. It is still regarded as one of the worst losses in the state’s history in terms of fatalities.

The shipwreck was only found in 2007, and those who explored her found that it still contained all of the crew’s personal effect, and it was subsequently designated as being of archaeological interest, with the immediate area around it being declared a Commonwealth Protected Zone, a status that has only been applied to nine of Victoria’s 600-plus historical wrecks. It is a serious business – entering a CPZ without a permit or damaging the protected wreck risks fines of up to AUS$168,000, or a fiveyear prison term.

So understandably the authorities are furious after a routine inspection revealed that artefacts including navigation lights, bottles, crockery and a lampshade had been removed. Teams from Heritage Victoria are currently working with the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy to investigate the incident.

THAI CAVE HERO’S NEXT MISSION – REMEMBERING AN AUSSIE ADVENTURE PIONEER South Australia’s national hero and joint Australian of the Year 2019, Dr Richard Harris, is on a new rescue mission - to revive the legacy of one of the world’s greatest adventurers, SAborn Sir George Hubert Wilkins.

In doing so, he also hopes to inspire the next generation of explorers, and help children ‘unlock their inner explorer’.

Dr Harris was recently announced as the patron of the newly formed Wilkins Foundation.

The Foundation honours the extraordinary achievements of the Mount Bryan-born pioneer, more commonly known as Sir Hubert Wilkins – and who is better known in the United States than in his own state of South Australia.

“Sir Hubert traversed the globe and

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became an engineer, explorer, meteorologist, ornithologist, aviator-navigator, official war photographer, cinematographer, geographer, sub-mariner and philosopher,” said Dr Harris.

“He was fearlessly adventurous and one of the most-knowledgeable intellectuals of his time.

“Wilkins, a dual Military Cross recipient, is an unsung hero and long overdue to be placed in the same category as other acclaimed Australian explorers such as Sir Douglas Mawson and John McDouall Stuart.

“I want this foundation to bring the Wilkins legacy to the forefront of the Australian consciousness and give our younger generation a taste for adventure.” www.wilkinsfoundation.org.auw

Photograph courtesy of Australian War Memorial

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SDI/TDI ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF PERFORMANCE FREEDIVING INTERNATIONAL In a huge announcement for the freediving world, International Training (ITI), the parent company of SDI, TDI, ERDI, and First Response Training International, has announced its acquisition of Performance Freediving International (PFI).

Kirk Krack, President of PFI, said: “I’m excited that PFI is joining the ITI brand of companies that includes TDI and SDI. I’ve been a TDI instructor trainer since the late-1990s and have always been impressed with their forward thinking, adherence to the highest standards and industry-leading customer service. We’re looking forward to taking PFI to a new level both for our customers and our professional members.”

Brian Carney, President of ITI added: “Partnering with PFI and Kirk is something we started exploring doing over many years ago and to see it finally come to fruition is really exciting.” TDISDI.com

GET A TASTE FOR ADVENTURE AS YOU GO DINING WITH DIVERS In this second volume in their Dining with Divers series, Simon Pridmore and David Strike again invite an eclectic mix of diving personalities from around the world to share some memorable underwater moments - and a recipe for a favourite meal.

You will hear from an international cast of characters, representing virtually the entire spectrum of the scuba diving community.

You will meet legendary figures from the dawn of sport diving as well as enthusiastic newcomers.

This being a cookbook as well as a story book, at the end of each tale, there is a recipe for a dish and you may be delighted to find that the meal options on offer are as varied as the stories.

This is a book that you will come back to time and again, to share a tale of the sea or to plan your own dinner.

Published by Sandsmedia/KDP, it is a paperback of 188 pages, and is also available as an e-book. (ISBN-13: 9781729276426).

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Choose Your Adventure!

“Scuba dive aboard our Aggressor Liveaboard® yachts, cruise the Nile on an Aggressor River Cruise® or photograph Sri Lanka’s elephants at the Aggressor Safari Lodges®.

You bring the passion, we’ll bring the adventure!”

–Wayne B. Brown, Chairman & CEO, Aggressor Adventures®

• Palau Anniversary Special - Travel for $1,895 p.p.

• Save 26% - Galapagos Aggressor III® • Nile Queen® River Cruise Add-on package $999 p.p.

• Sri Lanka Safari Lodges® Package $1,455 p.p.

• Save 40% - Oman Aggressor® *restrictions may apply, subject to availability

Aggressor Adventures® Worldwide Vacation Destinations

· Bahamas · Belize · Cayman Islands · · Cocos Island, Costa Rica · Cuba · Djibouti · · Dominican Republic · Egypt · Galapagos · Hawaii · · Indonesia · Maldives · Mexico · Oman · Palau · Red Sea · · Roatan · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Thailand · Turks & Caicos ·

+1-706-993-2531 • info@aggressor.com

www.aggressor.com

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NEW FOUR-NIGHT KOMODO ITINERARY FROM EMPEROR DIVERS INDONESIA Komodo Dive and Explore is a new five-day, four-night itinerary available from July to September from Emperor Divers Indonesia.

Designed to showcase some of the highlights of Komodo, including the chance to see the famous Komodo dragon in its natural habitat, it also offers beautiful beaches, lookouts to climb, a range of water sports such as paddle boarding, kayaking and snorkelling and some easy diving to experience paradise both below and above the water.

Photograph courtesy of GoingEpicPlaces

This itinerary allows for two dives a day for qualified divers while non-divers have the chance to experience an ‘Introductory Dive’. Emperor Divers’ experienced guides will select the best spots to dive, snorkel and swim in each location and to suit local conditions, marine life opportunities and your experience.

Sailing on Emperor Raja Laut, this schooner-style liveaboard welcomes just 12 guests and offers all-inclusive prices (all park and port fees are included), free nitrox, free wine with dinner, confirmed, guaranteed sailings no matter the number of guests, ten percent discount for early bookings, all cabins are ensuite with air-conditioning, spacious teak deck for relaxing and dining out, and two large RIBs to get to the perfect dive spot. www.emperorindonesia.com

THE DIVER MEDIC LAUNCHES DIVING EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDER COURSE The Diver Medic has announced the new EFR Instructor Authored Programme called Diving Emergency Medical Responder (DEMR) Course.

The purpose of the EFR Approved Diving Emergency Medical Responder (DEMR) Specialty Course is to provide the knowledge and skills that are necessary for an emergency to help reduce pain, sustain life and minimise the consequences of an injury or sudden illness. The course is to teach students to be prepared, confident, and armed with the knowledge to take control and deal with virtually any non-diving and divingbased medical or traumatic emergency. This course is the next level up from First Aid training and sits between First Aid and EMT level, so perfect for all learning levels.

So, who is the course aimed at? Dive Leaders, surface support, professional divers, Divemaster, scientific divers, fire and rescue teams, police rescue teams, recreational divers, rescue teams, lifeguards, dive centres, dive resorts and whoever wants to broaden their medical knowledge.

The course will consist of two sections - online theory, and then a minimum of two days practical.

The online section should take approximately 25 hours to complete and will be a combination of slides, voice-overs, videos, quizzes, case studies, and pdf files. The online section will be live on 1 August 2019, and the link will be on www. thedivermedic.com website to take you straight to the payment section of the course. The cost of the online section will be $150.

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The practical section is a minimum of two days (16 hours) and will cost anything from $250 to $400 (depending on exchange rate and country) to complete, and this is paid directly to your chosen EFR Approved DEMR Instructor.

To obtain the EFR Approved Diving Emergency Medical Responder (DEMR) certification, all the elements of the course have to be met, both for the Online and Practical sections regardless of any advanced qualifications you may hold.

To become an EFR Approved Diving Emergency Medical Responder (DEMR) Instructor, you will need to have completed and passed both the Online and Practical sections of the EFR Approved DEMR course first. This course can be taught around the world.

If you are an EFR instructor and would like to teach this course, please contact Chantelle Newman, not EFR or PADI. This course is an EFR Instructor Authored Programme and owned by The Diver Medic. Please email Chantelle Newman at: info@thedivermedic.com to register your interest or to book on your practical.

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www.prodivers.com

MESSAGE-IN-A-BOTTLE WASHES ASHORE AFTER 50 YEARS A bottle containing a hand-written note that was thrown into the ocean 50 years ago by a 13-year-old boy sailing with his family on a liner from the UK to Melbourne has finally washed ashore.

In a bizarre coincidence, the bottle was found on Talia Beach on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia by another 13-year-old, Jyah Ellott, who was out fishing with his father.

The author of the letter, Paul Gilmore – who returned to the UK in 1973 before working in Scandinavia and the Middle East - said that he ‘always hoped that a letter would come back’. In the note, written on 17 November 1969, he wrote that he was travelling to Australia on the Fairstar and was about 1,000 miles away from Fremantle – and he urged whoever found the message-in-a-bottle to reply.

Mr Gilmore said: “I always love travelling and adventures. I always loved reading adventure stories. I think back then I was hoping a beautiful girl on an exotic island would find it!”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: THREE-YEAR BAN ON FISHING FOR SNAPPER After local populations were decimated, it seems likely that there will be a ban on fishing for snapper in South Australia until 2023.

According to the State Government, stocks have declined by 87 percent in Gulf St Vincent, and 23 percent in the Spencer Gulf, and a statewide closure from October this year until February 2023 has been proposed in a consultation paper released by Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone. He said that if urgent steps are not taken, the species could disappear from South Australian waters for good. While conceding that such a closure would have an impact on commercial fishers, Mr Whetstone said: “It will show us that if we can put full closure of water in South Australia in place, we can protect one of the iconic species here in our waters.”

Primary Industries and Resources SA said that most of Australia’s commercial snapper production comes out of the state.

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MALDIVES An incredible underwater adventure awaits Spec dive ial offer rs on fo Kure r du!

Kuredu* Komandoo Vakarufalhi Lily Beach Hurawalhi Innahura

New 3* diver island

"The best dive center in the Maldives 2018" awarded by a leading german dive magazine *Kuredu Island Resort - Special offer for divers including 2 dives per day accommodation in Garden Bungalow with half board - valid for a stay of min. 5 days www.kuredu.com

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MEDICAL Q&A Keep your eye on the dive, not your dive computer.

Scan to find a dealer near you.

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Dr Oliver Firth is a diving doctor with over 22 years of diving experience. He is an Approved Medical Examiner of Divers for the UK HSE and a medical referee for the UK Diving Medical Committee, performing many hundreds of diving medicals a year. As the senior doctor at London Diving Chamber for the last 13 years, he has supervised the treatment of hundreds of cases of decompression illness. He has now set up Hyperdive (www.hyperdive.co.uk) to continue his diving medical work with a global audience. With his accumulated experience, he has seen most things a diver might come across, but remains eager to hear from anyone with a medical conundrum they need a solution to! divingdoctor@scubadivermag.com Q: Can you please tell me if it is safe for my son to scuba dive? He is 15 years old and healthy. When he was born, his lung was collapsed. His doctor assured me that he would be fine to play and participate in all things athletic. He has been in the junior lifeguard programme for the past six years - this year they will learn to scuba dive, but there is a question in the paperwork asking if you’ve ever had a collapsed lung?

A: Quite a two-pronged query, this one.

Firstly, a word or two about collapsed lung, or ‘pneumothorax’, to give the condition its typically mysterious medical moniker. The lungs normally sit happily in the chest cavity, like balloons, with a negative pressure keeping them inflated. If the lung surface is damaged, then the air within can leak out into the chest cavity. As this air accumulates, the increasingly positive pressure crushes the lung down, until eventually it collapses – a pneumothorax. These are generally split into two types - spontaneous (out of the blue), and traumatic (due to an injury of some sort). Spontaneous ones can occur in young people (skinny tall male smokers being particularly prone), or in older individuals with underlying lung disease (again most commonly in heavy smokers). Sometimes even a hiccup is enough to rupture a small portion of lung and allow air to escape.

Traumatic ones are usually due to an injury (accidental or planned), which can leave scars on the lung.

Interestingly, before anti-tuberculous drugs were discovered, doctors used to puncture the lungs of TB patients deliberately, in an effort to collapse a lobe, or entire lung, around a cavitating lesion. This was known as ‘resting the lung’ – a more-inappropriate descriptive term for a medical

procedure I have yet to discover.

And so to diving. Both types of pneumothorax can predispose you to air trapping, with consequent overexpansion injury when you ascend from a dive. I’m not entirely clear from your query which type your son suffered – this is important, as they are managed slightly differently. It sounds as though it was spontaneous, in which case there is a possibility that it will occur again, particularly in the first year after the episode. After six years this risk is clearly much reduced, but nevertheless higher than in the general population.

Generally there are no warning signs of an imminent lung collapse, which makes each dive a bit of a gamble.

The added complication of course (and the second prong of this question) is that he is only 15, and therefore there is an additional responsibility to play on the safe side. Personally I would counsel against diving, at least until he is (a) older, (b) able to make his own informed decisions, and (c) willing to go through the investigations and possible operations required to reduce the risk of a repeat.

These might include a high-resolution CT scan of the lungs (involving a notinconsiderable dose of radiation), and if a potential risk factor is found, a pleurodesis or pleurectomy (scrubbing and glueing the lung surface to the chest wall, or removing the surface lining of the lungs altogether). I suspect once he’s YouTubed those particular procedures, he may want to stick to the XBox for a few more years…

If you have a medical query you want answering, send your question to: divingdoctor@scubadivermag.com and we will forward it on to Dr Oliver Firth.

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This month, our panel of industry experts focus their attention on DSMBs and discuss why they are useful, methods of deployment, and the thorny subject of reels vs spools PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON BROWN

D

elayed surface marker buoys, or DSMBs, as they are better known, are one of the most-essential pieces of dive safety kit that can be in a diver’s arsenal. The ability to notify the surface of your location when you are still deep underwater is paramount, and so all divers should carry – and know how to deploy – a DSMB. There are many styles available, but whichever you choose, make sure you carry it with you at all times.

Mark Powell from TDI/SDI, said: “The ability to send up a Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) is one of the key skills for any diver. There are a number of styles of marker buoy, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The traditional marker buoy with an opening at the bottom that is inflated by purging the regulator or exhaled gas is still very common, and the simplicity of the design has many supporters. However, there are a number of alternatives.

“The most common is a buoy with a small gas cylinder attached. The cylinder is used to inflate the buoy, which is intended to simplify the overall process. The diver just ‘cracks’ the bottle and the buoy inflates. This saves the effort of having to fill it manually and when it works correctly is definitely easier. For rebreather dives these are very popular as filling a conventional open-ended DSMB is much more complicated on a rebreather. There is no exhaled gas to fill the cylinder and the smaller size of the diluent cylinders makes purging a regulator to fill the DSMB a much-lessattractive solution. However, many divers are of the opinion that if you struggle to fill a DSMB without a crack bottle then it is better to practice your technique a bit more. It is also amusing to watch divers trying to fill a DSMB at the end of a dive after they realise that they forgot to fill the crack bottle.

There is also a safety concern with these bottles. They are rarely tested in the same way as regular cylinders as they are filled from another cylinder and there is no dive shop to

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enforce testing. However, they are usually very corroded due to the fact that they often get water contamination in them.

Combined with the fact that many divers purge the connector on them by hitting it with a lump of lead and you can see that care should be taken with them.

“Another option is to have a low-pressure inflator on the DSMB, similar to the inflator on your drysuit or wing. To use this system the diver disconnects their drysuit inflator and uses it to inflate the DSMB. At first most divers are wary of this idea as they think that there is a risk of the inflator becoming jammed onto the DSMB and pulling them up to the surface. In reality this isn’t a problem as the inflator, unlike the one on the suit, has no locking groove and so the DSMB just pulls off when full. Like many things it is a case of practice. After a few practice attempts, the whole process is very easy. This style of DSMB is ideal for rebreather divers as it doesn’t involve removing or purging a regulator or the use of exhaled gas.”

He continued: “When it comes to DSMBs, size really does matter. Smaller ones are fine for practice or as a back-up, but for long decompression stops in the open sea, a boat skipper is not going to appreciate having to keep an eye on one of these small DSMBs. A larger one will be much easier for a skipper to spot and keep an eye on.

“As well as the DSMB, there are different options for the reel. The main choice is between a reel and a spool. A spool is just a drum of steel, plastic or delrin onto which line can be wrapped. They evolved from overhead environment diving such as cave diving or wreck penetration, where they are used to ‘jump’ from one guide line to another or in the case of losing the guideline. As such they are much simpler than a reel, there is no handle, frame or ratchet, and so they are also much smaller. Their small size is an advantage as they do not take up much room and can be stored in pockets.

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Reels, on the other hand, tend to be considerably bigger. There are some reels which are designed to be more compact and can fit in a pocket, but many are too big, especially if you are also carrying a back-up reel. The other differences between different types of reels and spools are the length of line that they contain. This is particularly relevant for deeper divers, because if the reel or spool contains less line than the depth at which you are diving, then it will be impossible to send it up from the bottom.

The techniques for using reels or spools are quite different.

In any case where technique differs, there will inevitably be differences of opinion as to which is best. Supporters of reels claim that spools are fiddly, difficult to use, prone to error and likely to cause problems. On the other hand, supporters of spools claim that reels are fiddly, difficult to use, prone to error and likely to cause problems! Much of this disagreement stems from familiarity with one approach and the typically human reaction to change. If you have spent years using a reel and have perfected the technique, then trying to use a spool is going to cause problems. The reverse situation can also occur although is less common. It is a shame that there is this split between reels and spools because each has its own advantages.

“My own preference is to use a reliable reel with 65m of line and a large DSMB as my primary, and then use a spool with 30m of line and a smaller DSMB as my back-up. The simplicity and reliability of my primary reel removes one potential source of stress during the ascent and the size of the DSMB makes it easy for the boat skipper to keep track of me. Then the compactness and simplicity of the spool is ideal as a back-up, the small DSMB is already attached to the reel and can be quickly sent up if required. This is an ideal

®

set-up for me and is becoming more common. However, it is interesting to see how many people adopt this approach but have never practiced sending up the back-up DSMB using the spool. As we have seen spools are great, as long as you have practised with them. The worst time to practice the correct technique for using a spool is just after your primary reel has jammed and shot to the surface. So my advice would be that if you have a spool as a back-up, use it occasionally instead of your primary so that when you need to use it for real, you are just as familiar with the spool as with your reel. In addition, it is important to be able to practice sending up your DSMB while neutrally buoyant and in mid-water. If there is a The BDSG recommendations concerning the use of surface marker buoys are shown below: Divers using surface marker buoys should clearly label buoys with the full name of their owners. Avoid nicknames as these may not be known to the dive marshal. If using the delayed surface marker buoy for decompression, the buoy should be clearly marked with the words ‘Decompression’ in addition to the diver’s name. To avoid confusion it is recommended that the colour of a single DSMB should be orange or red, but not yellow.

When carrying two DSMBs on a dive, the general consensus is that an orange or red buoy is deployed under normal diving conditions. In an emergency, or when assistance is required, a yellow buoy should be deployed.

When using a yellow buoy clearly mark on the buoy the word ‘Emergency’ together with the diver’s name. Once a yellow buoy is seen the support team and or boat can then initiate the standard emergency protocols depending on the situation www.bdsg.org

problem with your main SMB, then you may need to send one up part way through the ascent and if you know you can do this easily while maintaining your buoyancy, it will significantly reduce the stress of the situation.”

Garry Dallas, for RAID UK and Malta, said: “How many of you would drive your car an epic distance without a spare wheel on board? Even if you had that spare wheel, would you know how to fit it?

“Whether you call them blobs, markers, tubes or DSMBs, they are tools to provide you with the element of safety, not just underwater but also above. There are many uses for these tools and every diver should own and know how to use one.

“So, you might think there’s a good reason not to need one - because my best buddy I always dive with has one… and that’s exactly the mentality that could get you into difficulty if you get separated. Times have changed and it’s time to think about being safer and enjoy every dive. Interestingly, RAID don’t have a separate DSMB course, every dive we practice deployment.

“There are also various methods for inflating them - oral, low pressure inflator attachment, open ended, crack bottle or disposable canister – and these can be used to ensure they are nice and erect on the surface. Each to their own, but there are always pros and cons for each, so get good advice before purchasing one.

“As a cave diver, my preference is spools, they are simple to use and give more control of the line. Cold-water spools, with larger finger holes, are best all round (ha ha) for every environment. Reels should be compact and sturdy. Cheaply made plastic ratchets crack and break, definitely not the ideal situation to be in as you’re releasing the DSMB. Since braided line stretches during use, over spooling of the line is also a common problem. So, soak your line in water, reel out the entire length around a couple of posts. Then check the end of the line is secure around the spindle and reel it in evenly.

Finishing off the loose end is a requirement for a specific use, but usually a large aperture loop is best.

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“Again, each to their own, reel or spool - no matter which type you choose, mastering using it is of paramount importance.”

Emily Petley-Jones from PADI said: “Delayed Surface Marker Buoys and reels are essential pieces of kit for diving, particularly in choppier seas and if diving from a boat. For your DSMB, size really does matter! As far as which one to choose, the question you should always ask yourself is ‘Which one will be the most visible?’.

“You should always check your DSMB and reel before every dive, even if you are not planning on using it. You should ensure the line on the reel will feed out smoothly and not snag. A good way to get your reel set properly is to unravel it, then secure the end of the line to something sturdy. Then keep tension on the line as you reel it back in. You should also ensure that the line is long enough for the depth of the dive.

Putting up a DSMB takes practice, so if you have a new DSMB and reel take it to the pool or shallow water to ensure you get your technique sorted so you don’t end up fumbling with it at 20m, ideally wearing the same gloves you might be using on the dive.”

Jason Sockett from PADI commented: “DSMBs and reels I believe are one of the underestimated pieces of kit to be purchased, especially for divers early on in their adventures as divers. It is important to get the correct type of reel and DSMB for the type of diving that you are doing. Let’s also add a knife when purchasing a DSMB and reel. I for sure never dive without a DSMB and reel. For me, it is reassuring to know that on my ascent, especially on a drift dive, when there are other boats in the area or when the conditions are far from perfect, that the boat captain(s) can see where I am. If I have one piece of advice to offer with using DSMB and reel is, practice, practice, and practice. Try to get to the stage where you can deploy your DSMB almost without thinking and especially without any buoyancy issues.” n

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12/08/2019 08:26

ASIA’S SHORE DIVING CAPITAL

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26/06/2019 08:14

The final leg of the intrepid quintet’s Australian diving road trip takes them in search of indigenous critters in unlikely sub-tropical muck PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD SMITH

A

fter nearly three weeks on the road together, our little group of fish fanatics were still on speaking terms, and eagerly lapping up all that temperate Australia’s diving had to offer. For the final leg of the trip, we left our sub-Arctic adventures in Tasmania behind us and flew north to explore some sub-tropical muck diving. A bit of warmth, sun and beach time in stunning Port Stephens was definitely what the doctor ordered.

The flight from Hobart in Tasmania to New South Wales’ Newcastle, 180km north of Sydney, brought warm weather and a new burst of energy and excitement to the group. At the airport, we piled into a large hire car and drove 35km east, to the quaint coastal town of Nelson Bay. I have been to the area several times before, and had booked a bungalow on Air BnB for us near to the town centre and dive sites, but off a side street where the only noise was from the chattering lorikeets and whistling galahs. With our local guides and friends, Sam and Kellie, we had a few days of diving planned both from shore and boat.

To break us into the diving, we planned a single long dive on the first day to coincide with the high slack tide. Most shore dive sites in this area need to be planned around slack tide, with high slack bringing the clearest water. There is a great little community of divers around Nelson Bay, and a bunch of us managed to co-ordinate diving together. My friend Laura was also able to get back into the fray, after a

20

few hours’ drive up from Sydney.

We had dived here together several times before, so she knew the drill. As we were carrying our gear from the car to the little patch of grass where we were to gear up, she accidentally kicked a rock and broke a toe. To add insult to injury, moments later a huge bull ant clamped its mandibles down on the adjacent toe, which immediately began to swell.

There are certainly health and safety aspects to shore diving that must be considered!

We planned to do a couple of dives at the Pipeline, which is named after the huge pipe that heads offshore. These days access is easy, since a series of steps and a rail have been installed. Parking is somewhat limited, so on weekends it is worth getting a place early, while being sure to pay the parking meter! The Pipeline is what I would call a sub-tropical muck dive. There are outcrops of soft corals and sponges, with large kelp growing in the shallows. Be sure to take a compass with you, as it’s easy to get lost underwater with the similarity of the substrate and relatively gentle and undulating topography. This is one of the most-rewarding of

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Grey nurse sharks are also known as sand tigers and ragged-tooth, depending where you are

Australian ENDEMICS IN sub-tropical

Temperate Australian diving is also unique thanks to such a huge number of fascinating indigenous creatures found nowhere else on Earth, many of which we were lucky enough to see

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Sydney pygmy pipehorse Actually a South African import, but common in Nelson Bay, Polycera capensis

quite small, just the size of a thumb. This little animal was one of those that Ned, Anna, Yann and Wendy all wanted to see. I was lucky having seen a couple before, but usually only spotting one every other dive or so. I was a little nervous having the pressure to spot one, and sadly I buckled under that pressure. We were lucky with most other critters, but the blue-lined didn’t appear for us on this occasion.

The next day we went out on a day boat trip to nearby Broughton Island with local dive store, Let’s Go Adventures.

The highlight here is the aggregation of grey nurse sharks that live in the huge crevice that has formed between two parts of the island. You might just be able to drive a bus down the middle of the crack, which has a sandy bottom, it is so large. Grey nurse seem to enjoy this kind of habitat, where they spend their days mindlessly and peacefully pottering back and forth. At night they head off to hunt on small fish.

If divers provide them the space to go about their cruising, they will stick around and sometimes inquisitively make a closer pass. They are harmless to divers and one of the mostmagnificent sharks to dive with. In Africa they’re referred to as ragged tooth, and the Americas as sand tigers. They are one of my favourite big animals to dive with, and the others in the group also enjoyed them. Yann, hailing from Indonesia, hadn’t experienced anything quite like being in the middle of a dozen strong school of sharks before.

We are lucky to have created this little bunch of likeminded divers that are on the same page when it comes to travel and how we plan these trips. When planning such a trip, it’s good to bear in the mind the time of year. We were in

Blue-lined octopus ensuring I know about its deadly bite

sites for nudibranch lovers. There are species that are rare elsewhere and some that I had never seen before.

Strangely, there is one species, Polycera capensis, that was actually introduced from South Africa in ship ballast water. It is a beautiful animal, but obviously far from ideal for the local flora and fauna that species are being accidentally introduced to places that they shouldn’t be.

Other species that are highlights at this site are the blind shark, blue-lined octopus, red Indian fish and White’s seahorses – all of which are sub-tropical Australian endemics and can only be found here. The White’s seahorse is a particularly prized species to see in the flesh, as it recently joined the reclusive Knysna seahorse in the dubious honour of being listed as ‘Endangered’. They are fairly common at the Pipeline site, however, and can be found in various colours. The blue-lined octopus is another special creature which, like it its relatives the blue-ringed octopus, has a poisonous bite. As the name suggests, it has blue lines, rather than rings, covering its body and it flashes these when disturbed. They are generally

22

Juvenile Sydney octopus

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An endemic Port Jackson shark

Eastern cleaner clingfish

Nelson Bay has many interesting nudibranchs, Chromodoris collingwoodi

Juvenile southern leatherjacket and nudibranch buddy

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Australia in February, which being the austral summer, meant we enjoyed some of the year’s warmest water temperatures but missed the busy summer holidays over Christmas and Australia Day celebrations on 26 January. This kept costs down and gave us the best water conditions. Costs for car hire, flights and accommodation obviously all add up, but comes down when more of you are able to share it.

After Nelson Bay, our final stop was Sydney, from where we would all head back to our respective homes. I stayed on a few extra days to dive Bare Island, another sub-tropical muck site, with Laura. I had seen them before, but I was keen to enjoy the indigenous Sydney pygmy pipehorses, while I had the opportunity. After a social media post drew attention to my quest, a local diver offered show me where she had seen some recently. We ended up seeing several of these tiny relatives of the seahorse. Although they’re bigger than pygmy seahorses, they are equally hard to spot. They live in a highly filamented habitat and their bodies are also covered in little fronds. This makes their outline disappear into the background completely. It’s not a huge surprise that they were only named in 2006, despite being found at the end of the Sydney Airport runway!

We also did a dive on the north shore of Sydney harbour at a site called Chowder Bay. It’s a fairly easily accessed site, but during our dive the visibility was awful. Perhaps we dived it on the wrong tide. We did manage to find several seahorses, and a few hairy frogfish, which was

BIOGRAPHY

Richard Smith, a British underwater photographer and writer, aspires to promote an appreciation for the ocean’s inhabitants and raise awareness of marine conservation issues through his images. A marine biologist by training, Richard’s pioneering research on the biology and conservation of pygmy seahorses, led to the first PhD on these enigmatic fishes. Richard organises and leads marine life expeditions where the aim is for participants to get more from their diving and photography by learning about the marine environment. His book, The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs, is released in September 2019: www.OceanRealmImages.com Bare Island near Sydney Airport

Juvenile butterfly gurnard with large fake eye spot

The highlight here is the aggregation of grey nurse sharks that live in the huge crevice that has formed between two parts of the island

rather unexpected given that I had only seen them in Asia before that. I also spotted my first coffin, or numbfish. These stocky rays, another Australian endemic, belong to the electric ray family and can give a good electric discharge to those that accidentally disturb them. This one had just its eyes and spiracles visible but I kept a decent distance to avoid being zapped. I have made several Australian diving road trips over the years, after really making the most of my time spent living there for my PhD research. Having done both, I personally find these kinds of temperate dive adventures more rewarding than those in the tropical north. While living in Brisbane, the Great Barrier Reefs seemed like a moresensible direction to head, I found the diving to be similar to

24

the Coral Triangle, where I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time. It is also rather more expensive to dive on the reef as there are fewer shore diving opportunities, which really help to keep costs down. In some areas, the reef is 150km off the coast, which is even too far for day boats. Staying on small reef islands, or liveaboards are the only options and aren’t cheap. Temperate Australian diving is also unique thanks to such a huge number of fascinating indigenous creatures found nowhere else on Earth, many of which we were lucky enough to see.

Having finally finished our adventure in Sydney, we had driven a couple of thousand kilometres, had many laughs and bore huge smiling grins after seeing almost all the critters we had on our wish lists. We are planning another for trip in 2019, this time returning to Japan in search of equally fascinating, and even less-well-known, creatures. There really is a lot to see when heading off the beaten path with a sense of adventure. n

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08/04/2019 09:22

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

THE FAMOUS FIVE This issue, photo pro Mario Vitalini examines various crowd-pleasing subjects you absolutely must have in your portfolio PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO VITALINI

U

nderwater photographers are slightly obsessed with finding rare and unique subjects, the ones that very few have had the chance to photograph.

And I’m no exception. But when I show my pictures to friends and family, the photographs that elicit the strongest reactions are not those hard to find, elusive beasts, but rather the classic and well-known subjects.

Let’s focus on five classic crowd-pleasers that, in my opinion, should be in every underwater photographer’s library.

This is a warm-water wishlist that will form a solid foundation to your portfolio.

CLOWNFISH

Thanks to Finding Nemo, clownfish have become arguably the most-popular reef residents. Unfortunately, taking a good photo of this charismatic fish can be a bit tricky. They are fastmoving subjects, swimming in and out of their anemone, and rarely stop to pose. The key when photographing clownfish is patience. It is worth finding the right fish and spending some time with it. As you approach the anemone, clownfish see you as a threat and will try to protect their home. Fortunately, they have a relatively bad memory and after a while calm down. I try to find the right position and composition you want, take a couple of test shots to confirm the background exposure and when everything is ready, just wait for the clownfish to swim into the right position. Fire!

If your clownfish is not sitting on a pretty anemone, you can play with depth of field so you can keep environmental context without the distracting background.

I wanted a shot of this bright red clownfish against the yellow anemone, with a bit of patience, I was able to get close enough to fill the frame Turtles tend to be attracted to their own reflections. This can be used to great effect in portraits

TURTLES

Another emotive character is a friendly turtle. It is hard not to smile when you see a picture of these gentle creatures.

Generally speaking, turtles are relaxed creatures and fairly easy to approach. When you see one on the reef, swim slowly and don’t make any sudden movements, otherwise it may get spooked. Feeding time is a great time to photograph turtles. It is not unusual to find them munching on soft corals and when they are eating, they tend to ignore everything that is going

Corals and Caves on

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BIOGRAPHY: MARIO VITALINI

If your clownfish is not sat on a pretty anemone, you can play with depth of field so you can keep environmental context without a distracting background

For nearly 30 years, Mario has sailed the globe and dived the seas, working as a PADI instructor and dive guide. Today, he shares his passion for underwater photography.

His students love his real-world expertise and patient approach. He has an extensive working knowledge of most underwater camera systems, having spent several years at the UK’s largest photo retailer. Mario’s images have won several awards and he has featured not once, but twice, among the top categories at the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year, including Most Promising British Underwater Photographer in 2015.

Snorkelling is one of the easiest ways to photograph dolphins. The abundance of light allows you to use a fast shutter speed capable of freezing these fast-moving animals

Dolphin pods can look very attractive when shot from above

DOLPHINS

on. This is a great opportunity to take a behavioural shot.

Do not start taking pictures straight away, often turtles are attracted by their reflection in your dome port. Let the turtle get used to you before you start firing.

Turtles’ undersides are very reflective, so it is essential to reduce the power of your strobes to prevent burning out highlights. Remember to bring your strobes closer to the housing to ensure good lighting as they swim in closer to the camera.

Everyone loves dolphins. Fact. Swimming with them is a common aspiration held by many. Photos of dolphins are evocative and speak to these wants and desires. Their happy faces can speak to you through an image. Often, dolphin encounters happen in very shallow water and dolphins can swim fast. When snorkelling with a pod, strobes are not necessary. By using ambient light, you do not need to worry about sync speeds and therefore you will be able to use a much-faster shutter speed (e.g.

1/320 or faster).

This is essential to freeze the movement of these fast creatures. Even in shallow water and bright conditions, you may need to increase the ISO in order to secure a shutter speed fast enough to capture the moment.

Dolphins benefit from the use of a wide-angle lens. Having a larger field of view allows you to fill the frame from a short distance maintaining a good image quality. Remember, if you choose a fisheye instead of a wide-angle lens, you will need to be much closer. Both options will give you enough depth of field and more flexibility in terms of aperture settings.

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY MORAYS

Not every great subject is what we would call pretty.

Morays are one of those fascinating creatures we love to watch, but non-divers often find menacing. Personally, I love their expressive faces and the opportunity for dramatic portraits, even if they have a face only a mother could love. Getting close is not normally a problem, but photographing a moray presents other challenges.

Separating the subject from the background is, in my opinion, critical. Morays spend their time in the reef, sticking only their head out. Taking a picture in which the subject is clearly separated from the background involves careful strobe positioning. Inward lighting and snooting are techniques that will help you to achieve this.

With morays, one compositional element that is key is good eye contact. Always try to get the shot at eye level and from the front. For me, simpler compositions are most effective for portraits. If you want a more-contextual shot that shows the moray on the reef, try to look for a behavioural action, or consider using a model as a background element.

The angle of this shot accentuates the interesting shape of the hammerhead while maintaining good eye-contact

Morays are excellent subjects for portraits, their expressive faces are full of character

SHARKS

There is one more creature that always attracts attention. For many years, sharks were portrayed by the mainstream media as evil man-eaters, but fortunately in recent years and thanks to the hard work of different charities and environmental groups, these magnificent creatures are becoming an attraction to admire and not fear. Many divers head to specific destinations for the chance to photograph individual shark species. Overall though, sharks are one of those subjects that can be very forgiving. With the right composition, you can shoot them from above, from behind or pretty much any angle. They can also work very well from far away as part of a larger scene or at close range. So, my advice is to try to beat the excitement and concentrate on the composition.

From a technical point of view, I would say that controlling the strobe power is essential, the underside of sharks is reflective and very easy to over-expose. In terms of position, remember to bring your strobes close to the housing the closer the shark gets to you.

CONCLUSION

I had the opportunity to photograph plenty of strange critters around the world, but when it comes to share my images, subjects that are familiar, have expressive faces or species that elicit a strong response are the photos that are most popular. Rare is not always better. I never swim past these more-common creatures without pausing to look for a good angle. You never know if that won’t be your next best shot. n

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This issue, our panel of well-travelled experts explain how they prepare their camera systems for diving when they arrive at their destination, and what to do with it each evening PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO VITALINI, MARTYN GUESS AND ANNE AND PHIL MEDCALF

So, you finally arrive at your dive destination - absolutely wacked out MARTYN from the journey! If you arrive late in the GUESS day, my advice is - go to bed and get up early to prepare your camera rig in time for the first dive. The most-important thing is to assemble and test everything when you are feeling awake and hopefully fresh. I see so many issues with people rushing to get their cameras ready when they are tired and inevitably something gets forgotten or worse, an O-ring traps a hair, etc.

When you assemble everything, do it in the quiet of your room where you are not going to be distracted. Check the batteries and card in your camera. Set the camera’s time zone and time for where you are now located (useful when you want to check back what time of the day a shot was taken for sun position, etc). I then set the camera for macro or wide-angle depending on what I intend to dive with first, including the focus settings. I take a few test shots out of the housing with the appropriate lens attached, then start to put everything together methodically. I first put the camera in the housing and check the housing controls are aligned. Next on goes the port, carefully checking the freshly greased O-ring for hairs, etc. I then assemble the strobe arms and attach strobes with fresh batteries. When the cables are attached between housing and strobes, I take what is probably the most

The Test Shot to check everything including strobes are working

Set your camera to the new time zone and correct local time

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important shot of the day – you guessed it, a picture of my cabin or room through the camera port! I can’t tell you how many people don’t do this and then discover a problem when they go underwater!

The last thing - if you have it, pump up the vacuum or if not check for bubbles with the rig placed in the rinse tank before you dive.

Each evening thereafter is a simple process of changing the lens for the type of photography planned for the next day and change the strobe batteries and cards and check the camera battery. I see no point in trying to get another day out of your strobe batteries – they are the cheapest part of your dive trip! When all together, make that all-important first shot again. Happy diving…

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Before any dive with a camera, there is one thing you can do once everything is put together that will prevent a vast range of grief, embarrassment and anguish.

The test shot. It doesn’t have to be anything special. Our ones are often pictures of tables in the saloons on dive boats, bits of camera kit, selfies or unflattering shots of each other.

What the test shot does is show that you can get a picture from your set-up before you get in the water. If it won’t produce a picture or it looks wrong, you can fix the issue in the dry. Some problems can be fixed underwater, others can’t.

A camera not being aligned properly in the housing will lead to a frustrating dive where none of the controls work and you can’t fix this without getting out of the water to open it up.

The test shot can detect all sorts of problems from a strobe cable not being plugged in or even left in the back of the car on a shore dive, to a compact camera being put in upside down in the housing (this can be done!). Other classics include leaving the lens cap on the camera, not putting batteries back in, or putting the flat battery back in instead of the charged one - the list goes on.

Taking test shots also allows you to get things somewhat set-up for when you are in the water. You can get an initial handle on positioning of strobes if you have them and/or your camera settings by taking a string of images before you get in the water.

When the diving day is over, and our camera set-up is rinsed and dried, we’ll put batteries on to charge and then copy the day’s pictures from our memory cards.

The approach we take to our photographic workflow is to use Adobe Lightroom Classic to copy our images from the memory card to a portable hard drive. In fact, we use two separate hard drives

ANNE AND PHIL MEDCALF

A toughened portable hard drive like this is a good option for backing up your images on trips

A typical test shot taken in the camera room on a Red Sea liveaboard boat

and create a back-up of the pictures as we copy them. We each The memory card slot on a lapto p is usually a quicker way to trans use one hard drive to fer images than wifi or bluetooth hold the pictures we are working with and the corresponding Lightroom catalogue file. The same hard drive also holds the back-up of the other’s pictures. This approach means we can clear the memory card for the next day and still have a back-up of our images in case something happens to one of the hard drives.

Using a memory card reader or slot on a laptop is usually a quicker and more-reliable approach than the various wireless transfer options that cameras have to offer.

Once the pictures are on the hard drives, we’ll usually have a quick review of them, normally with something chilled and alcoholic in hand while we plan out the next day’s diving and photography.

When travelling we always keep the hard drives separate in our hand luggage so if one does suffer a mishap, we’ll still have all the pictures from the trip. When we are in a hotel room, they are the thing that we take the most care to make sure are in the room safe before we go out anywhere. Once we get home we move the back-up to a larger hard drive that is kept secure. There are plenty of variations on how to keep your images backed up, but this system works for us.

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Holiday highlights... Join Martyn Guess for a week focused on getting more out of your camera!

Departing from Hurghada, you will spend 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin share cabin).

Based in Northern Red Sea with up to 21 dives over the week but the itinerary will vary, depending on the photo opportunities. All marine park fees, 12lt tank and weights are included in your package.

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Our underwater photography professionals have, between them, literally thousands of hours of dive time and countless hours spent travelling the world shooting underwater images and teaching workshops. If you have a question you’d like them to address, email: mark@scubadivermag.com

After flights and transfers, I finally get to my destination, check in with the MARIO crew and unpack my dive kit – then it is VITALINI time to sort out my camera kit. Word of advice here - if you feel tired and had a very long trip, it can be a good idea to set up your camera the next morning. Tiredness can lead to mistakes, that can cause floods… forgotten O-rings being a big one!

It can help to lay all your camera kit out in front of you as you unpack. Have you forgotten anything? It’s good to know before your liveaboard leaves harbour!

To make the system easier to transport, I remove the housing, so the first thing I do is to reattach them. Then I clean and set all the O-rings and set the port I intend to use. Finally, I put all my batteries on to charge.

In the morning I load the camera in the housing, put the batteries in my strobes and set the vacuum alarm on my housing. These devices give you peace of mind but are more effective if set at least an hour before you jump in the water.

Never be complacent, always inspect and clean your O-rings regularly. Leak alarms don’t replace the basics of camera care.

In the evenings, I only open my housing if I need to charge the battery, change lenses or download my photos. Otherwise

I leave the housing closed. Every time you open it you are reintroducing the risk of flooding, so the less you do it, the safer it is. As for my strobes, I know that the batteries last about a day, therefore, every evening I switch and charge them.

If I’m on a liveaboard I tend to keep the housing on the floor in the saloon so it is well protected. If I’m land-based, I bring my set up to my room unless there is a lockable camera room.

Better be safe than sorry. n

Vacuum alarms give pace of mind but good old fashion O-ring care is still an essential part of setting up your housing

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Additional travel options available, ask for details.

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After unpacking my kit, I assemble the housing which I normally take apart to pack it

A dedicated camera table is a good place to keep your system. Set the housing flat so it will not fall or slide

Camera rooms are becoming incredibly popular in many resorts.

They offer a safe place to store and set your precious photo kit

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11th July 2020 ÂŁ1495 excluding flights

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

Photographers can go at their own pace on a photography itinerary that is as relaxing as it is productive.

Welcome to the world of the Red Sea Relaxed Photo Finish. Dive a host of incredible Red Sea dive sites with an open deck policy, chosen by our photo pro based on their reliability as top notch photo-worthy dive sites.

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THE BEST LIVEABOARDS FOR SOLO DIVERS

W

hether you’re new to diving and haven’t yet found your go-to dive buddy for overseas trips, or you have a non-diving partner, being a single diver can be both intimidating and rewarding. And those single supplements can be a killer – with liveaboards charging anywhere between ten percent and even 100 percent for a cabin to yourself.

At least with a liveaboard you won’t be diving alone, with a boat-load of divers (some of them possibly also solo divers) to buddy up with for the actual diving. It’s a great way to find long-term dive buddies in fact, that you may keep in contact with for years to come.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AS A SOLO DIVER

Some boats better cater to single divers than others – here’s what to look for.

Single rooms: For those who value their privacy.

Low-single supplement: For single divers who like to have their own room and need a bit of space. This can sometimes be as high as 100 percent, however some can be as low as ten percent.

Quad rooms: This is a great low-budget option, however, you’ll have to share your space with up to three other divers. Most liveaboards have a same-gender policy for shared cabins but if this bothers you, it’s best to check first.

Bunk beds: Similar to a hostel, these rooms are the mostinformal and least-expensive option for single travellers. Six to eight divers usually share one bunk bed room.

Best liveaboards for solo divers by destination: Australia • Spirit of Freedom is one of the best ways to explore the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea and has two quad-share cabins below deck.

• Divers Den’s OceanQuest liveaboard is one of the most-flexible Great Barrier Reef liveaboards, with daily transfers and budget bunk rooms.

Indonesia • With itineraries from Komodo to Raja Ampat, Amira Liveaboard has one single cabin.

• Damai I and II - these two luxury dive boats have 25 years’ experience in Indonesia, running dive trips in Komodo and Raja Ampat. Both boats have single cabins.

• MV Mermaid I has a range of trips departing Bali and Labuan Bajo to Komodo National Park, and has a single cabin on the upper deck and two budget cabins below deck.

• Sea Safari 8 offers great value seven-night itineraries to Raja Ampat and has two bunk cabins below deck.

• Blue Manta and New White Manta both offer a very low single supplement of only ten percent, with trips throughout Indonesia, from Komodo to Kalimantan, Sulawesi, the Forgotten Islands and Raja Ampat.

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If you’d like more information on embarking on a solo dive trip, contact the team at Diveplanit Travel for help diveplanit.com email: enquire@diversiondivetravel.com.au or FREECALL 1800 607 913 (+61 7 4039 0200) n Mexico • Nautilus Belle Amie and Nautilus Under Sea liveaboards are ocean-going steel-hulled vessels offering eight-night dive trips to see the megafauna of Mexico’s Socorro and Guadalupe Islands. Both boats have a quad-share cabin.

The Philippines/Palau • MV Solitude 1 offers tours to Tubbataha Reef, Malapascua and Ticao and from November to Febraury relocates to Palau. The boat has a quad-share or Family cabin below deck which sleeps four adults comfortably.

Papua New Guinea/Solomon Islands • The MV Febrina has two single cabins and offer seven to ten-night itineraries from Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay. • The Solomons PNG Master Liveaboard has two quadshare cabins, with a wide range of tours from Honiara and Munda in the Solomon Islands.

Thailand • Sea Bees’ Genesis 1 has two air-conditioned single cabins – a great option for Andaman Sea locations, including the Similan and Surin Islands and Richelieu Rock.

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Indonesian

EXPEDITION Komodo to Raja Ampat Adrian Stacey continues his epic odyssey on board a traditional phinisi-style Indonesian liveaboard travelling from Komodo to Raja Ampat

PART TWO

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIAN STACEY

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I

was on a pilgrimage from Komodo to Raja Ampat, part of an expedition that would take 19 days and provide those on board a host of unique and amazing experiences both above and below the water. The first leg of the trip was from Komodo to Alor (see last issue), and we had left the small town of Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo, seven days earlier and already there had been some fantastic dives, stunning topside scenery and even an exploding volcano. The second leg of our journey would take us from Alor, across the Banda Sea, to the Banda Islands. These relatively unexplored territories promised to provide even more wonderful sights and memorable encounters, especially as this was hammerhead season in the Banda Sea. Before venturing out into the wilderness of the open ocean, we had our first scheduled dry day. While the crew stayed behind to restock the boat with more fuel, water and provisions, we ventured onto land to soak up the local culture.

Located east of Flores, the Alor archipelago is beautiful.

Villages dominated by domed mosques or spired churches are perched sporadically on steep tree-covered slopes. The inhabitants, especially the children, are always happy to meet new visitors to the area. They would paddle out to where we were diving in tiny carved-out wooden canoes. Some would duck dive under the water and stare at us through unusual homemade goggles while others would wait until we popped up from our dives before greeting us with wide smiles. The locals are still very reliant on fishing, but it seems to be carried out in a sustainable way and the intricate wooden traps they use sit on top of the reef looking like extravagant decorations.

Huge coral and sponge formations

Diver admiring the pristine reef

The diving in Alor is spectacular. It is not yet as well-known as it more famous neighbours, Komodo and Raja Ampat, but I think it will be in the not-too-distant future. The reefs are varied and pristine, and the currents can be every bit as strong as Komodo. There is also a rich diversity of marine life in the area, ranging from rhinopia to thresher sharks and occasionally even mola mola. At Arch Wall, we found a beautiful wall boasting numerous overhangs, colonised by sponges, sea fans and whip corals. Large gatherings of fusiliers hung out in the blue, while schools of red-tooth triggerfish stayed close to the safety of the reef. My favourite dive was at the stunning Clown Valley Boulders. A slope covered in hard coral leads down onto an immense plateau littered with pinnacles, and every inch of its substrate is covered in hard corals, soft corals, whip corals and sponges.

Fighting for space in among this profusion of growth are literally hundreds of anemones with resident clownfish. Great visibility, schools of fusiliers, tuna and a multitude of small reef fish contributed to the sensory overload.

Fish traps like man-made decorations

Anemonefish add a splash of colour

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Here you will meet people with a passion for Raja Ampat and a passion for sharing it with the most important person of all: you, our guest.

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The reef growth comes in all shapes and colours

to a beautiful palm-fringed beach and an ill-fated attempt to snorkel with a large pod of pilot whales, more than made up for the two dive days. Not to mention that it gave us the chance to relax, off gas and simply enjoy the fact that we were cruising through a beautiful and remote part of the world.

With only two days left before arriving at the Banda islands, we reached the huge, submerged reefs of Dusburgh and Nil Desperandum. Karang Dusburgh (Karang is the Indonesian word for reef) was our first port of call. Hiding only a few metres under the surface, a vast plateau sits on top of steep walls adorned with sea fans and barrel sponges. Blacktip reef sharks patrolled the shallows and large schools of shy humphead parrotfish grazed relentlessly on hard corals - reef conservation was clearly not a priority for them! Out in the blue was a frenzy of activity as massive tuna torpedoed through the ranks of a large school of the constantly picked-on fusiliers. Then gliding along the reef came the creature we had all been hoping to see and what this reef is well known for - a hammerhead shark. The moment was fleeting, but it was a good start to the day. Three hours northeast was our next site, its topography and marine life are very similar to that of Karang Dusburgh but out of the two, I preferred Karang Nil Desperandum. The reef was just a little bit prettier, the marine life a tad more prolific and the action slightly more frenzied. Not to mention it has a much cooler name. Translated Karang Nil Desperandum means Do Not Despair Reef. We dived twice on this fabulous reef, and where Dusburgh had provided a great start to the day, Nil

Fish Galore provided more stunning reef and a close encounter with a thresher shark. The night dive showed off Alor’s critter credentials with a variety of nudibranchs, scorpionfish, decorator crabs and many other weird and wonderful nocturnal creatures.

The next three days would be spent island hopping across the Banda Sea, diving by day and travelling by night. The first island we reached was Pulau Wetar, followed by Pulau Nyata, Pulau Mitan, Pulau Damar and Pulau Terbang Utara. At each of these destinations we had some amazing dives along sheer, plunging walls, all with their own characteristics and all teeming with fish. At Wetar, the walls were scarred with deep crevices and decorated with sea fans and sponges. Nyata boasted soft Hard and soft corals nestle corals and whip corals along with a beautiful alongside sponges hard coral garden on the fringing reef. Mitan’s walls were home to several species of nudibranchs and were infested with feather stars, as was the shallow, bommie-covered plateau that sat on top of this spectacular drop-off. Damar offered a great mixture of hard and soft corals, while Terbang Utara was covered in thick, bushy black coral. Due to choppy seas hindering our progress on some of our night-time crossings, we were only able to dive twice a day on this stretch of our journey. However, a close encounter with a huge fin whale and her calf, a visit The coral seems to stretch for miles

Banded sea krait

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Sometimes the reef... ...just never seems to end

Desperandum gave us a fantastic finish with at least four hammerhead sightings throughout our final dive. The privileged feeling, mixed with a hint of smugness, which accompanies such sightings soon evaporated upon hearing that a few days earlier another liveaboard had seen a school of hundreds of these unique creatures.

The final destination before our next restock and land visit day was the amazing Gili Manuck. This small volcanic island in the middle Banda Sea looks like something out of a Jules Verne novel. Its steep slopes are covered in thick forest which is home to hundreds of noisy sea birds. They endlessly circle the island, occasionally plunging into the water to search for food. While we were there we rescued two frigates and a boobie that had injured themselves on entry - their fishing techniques clearly needing a little more practice. But what makes this place really special is beneath the surface. On a single dive we encountered at least 50, sometimes quite large and often over-friendly, sea snakes. Completely unfazed by our presence they would swim between our legs or creep up stealthily from behind, materialising just in front of our masks. It was great fun to watch when it happened to other divers, but a little scary being on the receiving end. We had three dives here, all of them superb. The snakes were the undoubted stars of the show, but by no means the only stars. We had a fleeting glimpse of a hammerhead, several encounters with eagle rays, a huge marble ray and for the macro enthusiast, there was a good smattering of large, colourful nudibranchs. The reefs themselves are also beautiful and varied. There were plunging drop-offs and huge plateaus, littered with coral-covered boulders and bommies. Massive barrel sponges and patches of plate coral engulfed areas of reef while ridges of jagged black rock supported abundant soft coral growth. Gili Manuck really is a magical place - unless you have a phobia for snakes, then it would be just terrifying.

After a 12-hour night time crossing, we arrived at the Banda islands. On this leg of the expedition we had travelled over 500 miles, enjoyed 16 dives and had encounters with hammerhead sharks, eagles rays, whales and of course plenty of sea snakes. The journey so far had been an amazing experience - and we had not even reach Raja Ampat yet. n

Next issue: Adrian completes his epic journey as his liveaboard finally arrives in Raja Ampat.

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Out in the blue was a frenzy of activity as massive tuna torpedoed through the ranks of a large school of the constantly picked-on fusiliers Honeycomb moray eel

Sunset over the liveaboard

Expedition:

The Ring of Fire MAUMERE - KUMBA - ALOR - WETAR - NIL DESPERANDUM - GILI MANUK BANDA NEIRA - FORGOTTEN ISLANDS - MISOOL - RAJA AMPAT

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ta ga nO oha er.com | Marcelo J

#mikumbadiving

First in a new occasional series focusing on specific styles of dive, kicking off with exciting wall dives and exhilarating drift dives PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF MARK EVANS, JESSE ALPERT, DIVE SPIRIT FAKARAVA, DIVE MUNDA AND VOLIVOLI DIVE RESORT

T

hat feeling of weightlessness, the ability to move in three dimensions, is one of the most-inspiring and memorable things about diving, and is often one of the first things mentioned by new scuba divers. It just never gets old, and the Scuba Diver team still gets a blast out of that zero-gravity effect every time we go in the water. Is there anything better than freefalling over the edge of a sheer wall, dropping down towards the blue abyss before inflating your BCD, putting the brakes on, and then just hovering motionless, a stunning wall dripping with marine life to one side, and the big blue to the other.

The other kind of diving which gets our juices flowing – and is often found in conjunction with wall diving – is drift diving, and for sheer exhilaration, you just cannot beat being blasted along a reef at a rate of knots by an inexorable current. Often this current that is giving you a fairground ride also brings in some bigger marine life, including sharks and other pelagics, so it is a double-whammy of entertainment.

Over the following pages, we showcase just a handful of the superlative wall and drift dives that can be found in the region.

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FRENCH POLYNESIA

Dive Spirit Fakarava (www.divespiritfakarava.com), a small dive centre managed by Sebastien and Sophyline, is located 4km from the village of Rotoava in Fakarava, in the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia.

The Tuamotu archipelago, or ‘island off site’ in Tahitian, is wellknown as a dream destination for divers, especially Fakarava, which means ‘beautiful’ in Polynesian. A UNESCO biosphere reserve, it is the ideal dive spot to watch all types of marine fauna, from reef fish to sharks. You may spot blacktip sharks, whitetip sharks, grey reef sharks and occasionally hammerhead, tiger and lemon sharks.

One of the highlight dive spots is Alibaba, a must for diving in the North Pass. Diving there is only possible when there is an incoming current. For safety reasons, this is reserved for experienced divers due to the technical nature of the dive, with no less than seven different currents threading through Garuae Pass.

After a descent into the blue, you make a stop of up to five minutes at 25m-28m, when it feels like you are watching a grey reef shark wall on a big screen. You may also see manta rays if you are lucky.

You then continue your dive by flying over different canyons until you reach Alibaba for a stop of five to eight minutes depending on your decompression time. Alibaba is like a natural swimming pool in the middle of the pass, with sand and schools of perch surrounded by grey reef sharks. You finish your decompression time and dive by drifting into the lagoon.

During an outgoing current, one of the best dives is Ohutu Drop Off, which starts around 12m and goes down to 30m. If you’re lucky, you might see mantas during the season at the cleaning station, or the odd hammerhead passing by.

The corals are in pristine condition, and the whole slope from the reef to the wall itself is a colourful garden of corals and other fauna, a veritable platform full of schools of barracuda, shoals of paddletail snapper, whitetip sharks, grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, stonefish and even nudibranchs.

Grey reef shark Idyllic resort scene

FIJI

Huge corals in Fiji

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Drifting among the kaleidoscope of colourful soft coral and hectic fish life in Fiji’s number one dive region, the incredible Bligh Water should be on every divers’ bucket list. Today we choose Instant Replay, which delivers colour, healthy masses of soft coral, countless marine life, including anemonefish, octopus, pipefish, masses of anthias and fusiliers as you drift along the reef in the ‘soft coral capital of the world’ with Fiji’s premier dive resort, Volivoli Beach Resort (www.volivoli.com), and their professional crew.

Look below and the seafloor is home to many crustaceans, cephalopods, whitetip reef sharks, turtles and eels, look to the right and the walls are jam-packed with bright yellow, purple and orange soft coral and the countless critters that make it their homes, look to the left and there will be schooling giant trevally/jacks, chevron barracuda, wahoo and the evervigilant grey reef and blacktip reef sharks, and don’t forget to look up and you may be among eagle or manta rays. This really is a 360° world, so be prepared for action.

This is an excellent choice for most divers that are after a bit of a thrill.

Depths start from 4m, so perfect to do your safety stop among the plethora of anemones and anemonefish to keep you company, but remember your reef hook, and drops down to well in excess of 30m for those divers seeking some extra depth and large seafans. The biggest problem will be to choose macro or wide-angle for your camera set-up!

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THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

Shark Point is a 20-minute boat ride from the dive shop and is one of Dive Munda’s (www.divemunda.com) signature sites. Situated at the end of a reef protruding a mile out into the Solomon Sea, it drops off more than 600m and can be dived at any depth from 10m-60m. Shallower dives here offer pristine corals and large schools of fish, reef sharks and turtles. More experienced divers can venture deeper on the point itself. Species seen here include grey reef, blacktip, and whitetip reef sharks at all depths, plus the chance of meeting great hammerheads and large silvertip sharks deeper down.

Depending on the time of day and the state of the tide, currents can be strong, but that only brings in more fish! And it’s not just about the big fish - drift along on the current and take in the incredible gorgonian fans, soft corals and whip corals. Titan triggerfish lay their eggs in the shallower sandy spots and can be seen darting about protecting their nest from predators. Divers have had some close encounters with this fearless tropical fish! Recently re-discovered and now fast becoming a guest and staff favourite! Mbelo Mbelo and Langarana are amazing wall drops and some of Dive Munda’s furthest sites and earn bragging rights for some of the mostspectacular soft coral formations and the biggest gorgonian seafans anywhere in the world! Come see for yourself...

Frequently described as the ‘perfect dive’ by Dive Munda guests, the Cave of the Kastom Shark is a 40-minute boat ride from Munda and is accessed via a very short walk onto the island through the mangroves. The entry is a pool about two metres wide, leading down a vertical shaft to two large chambers linked by a narrow tunnel.

Diver dwarfed by coral growth

These destinations are equally stunning topside Swim-through

There is a guide line throughout to help with navigation. After penetrating the cave for about ten minutes and reaching a maximum depth of 35m, divers exit onto a spectacular reef wall where schools of giant bumphead parrotfish swim, and sharks and turtles are often sighted. There is a chance of encountering the elusive pygmy seahorses that have been found here.

Situated off the remote west coast of Rendova Island, the Haipe Reefs are in pristine condition and are another signature Dive Munda site. Huge areas of hard corals along the reef-tops play host to swarming schools of colourful small fish and provide a feeding ground for big schools of bumphead parrotfish, and often turtles. Deeper down, soft corals, fans and sea whips provide a beautiful background for regular encounters with grey reef sharks, plus the occasional visit from silvertip or hammerhead sharks. Manta rays have been sighted here when the current flows.

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SOLITUDE ACACIA RESORT Untitled-4 1

19/12/2018 13:33

THE MALDIVES

Only a mere ten-minutes from Prodivers (www.prodivers.com) base on Kuredu lies one of the most-exhilarating drift dives in the Maldives. The Kuredu Express is one of the most-famous dive sites in the Lhaviyani Atoll, and gets its name from the strong currents that can flow here. There is a sandy channel leading to the corner of the reef, where there are terraces at different depths – a great place to stop and watch the action going on around you, so remember your reef hook. The bottom is way below recreational depths, so keep an eye on your computer. Grey reef sharks, eagle rays, large tuna, Napoleons, stingrays and barracuda are all found here, along with a huge school of jack fish. Along the outer reef, there are two large bays in the reef which have some brightly coloured soft corals, lots of collared butterflyfish and schools of humpback snapper. The dive is rounded off with leaf fish close to the top reef at 5m, the perfect place for a more-relaxed safety stop.

Bannerfish on the wall

PALAU

Water villas in the Maldives Eagle ray

Friendly turtle in the Maldives

Easily the most-famous dive site in Palau, Blue Corner is a spectacle of drift, wall, currents and stunning marine life. The dive starts with a beautiful, steep wall with lots of interesting fish, nudibranchs and coral.

From critters, leafy scorpionfish to larger fish like barracuda and bumphead parrotfish, the variety of species found on this wall dive is vast. Drifting with the current, it does not take long until the dive reaches the ‘corner’, the edge of a flat plateau, running a couple of hundred metres out to sea.

Currents can be strong right in this exposed spot and as Melanie Oborski explains, the experienced guides from Sam’s Tours (www.samstours.com) help divers get ‘hooked’ safely, right on the edge to have the best views of the spectacle. The conservationist’s heart beats faster when seeing the numbers of grey reef, whitetip and other species of sharks patrolling in front of the divers. Trevallies, barracuda and a vast variety of tropical fish join the fun and make this dive an all-time favourite. Larger pelagic sharks, such as hammerhead, bull and tiger sharks can sometimes be spotted in the deeper reaches of the wall and make Blue Corner an interesting tech dive option. The most-famous crowd pleaser for the recreational diver is the resident and extremely curious Napoleon wrasse, that demands attention from the divers and is everything but subtle about it. He is most often found on the shallow plateau area, which is the ideal finish to this amazing dive. Here, turtles, moray eels, and lots of critters await here and help Blue Corner live up to the expectation of Palau’s most-iconic dive site. n Mass of sharks hang in the blue

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BEYOND TECHNICAL

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Aron Arngrimsson follows his introduction to Bikini Atoll and its iconic aircraft carrier Saratoga with a closer look at two lesser-known, but no-less-impressive, shipwrecks PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARON ARNGRIMSSON AND JESPER KJOLLER

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

The USS Arkansas and USS Anderson are not the first battleships or destroyers that are mentioned when people discuss Bikini Atoll, but as you will see from our photographs, these ships have plenty to offer divers

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B

ikini Atoll and its nuclear ghost fleet represent one of the world’s finest wreck-diving locations.

Setting it apart from its neighbour - the wreckdiving titan that is Truk Lagoon - is how Bikini’s wrecks were sunk.

Bikini was a controlled demolition. The atoll’s lagoon was filled with naval vessels that carried an enormous amount of importance historically. There were no human casualties.

Truk Lagoon, on the other hand, had five times the amount of vessels in the water, the majority of which were merchant vessels. This meant thousands of human casualties in a real wartime conflict. If you are a Truk Lagoon veteran and are entering Bikini’s waters for the first time, be prepared to see a whole new array of vessels.

The USS Arkansas and USS Anderson are not the first battleships or destroyers that are mentioned when people discuss Bikini Atoll, but as you will see Whip corals from our photographs, these ships have plenty to adorn the offer divers. wrecks

The props are the first thing you encounter

The wrecks are in remarkable condition

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Gun barrels protrude from under the hull

COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS USS ARKANSAS

USS Arkansas was a 29,000-ton US battleship with a capacity of 4,000 gallons of gasoline, 37,779 barrels of oil, and 119 barrels of diesel. Launched in January 1911 as the first battleship in the US Navy, she saw many presidential commissions during her career.

In October 1912, she partook in the Presidential Naval Review on the Hudson River. President William H Taft was taken in her to the Panama Canal Zone to inspect the unfinished canal. In April 1914, Arkansas helped with the occupation of Veracruz, Mexico. December 1918 saw the ship form part of the fleet escorting President Woodrow Wilson to France.

During World War Two, USS Arkansas protected naval convoys on their journey across the Atlantic. She stayed in Europe providing assistance at Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion in Southern France, and the bombardment of Cherbourg. She then took part in further action at Okinawa and Iwo Jima in the Pacific.

The imposing bow

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Having survived through both World Wars and being awarded four battle stars for her service, the USS Arkansas met her end at Bikini Atoll.

Situated close to the crosshairs of the Baker blast along with the USS Saratoga, both vessels were moored broadside to the bomb to receive the maximum amount of damage possible. She sank almost immediately, going from being the first battleship in the US Navy to being the battleship sunk by a bomb that did not even touch her. Although not confirmed, popular belief has the USS Arkansas to be the immovable shade in the baker blast.

Descending down to see the USS Arkansas, now upside down, you are greeted by her glorious propellers, which have been completely taken over by whip coral and other wildlife.

A really interesting aspect to this wreck is that when you look at the side of the vessel that faced the bomb, the curvature of it is completely deformed in a term that’s called ‘dishing’. Once you reach the bottom, there is a good variety of armament to explore ranging from two- to 12-inch guns.

One of these 12-inch guns in particular is impressive because it almost defiantly pokes out from the side of the wreck.

Wreck penetration on the Arkansas is somewhat limited and can be challenging because of its orientation and depth.

She sank almost immediately, going from being the first battleship in the US Navy to being the battleship sunk by a bomb that did not even touch her WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

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BEYOND TECHNICAL

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The vis can be incredible

USS ANDERSON

USS Anderson was a 105-metre destroyer that acted as a screen for aircraft carriers during World War Two. She was constantly on the front lines and served in the Solomons, Tarawa, Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Coral Sea. The Anderson was alongside the Yorktown and Lexington aircraft carriers when the Japanese sunk them in battle. She was also present when the USS Hornet and USS Wasp went down. In 1943, the Anderson was at Wotje Atoll in the Marshall Islands when she was hit by a six-inch shell. The captain and five of his officers were killed and 18 other men were wounded.

Her services earned the Anderson ten battle stars during the war. Her fuel capacity included 168 barrels of diesel and 2,929 barrels of oil. When she was hit by the atomic blast of Test Able, she was at 95 percent capacity. After the explosion, she sunk in a mere eight minutes after a fire raged amid what little was left of the superstructure.

Archive image

Diver examining a deck gun

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

An avid wreck photographer will revel in the USS Anderson as there are plenty of points of interest in a very small space As you descend down the line, the destroyer reveals itself, lying on her port side with grey reef sharks patrolling the vessel. As you swim from past the props and stern towards the bow, the damage reported from Operation Crossroads becomes visible. At the mid point of the wreck, you can see a full depth charge rack and a torpedo launcher which have fallen off the vessel.

Although she was a modern destroyer for her time, you can imagine it being pretty uncomfortable onboard the Anderson - the body is really streamlined and the beam is very narrow. The five-inch guns she is equipped with barely fit and look somewhat out of place. The smaller AA guns fitted look much more like they belong.

The engine room is accessible for those who are not faint of heart. An avid wreck photographer will revel in the USS Anderson as there are plenty of points of interest in a very small space. The stern is also very photogenic if you have a wide-angle lens and are granted good visibility. This viewpoint also allows you to appreciate how narrow the vessel actually is. n

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THE DIRTY DOZEN EXPEDITIONS The Dirty Dozen Expeditions came about when two passionate wreck divers shared a beer, while running a boat in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia, and discussed their dream-trip itinerary. They decided to organise a special one-off trip and invite old friends and industry leaders to join.

Since then, The Dirty Dozen Expeditions has gone from that first trip to 20-plus expeditions in Truk Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, and beyond. Dirty Dozen trips foster a close-knit family atmosphere between passionate wreck junkies and distinguished guest divers who conduct onboard workshops. Their unique itineraries are combined with full support for the most-demanding OC/CCR divers.

The expedition-ready vessel Truk Master travels to Bikini Atoll between May and October every year and is the only regularly scheduled dive operator since the land-based dive centre was abandoned. The yacht provides ample space for relaxation, big cameras, rebreathers and all the tech kit their divers need.

There are redundant oxygen generators onboard, ample supplies of helium and Sofnolime, underwater scooters, twinsets, and dedicated sidemount and rebreather cylinders. Logistical challenges in Bikini are about as hard as they can get because of the atoll’s isolation.

But with their vast experience operating in remote areas, you’ll find that the crew makes it look easy and you can have the wreck-diving trip of a lifetime in both style and comfort. Email: info@thedirtydozen.org for more information, pricing, and availability, or check out: www.thedirtydozen.org

What’s New

WATERHAUL SUNGLASSES

Cornish start-up Waterhaul is launching a range of sunglasses produced from 100 percent recycled fishing nets, following in the footsteps of other innovative companies reusing plastic waste, such as Fourth Element and Island Kayaks.

Every year, 640,000 tonnes of fishing nets are lost or discarded in the ocean. Samples of plastic waste accumulating in our oceanic gyres reveal 46 percent of this plastic, by weight, is attributable to fishing gear. Waterhaul is part of a collaborative scheme that intercepts nets from European seas. They work with fishermen to provide an alternative to landfill or abandonment through incentivising net amnesty programmes.

The company also collaborates with community groups and NGOs removing nets from Cornish beaches and seas.

Intercepted nets (often exceeding 100 metres in length) are washed, shredded and turned into pellets, which are then moulded into Waterhaul’s innovative sunglasses frames.

Waterhaul’s founder, Harry Dennis, a marine scientist from Cornwall, said: “Throughout my travels, discarded fishing gear was a ubiquitous sight on every strandline from the Coral Triangle to Norway’s Arctic Circle. I thought that there must be a way to redesign the systems causing this problem.

“Waterhaul’s mission is to turn this waste into a resource.

Fishing nets are made from incredibly high-quality plastics.

We want to create demand for this unique material, so nets don’t end up abandoned in our oceans.”

The word ‘Waterhaul’ originates from Newfoundland cod fisheries; a term used to describe the act of hauling in a seine or trawl net that is absent of any catch. Retrieving empty nets from the ocean is precisely what the company aim to achieve.

To prevent any of their sunglasses ever ending up in a landfill, Waterhaul offer to buy back your old or damaged frames and recycle these into new sunglasses. Waterhaul’s range launched in the UK this month with two models - the Kynance, and Fitzroy. The sunglasses come paired with high-quality polarised mineral glass lenses, which are also recyclable. www.waterhaul.co

FOURTH ELEMENT SUMMER LIFE COLLECTION

In stark (sic) contrast to the most-talkedabout TV series in history, Summer is on its way, and with it, Fourth Element’s new Life collection. Featuring bold designs from Mixed Up for the serious tech diver to Ror-shark, a suggestive design for those with sharks on the brain, these designs are hand-printed onto GOTS-certified organic cotton.

In collaboration with the shark conservation charity Bite-Back, Fourth Element will donate £3 for each sale of the Shark Invested Waters design, and for those who like their T-shirts with a political statement, Make Dive Not War may just tick your box. www.fourthelement.com 54

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APEKS HP TWIN ADAPTOR

The Apeks HP twin adaptor allows you to use both a submersible pressure gauge and a trans-mitter on a first stage that only has a single high-pressure port.

It also has the added benefit of allowing a transmitter to rotate 360 degrees, which prevents it being damaged if a cylinder were to fall over.

The Apeks HP twin adaptor is made from chrome-plated brass, utilises a standard 7/16” thread and is suitable for use on all manufacturer’s first stages. www.apeksdiving.com

BEUCHAT POWERJET

The Beuchat Powerjet fins are an adjustable fin made from three different technopolymer materials, which feature an innovative blade with multi-flex power jets.

According to Beuchat, the flexible vent concept gives full power to negative areas without stiffening the blade, while the use of ultra-flexible materials at the tip of the blade help obtain an efficient ‘scoop’ effect.

The fins have spring straps for easy donning and doffing.

Yellow and blue fins off regular flex, while black fins are powerful flex. www.beuchat-diving.com

MARES ULTRA ADJ 82X

SANTI FLEX 80

The Flex 80 is a lightweight and elastic undersuit made from the unique fabric foundation that comes from the Primaloft family. It efficiently wicks moisture away from the skin, dries quickly, breathes, and is highly durable against snagging and piling, which allows the user to achieve com-fort in a wide range of activities.

It is made from 50 percent polyester, 41 percent nylon, and 9 percent spandex. It is available in siz-es ranging from XS all the way to XXXL. www.santidiving.com

For the current range, Mares have brought out two lines sitting side by side – an all-metal range, and a series mixing metal and technopolymer components. The range-topper in the all-metal is the Epic Adj 82X – currently in our Long Term Test stable – and the equivalent in the plastic/metal range is the Ultra Adj 82X. The Ultra second stage looks very similar to the Epic, and has the same ‘motorcycle-throttle’ control on the hose, the pivoting purge, and the cracking resistance control knob on the side. The only difference is where the Epic is metal, the Ultra is constructed from mainly lightweight technopolymer.

The 82X first stage is pretty much identical to the one supplied with the Epic Adj, it just has a pearl chrome finish as opposed to the hard-wearing PVD. There is also the Mares Ultra 72X, which is cheaper but still very similar, it just does not have the cracking resistance control on the second stage, and the 72X has four vertical and four radial low-pressure ports. www.mares.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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Test Extra

MARES SILVER KNIGHT AND BLUE BATTLE

Mark Evans: Backplate-and-wing combinations are becoming all the rage for single-cylinder divers. With the likes of RAID training beginners in such set-ups, along with a long-hose regulator, it is no longer seen as being a ‘techie’ thing. However, I still maintain a lot of people like using a backplate-and-wing on a single cylinder as it does make them feel like they are somewhat above the norm.

I have been a firm fan of backplate-and-wing combinations for a long time, especially for travelling.

You can’t beat having something stripped back to basics to keep your luggage weight down. Plus, I find being unencumbered around your front much more comfortable than being smothered by a jacket BCD. And finally, having all the gas in the wing on the back means you naturally fall into that classic trim position that everyone strives for!

Mares have been in on the backplate-and-wing scene from the beginning, and the Silver Knight - or its limitededition blue-camo version, the Blue Battle - is a robust and well-made piece of kit.

The backplate itself is made from 3mm aluminium, and it is then kitted out with a standard ‘unbroken’ webbing

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Test Extra

MARES SILVER KNIGHT AND BLUE BATTLE

harness that is equipped with five 6mm aluminium D-rings (two at the shoulders, two on the hips, and a crotch ring) and an aluminium buckle.

The wing is a single tank donut bladder with twin efficient rear pull dumps and a nifty power inflator that has a nice heft in your hand. It proved itself more than capable in UK waters, as Tom Pimblett found out when he stepped in to be my buddy at Vivivan Dive Centre, but it is equally at home in the tropics. If you don’t like wearing a weightbelt, there are optional dumpable weight pockets that can be attached to the webbing waist strap.

In and out of the water, it is very comfortable, and once submerged, it does hold you in a nice trim position.

However, it is easy to roll around and get into different positions without feeling like it is trying to force you back into the classic ‘skydiver’ position.

The power inflator is comfortable in a gloved hand, and the stainless steel buttons have a nice feel to them. It is efficient, and pumps air in at a good rate.

Similarly, the twin pull dumps on the bottom of the bladder work well, venting extremely quickly when you need them to. The backplate is a very arty design - you could strip the straps and bladder off it and put it on your wall! - but it is also purposeful, and it threads the strap and the tank bands in the optimum positions.

The standard Silver Knight is a great backplate-andwing combo, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, you can’t beat the Blue Battle, which is the same price.

We loved the blue camouflage finish, and the anodised blue aluminium buckle and D-rings were just beautiful.

However, if you want the latter, don’t hang about, as it is a limited edition, and once they’re gone, they’re gone! www.mares.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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DEMA SHOW

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AND DRIFT INTO A SEA OF OPPORTUNITY AT DEMA SHOW 2019!

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In partnership with

Test Extra

OCEANIC VEO 4

Mark Evans: Oceanic has launched its Veo 4 computer, which can either be wrist-mounted (as reviewed here, and the preferred form for European divers) or in a console (which the Americans still adore). It is a nice, straightforward unit, with just two push buttons for navigation, but it boasts plenty of features.

It is equipped with Oceanic’s patented dual algorithm, so you can select from the Pelagic Z+ (Buhlman ZHL-16C) or the Pelagic DSAT algorithms.

It has four operating modes – air, nitrox, gauge and freedive, and is capable of handling up to three gas mixes.The large size of the digits on the analogue display make it great for those with, shall we say, less than perfect vision. The unit itself is quite compact for a wrist-mounted computer – Oceanic says it has a 20 percent slimmer profile than its predecessor, the Veo 2.0.

The user-replaceable battery gives approximately 300 hours of use, and is simple to swap out for a new one. There is a handy SmartGlo backlight, the duration of which can be adjusted, and this makes seeing the screen at night as easy as pressing a button.

The Pelagic DiverLog+ App can be downloaded at no charge from the App Store, and this handy tool not only logs your dives but also allows you to control and change settings on the Veo 4 from your phone via Bluetooth. Pre-dive you can select your gas mix and algorithm, set alerts for time and depth, etc, and then fire it across to your computer.

After the dive, you can reverse the process, sending all the dive profile information across to your phone. You can then embellish this with photographs, videos and more detailed information.

Everyone seems to be going for colour screens these days, but the good old digital display still has some legs yet. The digits on this one are crisp, sharp and a decent size, and the information displayed is very easy to read. The two buttons are easy to press even wearing thick neoprene gloves, and navigation around the menus is nice and simple. For the price – and its capabilities – it represents good value for money. And with the dual algorithm, you could buy this as a back-up to your primary computer and set the algorithm which is nearest that on your other unit. It comes in this bright yellow colour, or techie black if you don’t want to stand out. www.oceanicworldwide.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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EOS UW LIGHTS

Be illuminated with the EOS lights

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

EOS Torches From 320 to 2300 lumens Magnetic adjustable focus From 55 to 100 Minutes of burn time (max power) In-house rechargeable battery Usb rechargeable cable Led charge indicator Wide light beam Magnetic multifunction switch with safety lock Four options: on, low, flash, off One-hand use Tubular handle Adjustable wrist strap Padded case with zip

• • • • • • • • • • •

EOS Strobe 450 Lumens 360° High visibility 5/25 Hours of burn time In-house rechargeable battery Usb rechargeable cable Led charge indicator Magnetic, rotational switch Two operating modes: on, strobe Anodized aluminum housing Adjustable strap Padded case with zip

Test Extra

OCEANIC GEO 4

Mark Evans: Oceanic has several wristwatch-style dive computers in their line-up, and in its 4.0 guise, the Geo is looking better than ever. The ‘aerated’ strap – which is available in five optional colours (black, white, blue, yellow and sea-blue ) – looks cool and is very comfortable, which is important if you are actually going to be wearing this for long periods as an actual watch, and the main unit has been given a makeover.

While it is wristwatch-sized and can be worn as a large sports watch during your day-to-day life, it has a goodsized display, with big digits. They might not be quite as large as on the Veo 4, but they are still plenty big and clear enough for most people.

It obviously has all of the normal watch functions, but then it can also handle air and nitrox (up to three gas mixes between 21-100 percent), together with a gauge mode and a freediving mode. The menu is simple to navigate using the four buttons on the computer, and it has a back-light for when it gets murky or at night.

The battery lasts for approximately 300 hours, and can then be easily and quickly replaced by the user, so no sending it back to the manufacturer.

As with the Veo 4, the Geo 4 is equipped with Oceanic’s patented dual algorithm, so you can select from the Pelagic Z+ (Buhlman ZHL-16C) or the Pelagic DSAT algorithms.

Also as with the Veo 4, the Geo 4 is designed to be used with the Pelagic DiverLog+ App, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store. This handy tool not only logs your dives but also allows you to control and change

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settings on the Geo 4 from your phone via Bluetooth.

Pre-dive you can select your gas mix and algorithm, set alerts for time and depth, etc, and then fire it across to your computer. After the dive, you can reverse the process, sending all the dive profile information across to your phone. You can then embellish this with photographs, videos and more detailed information.

The Geo 4 looks good on your wrist, both as a ‘watch’ and when you are using it as a dive computer. It has more than enough capabilities for most divers, and it comes in at a competitive price. www.oceanicworldwide.com

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APEKS VX1 Mark Evans: In the past, Apeks has had masks, but they have generally been basic products just branded up with the Apeks name. Now, finally, the company which prides itself on making top-quality, high-performing products has a mask that is worthy of that Apeks logo.

The VX1 has a frameless construction, which creates a lightweight and low-volume mask which is easy to clear and equalise. What Apeks call ‘advanced skirt geometry’ is designed to minimise facial pressure points during long-duration dives. Matte and gloss areas on the silicone skirt create a better seal and improve fit and comfort. This might all sound ‘fancy talk’, but in reality, I can tell you this is one of the most-comfortable masks I have tried in a long time. I like single-lens masks, but in the past, everyone I have tried from different manufacturers has pressed on to my forehead. They just didn’t work for the shape of my face. However, the VX1 fits like a dream!

There are quick-release buckles with stainless-steel rollers mounted directly into the premium, surgical-grade silicone skirt. This means you can fold it flat into a drysuit pocket as a back-up mask, if needs be. They are easy to adjust, with a one-touch button on the top - easy to use, even with thick neoprene gloves on.

The mask comes in a robust zipped protective case, with a karabiner attachment on one end, and has a comfortable silicone strap, as well as an additional neoprene strap for those who prefer that style.

The VX1 is available in two colour schemes - black skirt with a gloss-black insert around the lens, and a white skirt with a gloss-black insert around the lens. So, Darth Vader look, or a Stormtrooper... You decide. www.apeksdiving.com

* = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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Long Term Test SUUNTO D5 Mark Evans: First Suunto brought full colour to the screen display of their EON Steel, then the EON Core. Now they have shrunk that technology even further into a wristwatch-style computer, the D5.

It is aimed at entry-level divers and features a clear, high-contrast screen, simple-touse menu and it is rechargeable, as well as being able to connect with a Suunto Tank POD for wireless air integration. www.suunto.com

MARES EPIC ADJ 82X

INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 9 Time in water: 8 hrs 20 mins

FINNSUB 20D AND COMFORT HARNESS Mark Evans: I have gone on and on about the robust build quality and heavyweight feel of the Finnsub 20D, but I feel it just cannot be too overstated how well this wing is made.

Just look at the finish around the pull dump valve, with its little branded and rubberised surround. The quality and workmanship cannot be faulted, and matches its in-water performance. www.finnsub.com 64

INFORMATION Arrival date: January 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 21 Time in water: 19 hrs 55 mins

Mark Evans: As we discussed last month, the Mares Epic Adj has some neat features on the second stage, but the first stage is also rather special. It has a swivel turret for the low-pressure ports, but I was more taken by the highpressure ports, which are angled in opposite directions, whichever orientation you mount the first stage on your cylinder, you can set the routing just right. www.mares.com

INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 12 Time in water: 11 hrs 30 mins

APEKS TECH SHORTS Mark Evans: The Tech Shorts got their first outing on my Sudan trip in March, and I have to say I was mightily impressed. I was sold on the idea of having pockets for stashing my DSMB and spool anyway, but the way the Tech Shorts fit and feel, and how efficient the pockets are, was far better then I imagined. I went for a size Medium, and they fit snugly over my 5mm wetsuit, no flapping around or sliding off as I clambered into the RIB. I also liked the rubberised finish on the bottom and back of the INFORMATION Arrival date: March 2019 thighs which stopped me Suggested retail price: * sliding around on the RIB Number of dives: 16 tubes.

Time in water: 15 hrs 15 mins www.apeksdiving.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

OTTER WATERSPORTS ATLANTIC Mark Evans: As mentioned last month, one of the big USPs of the Otter Watersports Atlantic is the new pattern, which eliminates underarm seams, as shown by guest tester Jason Brown in the photograph.

The whole reason for losing the underarm seams as well as getting rid of a seam, which is always a potential failure point! - is to give more flexibility, which as anyone who has tried to reach their tank valves, can be a pain if your suit limits your movement. www.drysuits.co.uk

INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 12 Time in water: 11 hrs 55 mins

SHEARWATER RESEARCH TERIC Mark Evans: The Shearwater Research Teric has been racking up the dives with me over the last few months, and I am just loving how easy and intuitive it is to use.

Take the menu, for instance.

You press the bottom lefthand button to enter, and then it clearly shows you on screen which buttons scroll up and down, which ‘enters’ the next screen and which takes INFORMATION Arrival date: December 2018 you back to the previous Suggested retail price: * section. Fantastic, no Number of dives: 32 random button pressing!

Time in water: 31 hrs 15 mins www.shearwater.com

APEKS XL4+

Mark Evans: The Apeks XL4+ will next be heading to Egypt, when its small size makes it the perfect companion for my 12 year old son Luke, who will be using it while diving in the Red Sea and doing his Junior Advanced Open Water Diver course. He is entranced by the white finish on the second stage, which matches the white braided hose, as he says it is ‘cool’ so there you go, Apeks, INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 congratulations, you are Suggested retail price: * ‘cool’ in a 12-year-old’s Number of dives: 32 books!

Time in water: 30 hrs 45 mins www.apeksdiving.com

BARE ULTRAWARMTH 7MM HOOD Mark Evans: So, the Bare Ultrawarmth 7mm Hood has reached the end of its six-month stint in Long Term Test, and let me tell you, I have been glad of its company on several cold-water dives!

I am normally weary of anything stating ‘ultra’ anything, but this hood genuinely can claim to give ‘ultrawarmth’. That celliant technology contained in the material actually does what it says absorbs your body heat and reflects it back at you - and it is far warmer than other 7mm hoods I have tried in the past. If you are INFORMATION Arrival date: November 2018 in the market for a winter Suggested retail price: * hood, check this out for Number of dives: 28 sure.

Time in water: 26 hrs 25 mins www.baresports.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

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SCHOLARSHIP DIARY

The Our-World Underwater Scholarship Society is a non-profit, educational organisation whose mission is to promote educational activities associated with the underwater world. It has offered scholarships for over 35 years. owuscholarship.org

LIFE OF AN APEX PREDATOR PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JOANNA SMART

A

fter spending some time in tropical waters, it was time to head back down south and reacquaint myself with the temperate reefs. I headed back to Tasmania from Papua New Guinea to undertake a project in my own backyard.

I teamed up with Project Aware’s Dive Against Debris programme. This great citizen science programme is a way to remove waste from the ocean while also reporting data. The project engages local divers to clean up their dive site and report the amount of rubbish collected Since 2011, the programme has engaged 50,000 divers, who have reported over one million pieces of rubbish. Implementing this method at our local dive site, our team was able to collect a variety of rubbish, including fishing rod handles and plastic bottles.

I then repacked my bags and headed off to South Australia to join Rodney Fox Expeditions and dive with great white sharks. This experience was absolutely incredible. During our time in the Neptune Islands, 40 nautical miles south of Port Lincoln, we got a close up look at four different white sharks. I was amazed by the size and speed of these apex predators and felt privileged to see them up close.

The Rodney Fox team play a pivotal role in the conservation of white sharks. Listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN red list of endangered species, not a lot is known about their life history.

In addition to the education they provide on trips, the team also contributes to a variety of scientific research, including satellite tagging, photo identification and biopsy sampling. They have been able to provide information on the diet of the white shark, migration patterns and behaviour.

The trip was a fascinating insight into the little-known lives of this species, and I cannot recommend it more. We also had the chance to swim with Australian sea lions at Hopkins Island, which was incredibly fun and provided some great photo opportunities.

I was sad to see the end of my time in South Australia, but can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds. n

Joanna Smart

WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

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