Scuba Diver #63

TECH: THE AVALANCHE LEIGH BISHOP TELLS THE INTRIGUING STORY OF THIS DEEP CHANNEL WRECK

THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

WALT STEARNS EXPLAINS THE ENDURING APPEAL OF THIS TRIO OF ISLANDS

LUCKY FOR LUNDY

MARK EVANS FINALLY MAKES IT TO THE SEALS ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT

MAIN STAGE SPEAKER BOOK TICKETS TODAY!

ANDY TORBET AND BETH SADLER EXPLORE THE CORNISH COAST ON BREATH-HOLD ALEX MUSTARD

CRISTINA ZENATO, PT II

DAN COLUMN ISSUE #63

STREAMLINE WITH TECLINE Wherever you are on your diving journey, you’ll value the flexibility of our modular system. Tecline is the smart way to customize your own perfect configuration.

Aqua Active distributors of Tecline in the UK. To open a trade account contact: info@aquaactive.co.uk

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mark Evans Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 700 Email: mark@scubadivermag.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com CONTRIBUTORS Walt Stearns, Leigh Bishop, Colin Garrett, Andy Torbet, Beth Sadler PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Ross Arnold Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 701 Email: ross@scubadivermag.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Penney Evans Email: penney@scubadivermag.com

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The best of British As we head into the summer months, this issue has a distinctively British flair, with features focusing on some stunning - but all very different - dives in our waters. I load up a campervan and make the journey south to dive with the seals off Lundy (third time lucky!) with teenage son Luke. Also on the South Coast, but at opposite ends of the scale, Andy Torbet and Beth Sadler make the most of a freediving course in Cornwall, while Leigh Bishop ventures into the depths to explore the wreck of the Avalanche in the English Channel.

Continuing our British focus, a grant scheme has just been announced for British Isles dive centres, charter boats and liveaboards at the GO Diving Show 2023.

One of the biggest points from the visitor survey from the 2022 GO Diving Show was the lack of diving companies exhibiting from the British Isles. This wasn’t from lack of trying, but we understand that the last couple of years has been a big challenge for small businesses in general, but particularly in the diving industry. That’s why for the 2023 show (4-5 March), which is sponsored

by Seiko Watches, the GO Diving Show team has introduced a grant to help smaller companies within the British Isles make the most of the show.

There are 40 grants available, and each will reduce the cost of a 3x2 shell stand from £1,200 to £500. Furthermore, each of those who get one of the grants will receive a £350 refund back if they meet the set criteria over the weekend after the show has finished - reducing the total cost to just £150.

Dive centres, charter vessels and liveaboards are the lifeblood of the British diving industry, and so we feel it is our duty to try and help these businesses get back on their feet as we all come out from under the spectre of Covid.

For more information, check out the Book a Stand section under Exhibitors at: www.godivingshow.com Mark Evans, Editorial Director

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TECH: THE AVALANCHE LEIGH BISHOP TELLS THE INTRIGUING STORY OF THIS DEEP CHANNEL WRECK

THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

WALT STEARNS EXPLAINS THE ENDURING APPEAL OF THIS TRIO OF ISLANDS

LUCKY FOR LUNDY

MARK EVANS FINALLY MAKES IT TO THE SEALS ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT

MAIN STAGE SPEAKER BOOK TICKETS TODAY!

ANDY TORBET AND BETH SADLER EXPLORE THE CORNISH COAST ON BREATH-HOLD ALEX MUSTARD

CRISTINA ZENATO, PT II

DAN COLUMN ISSUE #63

Cover.indd 1

PHOTOGRAPH © DAAN VERHOEVEN

27/06/2022 06:29

Regular columns

Monthly features...

10 News round-up

22 England

The discovery of the wreck of the Gloucester, diving pioneer Bob Kirby dies, CCR tech is used in ventilators, Aggressor Adventures heads for the BVIs, and a grant for small British businesses at the GO Diving Show.

18 DAN Europe Medical Q&A

Questions about coronary artery disease and elbow pain.

52 Divers Alert Network

Michael Menduno and Marta Marrocco explain how DAN’s emergency medical network aided a diver’s recovery.

74 Our World-Underwater Scholarship

Scholar Hannah Douglas heads to New York for the annual Scholarship awards weekend.

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It was third time lucky for Editorial Director Mark Evans on his quest to dive with the seals off Lundy Island, but he reckons it was more than worth the wait.

28 Q&A with Cristina Zenato, part two

In the conclusion of this two-part interview with ‘Mother of Sharks’ Cristina Zenato, she chats about her work with sharks in the Bahamas and around the world, cave exploration, and what she has lined up for the future.

32 The Cayman Islands

The birthplace of wall diving... The crown jewel of Caribbean diving... The Cayman Islands has been called these things and more, and there are good reasons why this trio of small islands deserve such accolades, as Walt Stearns explains.

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...continued

Gear & testing

40 Underwater Photography

62 What’s New

In this instalment, Alex Mustard focuses his attention on macro, explaining what elements are required to create a truly memorable close-up image.

44 England

Aquacity Freediving’s Georgina Bradley and Daan Verhoeven introduce another group to apnea off the Cornish coast – Andy Torbet helps out on the instructional front, while keen teen Beth Sadler was a most-willing participant.

54 TECH: England

The wreck of the Avalanche has been on the seabed of the English Channel for over 145 years. Although broken, it still provides the visiting diver with not only an excellent dive, but a step into history, as Leigh Bishop explains.

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We take a look at some new products coming to market, including the eco-friendly Apeks Ocea regulator, the Crest CR-5 wristwatch dive computer, the Tecline Peanut wings, Otter Watersports’ changing mat, Fourth Element’s Xerotherm hoodie, the Mares XR Rec wing, and the Shearwater Research Perdix 2 and Petrel 3 dive computers.

64 Test Extra

Editorial Director Mark Evans heads out to his local dive site at Capernwray, down to the Cornish coast and out to Grenada to rate and review the Fourth Element Tech fins, the Tecline V1 Tec II Ice regulator, and the SDC Watches OceanRider ‘Great White’.

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

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MARY ROSE-LEVEL SHIPWRECK DISCOVERED

he discovery of an historic shipwreck claimed to be the most significant since that of the Tudor warship Mary Rose followed an extended search by two brothers scuba diving off the Norfolk coast – and it has been revealed only now, after 15 years of secrecy.

The vessel they found is the Gloucester, which sank 340 years ago while carrying future king of England James Stuart – who, through his back-seat driving, might well have played a part in the warship hitting a sandbank in 1682.

The Gloucester had remained half-buried in sand until its discovery in 2007 by brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, with the assistance of their late-father Michael and two other divers, one named as James Little.

The wreck was split down the keel and an unknown proportion of the hull remained covered in sand – it is still unclear how much of the ship and its artefacts can yet be found in the constantly shifting sands off East Anglia.

The ship also proved difficult to identify, because of the number of 17th- and 18th-century wrecks in the area. Finding the bell confirmed it as the Gloucester five years later in 2012, but to protect what was regarded as an ‘at-risk’ site in international waters, the find remained a closely guarded secret, declared only to the Receiver of Wreck, Ministry of Defence and Historic England. © Royal Museums Greenwich Wikimedia Commons

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© Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks

Inspired by Mary Rose

Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, both printers based in Norfolk, completed a Nautical Archaeology Society course so that they could work with University of East Anglia (UEA) maritime archaeologists to excavate the wreck. They are now honorary fellows of the university’s School of History.

“We had spent many, many years, decades, diving WW1 and WW2 shipwrecks,” says Julian Barnwell. “I think after a period of time we just wanted something different.” The brothers started looking through Richard and Bridget Larn’s book Shipwreck Index of the British Isles for inspiration.

Lincoln, who as a child had been inspired by the televised lifting of the Mary Rose, says: “I saw the Gloucester, 1682, thought wow, and then the world ‘cannon’ appeared.” He phoned his brother and said: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat!” The discovery came only after covering an estimated 5,000 nautical miles in their search. “It was our fourth dive season looking for Gloucester,” says Lincoln. “We’d dived so much and just found sand. And then one day, finally, we got

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© Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks © UEA

the perfect hit. The visibility was excellent, lovely white sand and, right in front of me, cannon. It was awe-inspiring and really beautiful.

“We were the only people in the world at that moment in time who knew where the wreck lay. That was special and I’ll never forget it. We were confident it was the Gloucester, but there are other wreck sites out there with cannon, so it still needed to be confirmed.”

Artefacts already recovered and conserved include clothes and shoes, navigational and other naval equipment, personal possessions such as spectacles and many wine bottles, some still with their contents sealed inside.

One bottle has a glass seal with the crest of the Legge family, ancestors of American president George Washington and a forerunner to the Stars and Stripes flag. More artefacts are thought to remain buried. No human remains have been found, only animal bones. As Gloucester was a naval ship the finds are deemed to be MoD property, or that of the Crown if positively identified as personal property.

“Because of the circumstances of its sinking, this can be claimed as the single most significant historic maritime discovery since the raising of the Mary Rose in 1982,” says UEA maritime history authority Prof Claire Jowitt.

“It is an outstanding example of underwater cultural heritage of national and international importance. A tragedy of considerable proportions in terms of loss of life, both privileged and ordinary, the full story of the Gloucester’s last voyage and the impact of its aftermath needs retelling, including its cultural and political importance, and legacy.

“We will also try to establish who else died and tell their stories, as the identities of a fraction of the victims are currently known.”

The most important artefacts are to be displayed at a major exhibition, The Last Voyage of the Gloucester: Norfolk’s Royal Shipwreck, at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery from 25 February to 25 July next year. It will be cocurated by Prof Jowitt for the UEA and Norfolk Museums Service.

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VOBSTER BRINGS CCR TECH INTO ICU

The national lockdowns forced on the country during the COVID-19 pandemic were tough on us all, but for Vobster Quay owner Martin Stanton, they provided the perfect opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ by applying cutting-edge CCR technology to the fight against COVID-19.

While the rest of the country followed government guidance to ‘stay home, protect the NHS and save lives’, Martin applied his efforts to something that could save many lives across the globe – the development of a new class of CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) © Jason Brown ventilator designed to help patients with severe breathing difficulties.

Drawing upon considerable expertise gained through years of developing the acclaimed VMS RedBare CCR, Martin’s 3CPAP ventilator incorporates state-of-the-art CCR principles to deliver a simple yet highly effective solution that is more cost and resource efficient than conventional CPAP systems used in hospital ICU departments worldwide. Originally conceived during the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK, its primary goal is to deliver adjustable CPAP with adjustable fractional inspired oxygen concentrations, using very low fresh gas flow.

What Martin has achieved that is unique – and something of a first – is to make a CCR perform CPAP. The result is a device that uses considerably less oxygen than a conventional CPAP device. An average UK general hospital can deliver around 3,000 litres of oxygen per minute shared between all patients that need it, making oxygen a premium yet limited resource.

With conventional CPAP machines consuming on average 50 litres of per minute, that caps the total number of patients

that can receive CPAP treatment to a maximum of 60 – if the hospital were to exceed this limitation, the system would shut down leaving patients with no oxygen at all.

Using a rebreather-based system like 3CPAP, that same hospital could treat over 1,000 patients from the same supply – equating to the treatment of 16 times more patients from a device that also costs a lot less than comparable conventional CPAP system. Such a system has tremendous potential not only in hospitals but also in care homes and locations worldwide where the large volumes of oxygen needed to run conventional CPAP devices may not be available.

Regulatory testing of Martin’s 3CPAP device is almost complete, with UK patient trials set to begin in August. The NHS here in the UK has already placed an order for 1,000 3CPAP machines, and Martin hopes that once the NHS order is complete, applications will begin to secure certifications required to export 3CPAP to other countries.

‘TRUE DIVING PIONEER’ BOB KIRBY DIES Bob Kirby, co-founder of US company Kirby Morgan, which came up with a succession of lighter, more comfortable and practical helmets and full-face masks for commercial divers, died at his home in California on 1 June.

Seventy years earlier in 1952, Kirby had become a US Navy diver and welder. He designed his first dive-mask, now known as the Kirby #1, while still in the service. After leaving the navy in 1956 Kirby became an abalone diver, and over time designed for his own use 16 ‘air hats’ with copper domes built on Yokohama breastplates. He had no plans to exploit them for profit, until he realised that manufacturers had been developing his ideas to take to market.

In 1964, Associated Divers asked Kirby to design and build a lighter diving system, and within a month he had modified a Desco helmet to save 23kg in weight, and replaced the risky-when-wet Natron scrubber material with soda lime.

With saturation diving reducing demand for heavy gear, Kirby met diver and surfer Bev Morgan, and the two collaborated to manufacture glassfibre masks for abalone and commercial divers, before forming the Kirby Morgan Corporation to produce lightweight commercial helmets. Initial products included the BandMask and Clam Shell helmet, but in 1968, Kirby Morgan merged with Pacific Instruments, and when that company went out of business, Kirby sold out to Morgan.

In 1974, the pair got back together as Diving Systems International to develop a glassfibre air helmet, with the US Navy eventually adopting their SuperLite 17 design. The company closed in 1980, after which Kirby worked on a variety of projects, taught diving courses and in 1989, built helmets and backpacks for his friend James Cameron’s film The Abyss.

Today, Kirby Morgan Dive Systems is said to make more than 80% of the world’s surface-supplied diving equipment.

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EGYPT

ALL STAR VELOCEAN RAISES THE BAR ON LUXURY

It is rare for a boat to look almost identical to artist’s renderings, but the All Star Velocean is one of those vessels – and it is truly stunning, raising the bar on liveaboard luxury.

The All Star Velocean plies the waters of Indonesia and caters for 18 guests in ten spacious, well-appointed suites, with a 24-man crew on hand, two custom-built dive tenders and a full array of gourmet meals, not to mention free nitrox and, for those who want to stay connected, wifi.

This enormous vessel – it is 52 metres long and boasts three deck levels – has dedicated camera stations in the lounge area, allowing professionals and amateurs alike to pursue their passion while staying central to activities.

The vessel offers trips around the Komodo National Park, Wakatobi Marine National Park and Raja Ampat. Repositioning trips through the Forgotten Islands of Alor and the Banda Sea are also available. www.allstarliveaboards.com

HMS INVINCIBLE RUDDER FOUND The missing rudder of a British warship that sank in the Solent near Portsmouth in 1758 has finally been discovered during a routine inspection of the site.

The 11-metre-long rudder was found some 60 metres away from the main wreck site, and marine archaeologist Dan Pascoe described it as ‘unique and significant’. He explained: “We weren’t particularly looking for it. A feature had showed up in geophysical surveys and we investigated. The rudder is complete from top to bottom and looks to be in good condition – it only survived because it was buried.”

For now, the rudder is due to be protected with sandbags to prevent erosion. Raising the rudder and then conserving it could cost up to £80,000, and Mr Pascoe said: “There are no other examples from warships of this era, but its future depends on whether it is financially viable to bring it up and then find somewhere to display it.”

The rudder actually caused the loss of the ship – it jammed, and the Invincible ran aground on a sandbank between Langstone Harbour and the Isle of Wight, only to capsize three days later. The 74-gun Invincible – which was actually built by the French in 1744 and captured by the British in 1747 – is widely regarded as one of the most-important vessels of its time, with that ‘class’ of ship becoming the ‘backbone’ of the Royal Navy.

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THE DIVER’S CHOICE FOR 30 YEARS AWARD WINNING SERVICE SINCE 1992

Emp2022_thirds.indd 2

15/01/2022 07:54

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COUNTING CORAL IN FIJI Counting Coral is a non-profit committed to the protection and restoration of the world›s coral reefs, and was founded two years ago by artist Jolyon Collier, who decided to connect the worlds of conservation and artistry to take direct action on the coral crisis.

Counting Coral designs, builds, donates, and installs Sculptural Coral Banks, a new and advanced method to aid coral growth. At first glance, Counting Coral’s Sculptural Coral Banks are a layout of beautiful and elegant stainless steel sculptures arranged underwater. However, their brilliance only starts there. Beyond their aesthetic appearance, these sculptures are planted out with climate-resilient coral, and meticulously designed in order to protect and naturally propagate the reef systems, while maintaining a healthy coral supply for harvesting when needed.

The installation of the first-ever Sculptural Coral Bank is this July, in the waters of Nacula Island, in Fiji. This installation, comprising 120 pieces, will not only provide immense support for the deterioration of Fiji’s coral reefs, but it will act as a catalyst for a future of installations around the world. This is Counting Coral’s first installation, and these images show Fiji’s sculptural coral bank – but as they expand, they will be designing different styled parks in collaboration with each community.

The sculptures are made from marine-grade stainless steel. This material will naturally allow algae and sea plant growth, and is not toxic or harmful in any way. The sculptural park will be securely staked on a sandy floor, neighbouring a reef in the appropriate current line to allow the coral on the sculptures to naturally propagate the existing reef.

The flower petals that you’ll be able to see in the images are removable; in the case of severe bleaching events, they can be taken off of the sculpture. In addition, the flower petals are also expandable and foldable. This allows for them to be manually opened up as the coral grows, and

protective enough so that the corals are protected from sea slugs and starfish. Along with other appropriate corals, the sculptures will be planted out with climate resilient coral. This will be revolutionary for the future of coral reefs.

Counting Coral have spent years working with lead scientists in coral propagation, and particularly climate resilient coral, who will be present at the time of the installation.

The fragmented corals on the sculpture will develop into a coral bank over time. They then allow the coral to grow to spawning maturity, which allows for natural propagation. The sculptures will naturally propagate the near reef systems, while maintaining a healthy coral supply for harvesting when needed. The coral banks themself can then be used for fragmenting onto secondary reefs, or back onto the natural reef – but acting as a coral ‘bank› for the entirety.

The equally important side of this installation is the community. Any additional up-charge to dive/snorkel on the sculptural park will be directly given back to the community for community projects. Donation portals will be allocated to community as well. This installation will be largely focused on its giving back programme, this installation will open up job and training opportunities for the locals, increase tourism, and drive awareness.

BLUE MEADOWS SEAGRASS PROJECT UNDERWAY Plymouth-based charity the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) has launched an ambitious project called Blue Meadows.

Its aim is to provide protection for 10% of all UK seagrass over the next five years – that’s around 700 hectares, or the equivalent of 700 football pitches.

The trust says it is also unveiling the UK’s largest experimental seagrass nursery, at a 400sq metre purposebuilt facility in Devon, where a team of experts will be researching restoration techniques in a pair of large polytunnels. The nursery is financed by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

The first Blue Meadows project is in Falmouth, Cornwall, where buoys are being placed in three hotspots to protect more than 20 hectares of seagrass beds. Baseline biodiversity measurements have already been conducted.

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A campaign then begins to inform Falmouth leisure and commercial boat-users about the location of the meadows and engage them in the project, in a bid to minimise disturbance and allow the seagrass to regenerate and flourish. A further 50 hectares are to be similarly protected at a second site in Torbay, Devon, enabling existing seagrass meadows to regenerate alongside large-scale seagrass restoration. Seagrasses can absorb carbon up to 35 times more efficiently than rainforests and, despite covering only 0.2% of the ocean floor, store 10% of its carbon, says the OCT. They also provide nursery environments for commercially important fish species, with a single hectare of UK seagrass hosting up to 80,000 fish and 100 million small invertebrates, as well as rare and endangered species such as seahorses and stalked jellyfish.

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AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES EXPAND INTO BVIS

Aggressor Adventures has announced the addition of the British Virgin Islands (BVIs) Aggressor to its line-up of excursions in the Caribbean, with trips starting 4 June 2022.

The BVI Aggressor (formerly Cayman Aggressor V) is a 33.5-metre yacht that sleeps 20 guests comfortably and features a roomy, air-conditioned salon and dining area, sun deck complete with a hot tub, lounge and deck chairs, an outdoor sound system, shaded cocktail deck with a grill, and a photo editing computer for guests. The Cayman Aggressor IV, an 18-passenger yacht, has undergone a complete rebuild and will return back to its home in the Cayman Islands to resume charters starting 2 July 2022.

TIME TO CELEBRATE!

Thrilled to be in the BVIs

“We are thrilled to add the BVI Aggressor to our offerings in the Caribbean.

The BVIs are known for lush green mountains, powdery white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. We are confident our guests are going to love our itineraries and yacht with five-star accommodations,” says Wayne Brown, CEO of Aggressor Adventures. “The British Virgin Islands have some of the most spectacular diving sites in the Caribbean which feature stunning shipwrecks, an abundance of coral, fish, sharks, dolphins, turtles, crustaceans and a multitude of other marine life.”

The BVIs are a British overseas territory comprised of four large islands – Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada – and 50 smaller islands and cays. The wreck of the Rhone, one of the world’s best shipwreck dives, is a highlight of the area, along with beautiful coral gardens, seamounts, canyons and sandy bottoms. The BVI Aggressor will embark and disembark from Tortola. Throughout the week guests will dive several areas around the British Virgin Islands, mainly on the outer islands consisting of Norman, Peter, Salt, Cooper and Virgin Gorda. The itinerary is dependent on wind and weather. www.aggressor.com

KYARRA WRECK-DIVER REQUIRES AIRLIFT

An unconscious diver was recovered to his dive-boat before being airlifted to hospital on 18 June, following a dive on the Kyarra liner wreck off Swanage in Dorset. The male diver was reported to have got into difficulties at a depth of around 23m, while making a controlled ascent with his dive-buddy. The Kyarra, sunk off Anvil Point by a U-boat in 1918 and one of England’s most-popular wreck sites, lies at a maximum depth of around 32m.

An emergency call was picked up by the Coastguard at 8.44am and Swanage RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was dispatched to the scene.

The diver had been given oxygen and regained consciousness when the lifeboat crew arrived to assess his condition, and his buddy was also assessed and found to be well. A Coastguard rescue helicopter was requested to transfer the casualty to Poole hyperbaric chamber so that he could be treated for possible decompression illness as quickly as possible.

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Maldives Egypt Spain & Canaries Thailand Oman Mauritius Japan

50 YEARS OF DIVING WITH FRIENDS Since 1972 we turn your diving holiday into a safe and unforgettable underwater adventure worldwide.

Let´s celebrate together!

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GRANT FOR BRITISH ISLES DIVE CENTRES CHARTER BOATS AND LIVEABOARDS AT GO DIVING SHOW One of the biggest points from the visitor survey from the 2022 GO Diving Show was the lack of diving companies exhibiting from the British Isles.

This wasn’t from lack of trying, but we understand that the last couple of years has been a big challenge for small businesses in general, but particularly in the diving industry. That’s why for the 2023 show (4-5 March), which is sponsored by Seiko Watches, the GO Diving Show team has introduced a grant to help smaller companies within the British Isles make the most of the show.

GO Diving Show’s Ross Arnold said: “We have 40 grants to issue, and each will reduce the cost of a 3x2 shell stand from £1,200 to £500. Furthermore, each of those who get one of the grants will receive a £350 refund back if they meet the set criteria over the weekend after the show has finished - reducing the total stand cost to just £150.

“Dive centres, charter vessels and liveaboards are the lifeblood of the British diving industry, and so we feel it is our duty to try and help these businesses get back on their feet as we all come out from under the spectre of Covid.”

He added: “It will add a whole new dimension to the show for visitors, and will give a great avenue for these companies to showcase the wonders of diving in the British Isles.”

The following businesses are eligible to apply for grants - liveaboards, charter boats, and dive centres owned and operated within the British Isles. For more information, check out the Book a Stand section under Exhibitors at: www.godivingshow.com

DAVID CHARASH NAMED DIVER OF THE YEAR Divers Alert Network and Rolex have announced that David Charash, DO, has been selected as the 2022 DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year.

Dr. Charash is a boardcertified emergency medicine and undersea and hyperbaric medicine physician who has been caring for injured divers since 1993. Early in his career he recognized the need for quality education for both divers and those in the medical community who care for them. He has developed workshops, symposiums, lectures, and a podcast (Fitness in Diving) about dive medicine, safety, and technology.

Dr. David Charash has lectured at the United States Coast Guard Academy and the Naval Undersea Medical Institute and is an advisor to the diving control board at the New England Aquarium. He supports recreational, commercial, and public safety divers through medical care, evaluations, education, and training. He is a strong supporter of the mission of Divers Alert Network, a DAN referral physician, a DAN Instructor, and most recently, a volunteer with DAN’s Research Department.

For more than three decades, DAN and Rolex have collaborated to honour an individual who has made substantial contributions to dive medicine, safety, or research and to name that person the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year. This award is one of the most-significant honours in diving. It began in the late 1980s as a grant to DAN from Rolex to recognize the organization’s work on behalf of divers and evolved to feature a Rolex watch for the recipient, along with a donation to DAN to help fund dive safety research.

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ARENUI LIVEABOARD BACK AT SEA Indonesia has recently reopened its borders to international travellers, and now the luxurious Arenui liveaboard has returned to sea to offer spectacular, sumptuous cruises around some of Indo’s best diving areas. The Arenui explores the waters around the Komodo National Park, taking in dive sites and landscapes from Bali right across to Flores and Alor, from May to October.

Then, in November, the vessel moves towards Ambon and the Spice Islands in the Banda Sea as it works its way towards Raja Ampat. It then cruises Raja Ampat from December through to April.

The Arenui itself is truly eye-catching. It is a Phinisi – a classic Indonesian wooden sailing vessel – but with all of the mod cons you’d expect from a five-star liveaboard. The hull was constructed by over 50 local craftsmen in South Sulawesi from traditional ironwood, and the superstructure was then completed in Java and Bali. Incredibly, more than 70 percent of the wood used to build the boat is recycled wood – in fact, many parts of the Arenui are made from recycled Javanese houses!

Much of the next four to five years is already booked up, but there is limited availability between July and September on some stunning cruises: • 17-26 July 2022 – Alor (Scuba Diver North America Editor Walt Stearns will be on board this trip) • 27 July-7 August 2022 – Alor-Komodo • 9-16 August 2022 – Komodo Focus • 8-26 August 2022 – Komodo Focus • 27 August-3 September 2022 – Komodo Focus • 17-27 September 2022 – Komodo Focus

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Marine biologist on the Arenui

The icing on the cake? Marine biologist Jose Castellano will be on board during the summer cruises! Jose is a biologist from the south of Spain who has spent the majority of the past decade diving all over Indonesia.

As a dive guide he took thousands of people below the sea to explore its many beauties. For hours he found himself explaining to people what they had seen; how creatures interact with their environment and how they all form part of the same enormous ecosystem as ours – Planet Earth.

His next step was to combine his academic knowledge and his passion for diving by developing an educational programme to inform divers about what they encounter below the surface. After several years on liveaboards around Indonesia he continues to enjoy seeing divers gain understanding of marine life and consequently, enjoying their trips even more!

On the trips joined by Jose, it will follow the schedule of a regular Arenui trip, with the addition of a series of marine biology talks. His role as a biologist on board is to help you to get familiar and to understand better the marine environment. Aside lectures, he will assist you between dives to answer your questions and uncertainties about the marine life you just encountered.

Indonesia has one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world. The amount of different species we can encounter here is difficult to find elsewhere, and so Indonesia is the perfect place to learn about the marine environment. www.thearenui.com

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

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Ask DAN

DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

Orbital implant and diving

Q: I’m getting older and am worried about a hardening of the arteries. Does this make diving dangerous?

A: Coronary atherosclerosis is commonly described as ‘hardening of the arteries’. It’s the result of the deposition of cholesterol and other material along the walls of the arteries of the heart. The walls of the arteries, in response to the deposition of this material, also thicken. The end result is a progressively increasing blockage to blood flow through the vessel. Many factors contribute to the development of coronary atherosclerosis: a diet high in fat and cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, increasing age and family history.

Symptomatic coronary artery disease is a contraindication to safe diving - don’t dive with it.

Coronary artery disease results in a decreased delivery of blood - and therefore, oxygen - to the muscular tissue of the heart. Exercise increases the heart’s need for oxygen.

Depriving myocardial tissue of oxygen can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and/or myocardial infarction, or heart attack.

The classic symptom of coronary artery disease is chest pain, especially when it follows exertion. Unfortunately, many people have no symptoms before they experience a heart attack. Cardiovascular disease is a significant cause of death among divers. Older divers and those with significant risk factors for coronary artery disease should have regular medical evaluations and appropriate studies performed (eg, treadmill stress test).

Medications typically used in the treatment of this disease include nitroglycerin, calcium channel blockers and betablockers. At some point, someone with coronary artery disease may need a revascularization procedure, or the re-establishment of blood supply, through bypass surgery or angioplasty. If the procedure is successful, the individual may be able to return to diving after a period of healing and a thorough cardiovascular evaluation.

Elbow pain

Q: I made two dives about a month ago. The first was to 27m for 20 minutes, and the second was to 11m for 35 minutes. I was well within my computer guidelines, we did not do a safety stop, and I may have had one slightly fast ascent. I was OK until about four days after the dive, when I noticed a sharp pain in my elbow. If I’m not using my arm, I don’ t notice any pain at all. But if I rotate my forearm or bend my elbow, I still get a dull ache. Is there any way this could be related to my dives?

A: If you were symptom-free for four full days, then it

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is unlikely that subsequent symptoms are related to decompression illness and your dive. The nitrogen you absorbed during your dives has to follow the physiology of basic gas laws - it cannot stay in the body tissues once the partial pressure of nitrogen in the ambient air we breathe drops down to sea-level pressures.

Although nitrogen leaves the body in a much slower fashion than we take it on, it still must leave. After diving, you should be equilibrated to ambient nitrogen in 24 hours.

If the pain can be produced with movement of the affected joint only, then it is more than likely a musculoskeletal strain or injury. The pain generally associated with decompression illness is not affected by movement or lack of movement and usually remains fairly constant. The ability to reproduce the symptom with movement indicates a stress or repetitive movement injury.

If you have not seen your personal physician it would be wise to do so. Appropriate therapy is indicated to prevent permanent injuries.

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

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“We are thrilled to be returning in a few months! The reef systems here are the most unspoiled we have seen in our travels around the world and the resort is paradise. We can’t wait to see all our friends at Wakatobi.” ~ Robert and Barbara Hay

An experience without equal At Wakatobi, you don’t compromise on comfort to get away from it all. A private guest flight brings you directly to a remote island, where all the indulgences of a five-star resort and luxury liveaboard await. The Wakatobi dive team will ensure your in-water experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests so your underwater encounters can create memories that will remain vivid and rewarding long after your visit is concluded. While at the resort, or on board the dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and the Wakatobi team will provide any service or facility within its power. This unmatched combination of world-renowned reefs and first-class luxuries put Wakatobi in a category all its own.

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It was third time lucky for Editorial Director Mark Evans on his quest to dive with the seals off Lundy Island, but it was more than worth the wait, as he explains Photographs by Mark Evans and Colin Garrett

L

undy Island is a rugged granite outcrop lying off the coast of North Devon. It measures just three miles in length, and half a mile wide, and while being a lovely unspoilt slice of countryside, it wouldn’t perhaps appear on any diver’s radar if it wasn’t for the hundreds of Atlantic grey seals which call the waters around it home.

Atlantic grey seals are protected by law under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, and with this protection in place, numbers have swelled immensely. Recent studies believe there are more than 120,000 grey seals in British waters – that’s some 40 percent of the world’s population. So, UK waters might not be that warm, visibility can sometimes be a bit iffy, and weather conditions are known to be somewhat temperamental, but we’ve got seals - loads of seals.

The Atlantic grey seal, whose Latin name ‘Halichoerus grypus’ means the rather unflattering ‘hook-nosed sea pig’, is a large seal, which can reach nearly two-and-a-half metres in length, weigh over 300kg in UK waters, and live for up to 40 years. They feed on a wide variety of fish, but are not fussy, and have been known to eat octopus and even lobster.

Grey seals can be distinguished from the common seal by its larger size and longer head, with a sloping ‘Roman nose’ profile. Looking straight on, their nostrils are parallel, rather than V-shaped as in common seals.

LUCKY 22

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Lundy is very rugged topside

Despite numbers dropping to only 500 in the early 20th century, it’s estimated that there are now more than 120,000 grey seals in Britain, representing 40% of the world’s population and 95% of the European population.

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Common dolphins joined us on our way to and from Lundy

Bring on the big stuff

Now while I appreciate critters such as nudibranchs and the like, my heart is in the much bigger stuff – think sharks, rays, turtles, and so on – so diving with seals is right up there. Here in the UK, we are very lucky to have some of the best locations in the world to interact with these rather charismatic mammals, and I finally visited one of them, Lundy Island, in early June.

As you can imagine, trips to Lundy Island to dive with the seals book up months in advance, and alas, the weather can also throw a spanner in the works. I was due to dive Lundy with my son Luke in 2021, but our initial August date was canned due to storms, and then our secondary date in October also had to be postponed because of strong winds.

However, third time lucky and all that saw our merry band, which included TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff and her son 13-year-old Oliver, board the Obsession II charter vessel bound for Lundy.

Leaving Ilfracombe harbour in stunning sunshine, we were treated to a very smooth crossing to Lundy, and were joined by several common dolphin, who played in the bow wave and frolicked in the wake behind the boat. Dolphins always bring a smile to your face, and so we all thought this bode well for the rest of the day.

Heading out of Ilfracombe Harbour

Expect some close encounters

The Farne Islands

Another hotspot for grey seal interactions is at the Farne Islands, a rugged group of islands just off the Northumberland coastline in the northeast of England, which are home to one of the largest grey seal colonies in the world. Around 1,000 seal pups are born here each autumn, which means there are plenty of inquisitive young seals happy to approach and interact with the divers and photographers that flock here to visit. The diving around the Farnes is excellent anyway, with nice reefs and some scenic wrecks, but the highlight is getting intimately close to these wonderful, playful creatures.

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Obsession II

These mammals spend most of their time out at sea feeding on fish. They return to land to rest and can often be seen ‘hauled out’, lying on British beaches. Grey seals give birth to fluffy white pups in the autumn.

Obsession II was designed to maximise the 30-metres-plus of gunnel space. The boat can accommodate 12 people easily, and has ample room to manoeuvre in a wheelchair.

All dive kit safely stows out of the way underneath the wide benches, and via ingenious metal grills, you can leave all of your gear onboard overnight (if you are on a multi-day dive trip) and it is securely fastened away.

There is plenty of room in the wheelhouse or on the front and rear decks, or you can sit up top on the flybridge and enjoy glorious 360 degree views.

There is a marine head on board for comfort breaks, and a sturdy diver lift for getting back on board. There is a ladder for those more old-school among us!

Expect endless cups of tea, coffee or hot chocolate and a flowing supply of tasty chocolate biscuits between dives. www.lundydiving.co.uk Using the Ford Nugget shower to rinse the housing

Here in the UK, we are very lucky to have some of the best locations in the world to interact with these rather charismatic mammals The seals will happily pose for photographs

This feeling proved correct, as arriving at Lundy, there were seal heads popping up everywhere, and everyone was keen to get in the water. Visibility was not fantastic unfortunately, but the seals were still up for some fun, and once they had accepted our presence in the water with them, they became increasingly bold, sneaking up behind you, nibbling on your fins, and generally being boisterous.

It is no good chasing after the seals – one, they are much quicker than you are, and two, it’s just not the done thing. It is better to get into a decent spot and stay there, and let the seals come to you. Once a seal, or seals, is actively showing an interest in you, then you just have to judge the individual animal. Some prefer you to remain relatively stationary and they will approach you, others want you to twist and turn and play with them.

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Luke had his Force Fin Pro fins on, and these proved irresistible to one young male, who relentlessly followed him around nosing at his fin tips as Luke swam on his back, and twist-turned through the water.

The best dive depth to interact with the seals is just 3-4m, so any level of certification can do this dive. It is also possible to snorkel with the seals, and they will approach snorkellers just as closely as they do the divers.

Luke and I could have spent all day in the water with the seals, but as the second hour ticked away, we reluctantly made our way back to the dive boat, where after riding the diver lift back on board – so much easier than old-school ladders! - and taking off our gear, we were treated to fresh hot drinks and chocolate bars. Just what you need after a few hours in the water!

On our way back to Ilfracombe, we were buzzed by even more common dolphins, and at one point had some 20 or so riding the bow wave of the Obsession II. It made a spectacular ending to a fantastic day. It may have taken us three attempts to get to Lundy, but it was undoubtedly worth it, as this is one of the most-privileged wildlife encounters the UK has to offer. Our group is already planning for a return visit in 2023 – we just need the weather to cooperate this time! n

Seals are very inquisitive animals

Miranda and Penney after some soul-nourishing seal interaction

The Ford Nugget made a great mobile office

Nugget is pure gold

We have done various camp ‘n’ dive trips over the year, utilising everything from tiny two-man tents to luxury tents and campervans, and for this jaunt down to the South Coast, we were making use of a Ford Transit Custom Nugget campervan.

The Nugget makes for a comfortable long-distance cruiser, and it had more than enough room inside for two adults and a rapidly growing 15 year old! The kitchen is usefully contained in the back, leaving the middle for the seats and dining table, a layout we found very user-friendly and actually quite spacious.

From a mobile diving base point of view, one feature we particularly liked was the little shower that plugs in at the rear – it is only cold water, but great for rinsing off camera housings, etc. www.ford.co.uk

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CRISTINA ZENATO PART II

In the conclusion of a two-part interview, we chat to the ‘Mother of Sharks’, technical and cave diver – and GO Diving Show 2023 Main Stage speaker - Cristina Zenato about sharks, caves, and the lure of the deep.

Photographs courtesy of Cristina Zenato, Kewin Lorenzen, Amanda Cotton, Paige Colwell & Lucie Drlikova

Q: Sharks obviously have a special place in your heart, but so do caves. What is it about cave diving that attracts you so much?

A: The caves have a sense of eternity; although they change, they change too slowly in our lifetime to feel it when swimming through them. They hold a sense of time different from our fleeting lives and provide a sense of security. When I cave dive, I feel as if I am swimming through a beautiful book on the geological history of our planet. It’s as if browsing through an enormous library carved in stone.

Caves tell us what it once was, what it is, and what it will be.

They provide a sense of mystery and discovery; no matter how many times we swim down the same passageways, they uncover realities we were unaware of and offer answers and surprises. There is something melodic in the sound of the unwinding exploratory reel, that gentle scratching of the spool in the silence of the breaths. The light is sweeping from side to side, the mind trying to decide where to go based on feeling the cave, understanding its formation and development, in realizing that at that moment, the cave has agreed to speak to me or better that I have learned to listen.

Caves keep my sense of curiosity alive; they teach me lessons I can surface and carry with me. Caves prompt us to live to the fullest, in the now, and to enjoy every unique moment. Eventually, I discovered that caves gauge a place’s health level and all that’s around them. I cave dive for the love of cave diving paired with the desire to surface and share with others the importance of their role, the lessons they can teach us, and how to embrace life at a different level.

Q: Between all of the epic cave-diving explorations you have been involved in and all types of shark diving, what are some of your greatest recollections?

A: A tricky question to answer, as I consider each moment a great moment; however, I believe these are some of the Exploring inside a cave system

Cristina with her ‘children’

most remarkable: the first time and every time after that when one of the Caribbean reef sharks I work with has decided to put her head in my lap and allowed me to pet her, dropping all barriers, fear, mistrust and saying through her behaviour, at this moment I trust you, at this moment I am with you. That relationship is never taken for granted, and each time I cherish it as a special moment.

I can add that time when I witnessed an octopus giving birth in the middle of a night dive. I had been checking on this mama for quite some time. With incredible timing, I decided to swim over to her hole during a night dive as she was expelling all of her hatchlings with powerful blows.

I remember the boxfish that would see me coming and swim under my stomach for the length of the dive to leave once I ascended, swimming through billions of bioluminescence in the middle of the darkest night or discovering species crustaceans before they were catalogued and photographed.

Ultimately, the best recollections are the encounters with the silent inhabitants of the world capable of sneaking up behind me without as much as a whisper, no matter the size,

I remember the boxfish that would see me coming and swim under my stomach for the length of the dive 28

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and gliding in my view, unperturbed by my presence, allowing me into their world, and leaving me in awe.

In cave diving, I recollect the day I completed the connection between a cave entrance on land and an ocean blue hole in 2012. This connection between the Mermaid’s Pond to Chimney caves was the first of its kind; Rob Palmer once defined it as ‘terrifying [...] One of the most dangerous of caves’.

Another favourite time is the connection I completed between the Aquarius and Gemini caves in 2015 and the expansion of those systems, explored initially by Palmer, and followed by many others after him.

The funny part? I surfaced from those accomplishments alone, as I always was, and didn’t even have one person of knowledge to share the triumph of the achievement.

Luckily, I have had my husband rejoice in the work in the last few years, as we share the same passion. These recollections include expanding the Old Freetown system of over 6,000 feet of passageways, a system discovered, explored, and visited over the decades by all cave divers visiting this island, together with the expansion of Ben’s Cave system in the Lucayan National Park. I can add to this list the participation in Nat Geo cave diving expeditions in the Bahamas and Channel Islands and three weeks in the Nullarbor desert in Australia. There I was able to explore caves in the depth of the desert, sharing dives and evenings under the most amazing skies with Richard Harris, Craig Challen, Ken Smith, and Paul Hosie.

Last but not least, in 2020, the discovery of two new cave systems on the island of Grand Bahama, where we live, never before found or explored. With Kewin Caves can be challenging environments

Cristina donning her chain mail shark suit

Last month’s striking cover was taken by Carmelle La Sirena

Lorenzen, we laid over 15 miles of lines between the two.

These recollections acquire a more profound sense of accomplishment when I recall the physical work each cave has required. The clearing, the hiking, the transportation of gear to and from the vehicles through rough terrains, swamps, sharp edges, heat, insects, and my not-so-favourite sudden thunderstorms crashing down, sometimes surfacing over a one-kilometre hike back to the car. Exploration on this island comes without a support team, sherpas, or ease of access and makes each achievement even more valuable.

Q: On the flip side, what are some of your worst diving memories?

A: Someone would think that working with sharks and caves would cause my worst recollections to go to either of these; instead, the winner crown goes to the smallest creatures

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in the ocean: jellyfish eggs. Erroneously knowns as sea lice, I was in Florida to conduct my PADI IDC crossover, and on the second day, a cloud of these stinging invisible creatures hit me in the face and legs sticking out from the shorty. In hours, an inch-high welt gave my chin the appearance of President Lincoln’s beard and my legs one of the boiled potatoes. I went through the entire IDC, itching and in pain. To this day, it’s the worst hit I have ever had.

Runner up as worst diving memory is my DCS hits in December 1995 and 1996; not much of a long story, but that I was logging 900 plus dives per year, and that cold, dehydration and excessive repetition created the perfect place for bubbles to form. After the second hit, two years into my diving career and a drastic life change, I was told I should consider giving up scuba diving and returning to my former job. It was a devastating sentence; I could not imagine a life without diving. Instead, I travelled back to Italy. Thanks to amazing friends, I visited a hyperbaric centre in Bologna to verify I had no PFO. They confirmed that nothing but human error and too much passion for scuba diving were the causes of my hits. I returned to diving after six months of dry work on the boats. I shortly after started my technical diver training to learn better about gases, decompression, and the balance between theory and reality.

Q: What does the future hold for Cristina Zenato?

A: A million-dollar question! If there is something I knew, but learned to appreciate more since the double-tap of Hurricane Dorian’s destruction and the following Covid crisis, the future for Cristina holds more of the same, with an open mind and a renewed desire.

As I turned 50, my professional life changed drastically yet positively. I moved from a managerial position to an independent profession specializing in concierge diving service. Together with my husband, Kewin, we were able to make a switch and focus primarily on what we love the Conducting research inside cave systems

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At one with the water

most: sharks and caves. I returned to 28 years ago when I was a young diving instructor, but with the built opportunity to focus entirely on my work in exploration, education, and conservation at a specialized level. We provide services and training for one-on-one or one-on-two, both in shark and technical fields. We have just launched and filled our first liveaboard trip on a sailing catamaran around the Bahamas with the intent of shark diving paired with an educational component and are planning to launch more dates for 2023.

Besides the business side of diving, my parallel focus is on expanding my non-profit, People of the Water (pownonprofit.org), which is dedicated to changing people’s relationship with our aquatic world through my mantra: Exploration, Education, and Conservation. We are explorers at heart; we need to explore the unknown and the known.

We then need to educate ourselves about what we have discovered to share it with others to expand the pool of knowledge. Conservation comes from those first two actions in the same way Baba Dioum taught us. I want to be the stone cast in the water, creating a ripple effect that lasts longer than my time here. After nearly three decades of educating and mentoring young local Bahamians and international students, I see the positive results; I am motivated to expand the circle further. People of the Water is the tool that allows me to cast an even bigger stone in the water. It is organized to widen the conduction and distribution of training, education, research, and studies relating to water, ocean, and environmental issues affecting said environments’ people and the animals.

Many ask me to write a book; in the past, I would have said that it was in the making. It’s now ready, but I can’t confirm when it will come out. I keep a busy schedule; for now, it sits on my hard drive waiting for a time when I will be ready to take on the complex task of finding the right match to publish it. n

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Christopher Columbus called the Cayman Islands ‘Las Tortugas’ because of the high density of sea turtles swimming in its nearby waters. Current preservation efforts ensure that there will be sea turtle generations to come!

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T

he underwater landscapes of the Cayman Islands are indeed spectacular, with shorelines flanked by sheer underwater cliffs rising from depths of more than a mile. There is a mature and well-developed dive infrastructure, an excellent range of resorts to choose from and 365 dive sites — literally one for every day of the year. There are shallow sites for snorkellers and novices, shore dives, wall dives, wreck dives and opportunities for techies with extended-range dives down into the sponge belt.

Given the historic and ongoing popularity of the Cayman Islands, the question for most dive travellers isn’t ‘should I go’, it is ‘where do I start?’, as the only real challenge is which island to choose. So why not all three?

Getting to all three islands is easier than you would think. For example, my most recent travel to the Cayman Islands involved a visit to three different dive resorts: Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman’s North Side, Brac Reef Beach Resort on Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman Beach Resort on its namesake island. Because all three properties are operated by Clearly Cayman, I was able to organize my stay with each dive resort in the order needed, and tie everything together. Helping to tie everything into an even neater package was being able to coordinate a fight schedule with Cayman Airways, the region’s national carrier. In addition to providing service from Miami, Tampa and New York’s JFK on a daily basis, the airline provides inter-island service between the Brac, Little Cayman and Grand Cayman. My itinerary began in Miami to the Brac, followed by the Brac to Little Cayman, Little Cayman to Grand Cayman, later back home to Miami.

The birthplace of wall diving... The crown jewel of Caribbean diving... A ‘must do’ destination...

The Cayman Islands has been called these things and more in literally thousands of articles and blog posts dating back more than six decades. And there are good reasons why this trio of small islands deserve such accolades, as Walt Stearns explains Photographs by Walt Stearns

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Back on the Brac

A direct flight from flight from Miami into Cayman Brac made for an easy transfer to Brac Reef Beach Resort to start my trip. A chip shot away from the airport, this long-time favorite sits on the southwestern corner of the island and is the Brac’s only dedicated dive resort. Family-owned and operated since its humble beginnings, Brac Reef Beach Resort has undergone several sweeping renovations in recent years. The most substantial took place after it was ravaged by Hurricane Paloma (fifth major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season) when the resort received the first of several major makeovers, with the final renovations completed in December 2015.

Guest accommodations in the property’s primary twostorey, L-shaped building look better than ever, and each of the 40 rooms had received a total renovation right town to new electrical and plumbing systems before being tastefully redecorated and furnished. Accommodating choices include one king or two double beds per room.

Diving Services on the Brac, as well as Brac Reef’s two sister operations on Grand and Little Cayman are handled

by Reef Divers, Clearly Cayman’s in-house diving operation.

Reef Divers operates the largest fleet of 12- and 14-metre Newton Dive Specials (11 boats total) in the Cayman Islands.

As would be expected, Cayman Brac has no shortage of dive sites. The island is ringed with over 50 named sites on both the north and south side. Since my first introduction to diving the Brac as a teenager back in 1979, I have seen and visited nearly every named site the island has to offer, many more than twice.

Reef Divers also makes regular trips to Little Cayman for a taste of Bloody Bay Wall. Between the two islands, divers have more than 100 sites to explore. Dives are generally consigned to a 50-minute, non-deco profile for Large sponges adorn the reef

The Cayman Islands is often seen as the birthplace of scuba diving.

Today, more than 360 dive sites lie scattered throughout the Cayman Islands, ensuring that divers both local and international will have a memorable experience here.

Free-form pool overlooking the ocean Vibrant hues on the two-storey accommodation

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wall dives. Max depth is 33m per Cayman regulations. The profile for the second dive and the third afternoon dive is a 60-minute immersion with a max depth at 18m.

Atlantic hawksbill turtle

Reefs, walls, and a wreck

Reef and wall profiles on the Brac and around Little Cayman come in two flavours.

Running the length of the Brac’s south side, reef topography tends more towards the dramatic with steep descents plummeting straight down from depths beginning at 16m-19m below the surface. Lining the edge to this plateau are ridges of massive coral fortifications pierced by numerous passages, tunnels, and chasms that snake their way through the wall’s crest to the open blue void on the other side. At a site called Anchor Wall divers will find its namesake, an enormous, 16th century iron anchor tightly wedged in the middle of a 6m-deep crevasse.

Brac’s north side bottom contours vary between patch reef and classic spur-and-groove coral formations in the 3m-12m range. The crest of the reef at the lower edge of the shelf meets the drop-off and is punctuated by broad sand chutes. Among more highly colourful wall dives this

Reef Divers’ dive boat heads out to sea

While wall diving is a given at sites all around the Cayman Islands, the underwater cliffs at Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman’s north-facing side are in a class by themselves Diver suiting up for a dive

side of the island is Cemetery Wall. While most of the north walls vary from 16m-24m in the start of their tumultuous plunge, Cemetery Wall is one of the few exceptions, as the top of wall begins just 13m from the surface.

The sides of this steep precipice form an underwater tenement of vigorous mid-water corals, sponges, and reef fish. Embellishing its vertical front are the profuse colonies of bright yellow and green tube sponges, and red, lavender, blue and green rope sponges. Red vase sponges with deep hues nestle among the branches of large black coral trees between profuse groves of deep-water gorgonians. Sharing the same section of this dramatic drop-off is Strawberry Sponge Wall to the west, with Garden Eel Wall taking up the eastern end.

One site I am always partial to at the Brac is the Captain Keith Tibbett’s wreck. Wreck diving is not a strong point on the Brac as wrecks are far and few between, but this one is special because it’s a 100-metrelong former Russian missile frigate that was put down as an artificial reef. Over the years since I first watched it slip beneath the surface on a calm sunny day in 1996, the huge Brigadier Type-II Class Missile Frigate has undergone a considerable transformation. This former warship, which sports a 13-metre beam, came to rest upright and on an even keel on the sloping contours of

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Diver checking out the iron anchor

minutes in air travel time. A convenient feature is that most flights between the two as well as to Grand Cayman happen daily, and include 23kg per person of hold baggage.

Little Cayman Beach Resort has been a fixture on the island since opening its doors in June 1993. The Singaporean saying ‘same, same, but different’ sums up my thoughts about this resort. It looks much the same as when I first visited in 1996. A pair of two-storey guest wings face each other over a central courtyard with an open-air poolside bar and a freshwater swimming pool surrounded by an expansive wooden sundeck. Most striking is that the resort’s dining room has been completely renovated (more like rejuvenated) with modern décor and an indoor bar.

Together, they form a deep, inverted U-shaped arrangement facing the beach and pier from which four of Reef Divers Newton dive specials make their daily departures. The same as on the Brac, Reef Divers provides a daily dive schedule starting with an 8am departure for two-tank morning dives on either Bloody Bay Wall or Jackson Bight. Afternoon is generally a single tank boat dive departing around 2pm with night dives two times per week.

While wall diving is a given at sites all around the Cayman Islands, the underwater cliffs at Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman’s north-facing side are in a class by themselves.

Among the most iconic are Marilyn’s Cut, Donna’s Delight and Randy’s Gazebo, which begin their plunge straight down into the abyss from depths shallow as 9m from the surface.

Second place for starting shallow goes to Great Wall East and Great Wall West which start at about 8m.

Joining Bloody Bay Wall from the East is Jackson Bight

Running the length of the Brac’s south side, reef topography tends more towards the dramatic with steep descents plummeting straight down from depths beginning at 16m-19m below the surface the Brac’s north side at depths between 18m-24m. At the time the vessel’s tall profile topped out less than 5m from the surface, while the knife-like bow pointed out to sea from the edge of the drop-off.

Surveying the warship’s comprehensive bulk today, one might conclude she had succumbed during a fierce battle.

At the 24m mark, that same knife-like bow sits sharply askew, twisted hard to port from a partially flattened section of her mid-ships. Above, the frigate’s large radar array still has managed to remain upright 6m from the surface. Adding to the ship’s surreal outline, both fore and aft gun batteries remain fixed inside their rotating deck turrets, as if ready for an assault. With a little imagination, the dark delta-winged eagle rays and large southern stingrays foraging in the surrounding sandy bottom could pass for stealth fighters.

Vibrant coral and sponges

Little Cayman

With Little Cayman a scant three miles away, the hop over from the Brac takes approximately 15-20 minutes (airstrip to airstrip) to complete, via one of Cayman Airways 19-passenger Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otters. If going directly from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman or vice-versa, the flight via the same 19-passenger Twin Otter takes about 40-45

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The Kittiwake sites canted 45 degrees to port adjacent to the crest of the drop off

The USS Kittiwake is one of the best-known wreck dives in the Caribbean. Its convenient location, just off Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, and shallow depths make it a popular site among scuba divers as well as snorkellers and freedivers.

Surrounded by some of the whitest sand bottom the 76-metre Kittiwake presented a highly photogenic profile rising to within 5m of the surface with an equally large assortment of wall and reef sites, where walls rise to around the 9m-10m mark. Popular sites such as Jackson Wall, Coconut Walk Wall, Blacktip Boulevard and Nancy’s Cup of Tea feature large winding cuts in the reef line with crevices, and tunnels meandering their way toward the blue void. Adding to the attraction is the impressive collections of richly coloured tube, vase and rope sponges that decorate vertical contours.

Grand Cayman

My third and final leg of this recent island hop was the shortest of the trip, with only three days before heading back home. Another inter-island flight brought me to Cobalt Coast Beach Resort on Grand Cayman’s northwest coast.

Cobalt Coast is billed as a small, quiet dive resort not too far from the action – meaning Seven Mile Beach and George Town. This unique three-storey complex includes 21 accommodations divided up between one and two-bedroom suites. The property also includes the Mermaid Studio, which is a small condo with a king bed, extra-large bathroom, and a lounge area. Across the street are three one-bedroom Cottage Suites which include lounges with full sleeper-sofa, a fully equipped kitchen, and an outdoor grilling area.

Cobalt Coast also offers a house reef for shore diving. A short distance out from the end of the dock, the hard pan bottom gives way to a 7m-high mini wall formation that drops down to a depth of 18m. Going a little farther out, the terrain

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changes to white sand bottom with scattered elongated shaped coral islands running perpendicular to shore. Those with good air consumption can likely make it to the drop-off, where the wall begins at a depth of 21m-24m.

As I mentioned earlier, Grand Cayman is the birthplace for wall diving and the north wall region has some of the best the island has to offer, with 45 named walls. Then, of course, there is Stingray City for those who wish to frolic with friendly southern stingrays. And if you must have a wreck, Grand Cayman has that covered too. Much like the Russian Frigate on Cayman Brac, the USS Kittiwake is a former Submarine Rescue Vessel that was put down 5 January 2011 as a dive attraction off Seven Mile Beach.

As planned, the Kittiwake was positioned upright on the bottom in 19m of water, allowing leisurely explorations of both her exterior and interior for even the mostnovice certified diver. Surrounded by some of the whitest sand bottom the 76-metre Kittiwake presented a highly photogenic profile rising to within 5mw of the surface. But as often is the case where men plan, Gods laughs, in October 2017, the wreck (still fully intact) was moved by storm surge 7m deeper where it now sits canted 45 degrees to port adjacent to the crest of the drop-off. Although this slightly deeper profile limits the total time one can spend on the wreck, it does provide the opportunity for a short excursion on the wall as it now sits next door to the dive site known as the Sand Chute. n

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Mustard’s MASTERCLASS In this instalment, Alex Mustard focuses his attention on macro, explaining what elements are required to create a truly memorable close-up image Photographs courtesy of Alex Mustard / www.amustard.com

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ew underwater photographers are usually pushed towards macro as the easiest place to start with our hobby. While it is true that automatic settings and nonmoving subjects can make basic macro photography point-and-shoot simple, creating really powerful underwater macro imagery will challenge you throughout your lifetime as a diver. This is a type of photography that tests both our diving skills and our photographic ones.

A successful macro photograph starts with a subject and the hunt fuels many people’s addiction to this genre of shooting. While many folks are obsessed with the rarity of a species, I really don’t mind what I shoot. But I put as much energy into finding subjects that are particularly co-operative and conveniently posed. Many macro destinations encourage visitors to create critter wish lists, but I think these are counterproductive for quality imagery. A focus on species turns underwater photographers into stamp collectors, bringing home hundreds of shots of different critters, but almost all are simply recordstyle photos. Also, when diving is focused on finding ever-rarer beasties, there is always the temptation of another subject distracting you from making the most of what you’ve got.

Subject selected, we now need to focus and frame it, a challenge that gets increasingly tougher the smaller our star. Everyone always asks me what autofocus mode is best, but high-quality diving skills are the most-fundamental step as these ensure the camera is stationary, which makes life much easier for every AF-mode and our compositions. An unstable camera must constantly re-focus both for any movements in the subject and the camera. Conditions are also crucial. If we are expecting strong currents or swell, it might be better to defer the macro lens until a later dive.

In supermacro shooting, it is common for photographers to steady themselves. Importantly, this does not mean lying all over the environment, all that is needed is the lightest touch with a muck stick or two

finger hold onto the sand or bare rock, not delicate marine life. Where a lot of photographers go wrong is that they think their whole body needs to be anchored down. In fact, only the camera needs to be absolutely stationary and we can achieve this easily with just a two-fingertip hold.

My favoured modes for macro are using a single AF point, which I can move around the frame over the point of the subject (such as an eye) that I want precisely focused. For free-swimming fish I usually use an intelligent dynamic point focus that will track subject movement, once it has locked on. My current cameras doesn’t have eye-tracking focus, but I suspect I will make use of this feature, which is reportedly excellent on the latest mirrorless bodies. I also always use a continuously focusing mode, which keeps the camera focusing to compensate for any motion I create while hovering.

A popular feature tucked away in the menus of most cameras is an option to decouple the AF activation from the shutter release and asign it another button.

This means when you press the shutter the camera will not focus. Instead we assign the focusing to a button that falls beneath the right thumb lever on your housing. This allows you to focus and to not focus when you want to, which lets us finetine the focus and composition with small movements of the camera. This is my preferred method for supermacro shooting.

Perhaps the biggest trap in macro photography is thinking that’s the job done. After all, we’ve found the subject and focused it, surely now is the time to click?

No, we must also consider our background. Our aim is to create a background that shows the subject off to the maximum. There are many options for macro backgrounds, but you won’t go wrong with any of the big three: black, blue or blurred.

Black backgrounds are the most eye-catching and are particularly effective with colourful and complicated subjects. They require a fast shutterspeed and a low ISO to exclude ambient light and turn it black. The easiest way to get a black

A co-operative common subject is better than a rare species

Importantly, this does not mean lying all over the environment, all that is needed is the lightest touch with a muck stick or two finger hold onto the sand or bare rock, not delicate marine life

Blue backgrounds suit behaviour

Diving skills are rewarded by precise focus and framing

background is to find the angle that lets you frame the subject against open water. Open water doesn’t reflect the flash, so only the subject appears.

Alternatively, we can selectively light the subject, either using a snooted strobe or with inwards lighting (we will climb into both of those in future columns). We should aim to maximise the depth of field of the subject by using a closed aperture because the black background will give us an isolated subject.

If there is a downside to black backgrounds it is that they make it look like you only night dive.

Blue backgrounds give macro pictures more of a feeling of the sea and work well with fish portraits, behaviour shots and set off any warm-coloured subjects. Blue backgrounds also work best when we try and frame the subject against open water.

However, now we want to let ambient light into the picture, choosing a slower shutter speed, a higher ISO and a slightly more-open aperture to achieve this. These shots are easiest to achieve in bright, shallow conditions. The final option is the blurred background, which is our trick shot for when we have a great subject in a less-than-ideal position.

The key to this technique is opening the aperture so that the background detail is completely smoothed out. There is no magic setting here, how much we have to open the aperture depends greatly on the size of the subject, but the butterysmooth background always looks classy. n

Blur hides messy backgrounds and the subject stands out

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Andy Torbet and Beth Sadler having freediving fun

Aquacity Freediving’s Georgina Bradley and Daan Verhoeven introduce another group to the wonders of apnea off the Cornish coast – Andy Torbet helps out on the instructional front, while keen teen Beth Sadler was a most-willing participant, as they explain Photographs by Daan Verhoeven

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From an instructional perspective

Andy Torbet: I’m known more for my technical and cave diving exploits involving huge amounts of underwater, expedition and caving equipment than the minimalist world of freediving. However, I find the freedom and ease with which I can still access the underwater world a pleasant change and an often much-needed break from the effort and logistics involved with some of the other things I do.

I have been diving with nothing more than a mask and snorkel since the age of about six, when we’d visit the coast north of my home in the Grampian Mountains in Scotland and I’d brave the North Sea in my pants. I snorkelled around the UK, in rivers and lakes, mountain pools and bog, shipwrecks, plane wrecks and caves, on my Britain

By Snorkel project in 2011. Since then I have done more and more freediving, including both AIDA and SSI courses.

I made use of my time off during the COVID pandemic to study to become a SSI Freediving Instructor and we finally ran my first official course recently. But with a difference.

Many see freediving as a purely completive sport, which is hardly surprising as a great deal of the attention the sport attracts is during world championships or world record attempts, when divers with incredible talent are doing dives below 100m, ten-minute static breath holds or swimming hundreds of metres under the ice on a single lungful of freezing air. However, freediving at its heart is simply holding your breath and going underwater and need not involve great feats of depth, time or distance. As soon as one has left the left the surface, one is freediving. Many delineate snorkelling from freediving by the act of breath holding - if you’re breathing via your snorkel, you’re snorkelling; once you hold your breath and the tip of your snorkel is submerged, you are freediving. So, if such simple acts qualify, and clearly would be of little use in the competitive world, what else can freediving offer?

I do not compete at freediving. It’s not what draws me into the sport. I doubt I have the aptitude to make much of an impression on the sport if I did compete. I am an explorer at heart, it’s what offers the largest draw for me. More and more often nowadays to investigate unknown, undived shipwrecks, map new submerged cave systems or flooded mines, or plumb the depths requires a growing amount of equipment and logistics. However, the aims and needs of the dive should drive the kit list, we should look for projects which inspire and interest us and not look simply what matches our current equipment.

I have used freediving to explore places that I’d never take scuba, let alone a rebreather. Sometimes it’s because the site is too far from any road and man-packing anything

I have been diving with nothing more than a mask and snorkel since the age of about six, when we’d visit the coast north of my home in the Grampian Mountains WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Freediving plus scooter equals big fun!

Beth on her way back to the surface

more than a wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins would be impossible. Often it is because the nature of the site, its shallowness, means diving equipment is unnecessary and in some cases would be more difficult to use than freediving.

Sometimes because the unknown nature of the water means, until I have more information, it isn’t worth any more gear. I’ll do an initial reconnaissance by freediving and if it turns out to be something promising but outside the scope of freediving, I’ll return with a different set up.

And, penultimately, I’ll often freedive with wildlife as it is a more-inobtrusive way of interacting with the other inhabitants of the ocean. The lack of unnatural noise has meant that I have had closer encounters with the large species of the underwater world - seals, sharks and dolphins - on a single, held, breath than with all my other diving technologies. The final reason is because it’s fun!

So how was this first course of mine different? The

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Andy T chatting to Andy the Northern Diver

Freediving into a cavern system

training offered by myself and my friends from Aquacity Freediving, based out of Porthkerris Divers in Cornwall, was the SSI Basic and Level 1 Freediver courses. The syllabus, covering techniques, safety and how to improve normally takes a couple of days. However, freediving courses tend to use systems borrowed from competition as training aids.

This is great as, much like knowing one’s time, distance or weight is useful to progress and train when in the gym or running, etc. I use these techniques to train and improve and, much like hitting the gym with friends, can be fun. But it is, as I have already described, not only what freediving is about and not what it is to me. I wanted the students to leave understanding the main purpose of freediving is simply to get out there, enjoy the submerged world and see stuff. So, we tagged on an extra day, hired a boat and headed off around the Cornish coast, armed with our newly developing skills, to have an adventure.

We were accompanied by Risso’s dolphins, swam in and out of sea caves (with safe air-space above), discovered hidden beaches at the back of these caves, dived around

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Humans are believed to have been freediving a long time in search for sponges, fish and shells making freediving most probably one the most ancient sports of them all!

headlands, through kelp forests, between life-covered submerged cliffs and over sheltered lagoons. The views underwater were spectacular and the frequent visits back to the surface to catch our breath allowed use to appreciate the topside landscape as well the one beneath. It also gave us the opportunity to chat, share observations and feed off each other’s energy and enthusiasm. No one form is diving is ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than another, but I do find freediving is, at least in the water, a more shared and social experience. When we had exhausted one site we simply hopped back on the boat, headed along the coast until we spotted a part of the coast that looked interesting and jumped back in. Freediving may not offer as much time underwater as other forms of diving but it offers its own freedoms. I even brought along a DPV and gave people rides among the gullies. Although I think everyone’s favourite part was the number of times we were approached and followed by seals at our various dive spots. I see many more of these freediving than I do on scuba.

Diving is, for me, all about adventure and freediving is no different. If you dive, or wish to learn, then there is an innate sense of the adventurer within you. Even the world champion freedivers are, relative to true aquatic creatures,

I have used freediving to explore places that I’d never take scuba, let alone a rebreather WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

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Andy and his trusty scooter

poorly designed for a life underwater. Yet we seek to enter this alien world to explore another universe unlike our own inhabited by strange creatures who move through their world little effected by gravity. Freediving offers the most natural way of interacting with this realm where one can feel, albeit for brief moments in time, not an outside observer, but part of that that blue planet.

difficult, although this was only SSI Level 1.

I wasn’t used to having to use a shower and conditioner to get a wetsuit on, so it was a bit of a struggle at first, but the trick seemed to be a little ‘wiggle dance’ under some warm water and I was nestled in perfectly and ready to get in the water! Entering the sea without a cylinder on my back felt strange but freeing at the same time. I felt light and ready to explore. Duck diving propels you straight down into the water so by the time you get your bearings, you’re down and ready to go, no messing!

Holding my breath came quite naturally but I couldn’t equalise doing the frenzel method - my tongue wouldn’t do as it was told - so I had to rely on my scuba skills and pinch my nose, which meant I was a bit slower, so I am determined to practice frenzelling in the bath. I didn’t dive that deep, but my competitive mentality kicked in and the voice in my head was ‘swim swim swim’, until my ears said ‘no no no’ - I was happy to listen to my body and to the instructors, who all stressed the importance of not putting stress on our ears. I took it easy, I didn’t want to end up with blown ears or anything that could prevent me from doing this as often as I can!

Soon came the rescue skill and, of course, they gave me the biggest victim. I had to rescue Alex from depth - he’s very tall and very sinky, which made it quite a challenge, but I finned hard and managed to bring him up to the surface, blow across his face and try not to slap him too hard!

The swim out for the depth skills was pretty challenging - at this point the sea was choppy and seemed intent on drowning me through my snorkel. It was at this point I realised that freediving wasn’t all sunlight, bubble rings and Instagram moments, but it only made me more determined.

Skills over, adventure day arrived and as Andy loaded the underwater scooter onto the boat, my nerves disappeared Andy coming back from a dive

From a teenager’s perspective

Beth Sadler: What do you get as a 16th birthday present for someone who loves the ocean? A chance to learn to freedive with Aquacity Freedivers and Andy Torbet! And so it was I found myself at Porthkerris full of excitement!

I already loved the feeling of being in the sea and scuba diving had allowed me to discover an amazing world, but I couldn’t wait to feel free of kit. On Instagram, they make it look so easy!

At first I was apprehensive, I knew I’d be the youngest by a long way and really didn’t want to be outcast from the group, or hold anybody back. As soon as I arrived and met everybody, it began to feel like a little family, and most of my nerves were eased. The next step was to be taught some good old-fashioned theory, we sat and laughed at George’s ridiculous drawing of divers and fins, and were in shock at how small someone’s lungs could become. Most of us were also scuba divers, so the theory was strange, but not

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Cornwall offers stunning conditions for freediving

Less recognized examples of freediving include, but are not limited to, synchronized swimming, underwater rugby, underwater hockey, underwater hunting other than spearfishing, underwater target shooting and snorkelling.

We kitted up with fins and mask, and entered the water - almost straight away, we spotted a seal, a big seal with a white polka dot on its eye and excitement took over - we were off to explore! We were headed for Kynance Cove - a route that took us round the Lizard Point - a destination that could only be accessed once or twice a year, due to extreme currents. We were so lucky to have a hot day, calm seas, great visibility and a boat at our beck and call!

On the boat, I wanted to spot dolphins - I’d been told there might be one and I was desperate to see one for myself. My eyes were getting tired from scanning the sea when suddenly there was a shout, Daan pushed me to the front of the boat and wow, three Risso’s dolphins literally jumping in the air ahead of us. I couldn’t believe it, I’d never seen real dolphins before! This was quickly becoming the most-amazing day ever - and we’d only just started!

When we reached Kynance, we kitted up with fins and mask, and entered the water - almost straight away, we spotted a seal, a big seal with a white polka dot on its eye.

I watched from the surface for a little bit, trying to get a feel for how friendly he was feeling. When I built up enough courage, I dived below the surface, got a little bit closer, then completely bottled it and headed back to the surface like a bullet – well, it was a big seal!

When we reached the swim-through, I got excited all over again - the crevice between two rocks looked inviting and intriguing, but I quickly discovered that the current was doing its best to keep us out. I had to take a big breath and kick hard to get through, but it was worth it - the sand and the kelp that greeted us was calm, peaceful and

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absolutely beautiful. This was definitely my favourite part of the day, even more than the dolphins, it was so zen and I felt properly comfortable with my breath and my diving. I practiced blowing bubble rings with Alex and George and it felt like it was time to play, to swim with the fish, to expand my boundaries.

The next time I surfaced, Andy was waiting for me with a grin and a scooter! He showed me how to hold on and with instructions of what to do when I ran out of breath (basically, let go and swim to the surface!), 3-2-1, we were off! It was like freewheeling down a hill on a bike, only underwater, exploring the rocks and over the kelp, flying through the water without any effort at all. Freedom!

Our final boat stop was Cadgwith. I’d been here with friends many times but never knew there were so many sea caves to be explored. When we went in, I realised why I hadn’t explored them before - the caves stank of old seaweed and dead fish! Not content with smelling them, I immediately swallowed the stagnant water through my snorkel - it tasted as it smelt! I felt a bit claustrophobic - cave divers must be mad!

The whole weekend opened my eyes to a new passion.

I had worried that as I was younger, I would be intimidated but everyone was so friendly and encouraging. I want to get really good so I can glide and dance with the fish, and enjoy their freedom and their world. I’m going to carry on freediving, to train, to improve. This, for sure, was the best 16th birthday present ever. n

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27/06/2022 14:44

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: EUROPE

DAN Europe is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers.

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EAR BAROTRAUMA FOLLOWING A LOCAL LAKE DIVE

Michael Menduno and Marta Marrocco explains how DAN’s emergency medical network made a difference to the diver’s recovery The Incident

A Finnish diver and her dive buddy were making their first dive of the day in Lake Vesijako, Finland, in their drysuits.

They descended to a maximum of 2m in the bracing 6⁰C water, but the diver couldn’t equalise the pressure in her right ear and called the dive. Two days later, her ear still felt blocked and hurt a little bit, so she decided to go see a local health centre physician.

The doctor diagnosed her as having inflammation in the middle ear and prescribed her antibiotic ear drops and sent her home. However, that night, she experienced a sharp pain in her ear, which went away, and her ear started bleeding. The diver called the local hospital and then went in for tests. They determined that she had a ruptured eardrum.

She was sent home and continued with the antibiotic drops.

After nearly a week, the diver still felt pressure in her right ear, which remained blocked, and her hearing in the ear

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was diminished. She grew concerned and emailed the DAN Europe hotline (emergency@daneurope.org) hoping to be able to meet with an ear specialist who was knowledgeable about diving injuries. She wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t have a permanent injury and wanted to know when she could safely return to diving.

The DAN Hotline team immediately opened an assistance case file for her, called the diver and put her in touch with DAN Europe’s Finnish Diving Medical Officer (DMO). After speaking to the diver and reviewing her reports, the doctor determined that she had had an external ear squeeze due to her drysuit hood at the beginning of the dive, which forced her to terminate the dive.

‘Your active membership ensures that you have DAN Europe’s international 24/7 medical network and resources on your dive team. Don’t leave the surface without it!’

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The diver called the local hospital and then went in for tests.

They determined that she had a ruptured eardrum. She was sent home and continued with the antibiotic drops According to the DMO: “The bloody and swollen ear canal supports this view. Hence, I think it is external ear barotrauma and not infection. Unfortunately, her primary general practitioner misinterpreted the barotrauma as an infection, or alternatively, there was a secondary infection developed after initial barotrauma. In my opinion this is a diving related problem and falls within the coverage of her policy.”

The DMO then provided her with a referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist who was also a diving physician and so very familiar with this type of diving injury.

The diver saw the specialist and forwarded the results to the DAN Europe team, which they then shared with the Finnish DMO for advice and a medical opinion. “The report was very clear and along the same lines as my interpretation that the primary insult was external ear barotrauma and prescribed drops for the ear. The ENT specialist also suggested that it may be beneficial to perform oro-nasal endoscopy to control the situation.”

The hotline team then arranged another call for the diver to discuss her case with the local DMO, who instructed her to protect the perforated ear from water and let it heal. If

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there is any more pain, or any excretion comes from the ear, she was told to get in contact again with the ENT. They also scheduled her for a control visit in one month’s time to check that the perforation and ear canal were well healed.

With the acute phase of the injury now over, the DAN Europe hotline team closed the emergency assistance file, and the claims department contacted the diver to proceed with the administrative side of the case. The diver promptly provided all the documentation needed to file the claim for her medical expenses. A few weeks later, the diver was reimbursed for the doctor visits, medicines and transportation costs related to the acute phase of her diving accident that occurred within her country of residence. n

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beyond technical

Curse of the

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H

aving reached the stern section of the wreckage, I knew it was here that champagne bottles could possibly be found, apparently still with their wire and lead sealed numbers stamped and again, clearly visible. During the early exploration dives, when this wreck was first discovered, quantities of fine examples of perfectly preserved pottery were recovered which, from time to time, still come to light as the sea uncovers them each season. This summer was no different, and friends alike were discovering, inspecting and photographing numerous artefacts that were now visible from the shifting sands of the winter past.

As I watched other divers approaching the stern, I could see from their lights that the wreck had begun to peter out slightly as well as becoming more significantly damaged and lying flat to the contours of the seabed. With the wreck broken, it was obvious that it was here that salvage operations over the years had concentrated their efforts in the search for wealth that was said to be stowed in the stern. Wealth belonging to emigrants aboard who were destined for a new life on the other side of the world. Being the busiest waterway in the world, it was inevitable that occasionally there were collisions in the English Channel, and that marine disaster ensued.

This wreck, the Avalanche, lost in 1877 with great loss of life and bound Wreck diving really allows you to for New Zealand, is one example still submerge yourself quite literally into explored by deep divers today. Like the history of the wreck. Each wreck many sailing vessels sunk in the area, has a story to tell and sometimes and combined with her story of tragedy, it can be a very tragic one. Most the Avalanche makes for an excellent divers feel an incredible sense dive, not only to the wreck itself, but of awe and respect when also back into history.

they dive wrecks.

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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

This framework structure is thought to have housed winching machinery on the vessel’s stern

The wreck of the Avalanche has been on the seabed of the English Channel for over 145 years, possibly doomed as a result of an old mariner’s curse! Although broken, it’s a wreck that still provides the visiting diver with not only an excellent dive, but a step into history, when the famous elegant clipper ships once ruled the oceans, as Leigh Bishop explains Photographs by Ryan King and Leigh Bishop

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www.narkedat90.com Avalanche was a smart-looking iron ship of 1,210 gross tons built in 1874. Her fine lines and neatness aloft bore the impeccable stamp of the famous clipper ship, and she made good runs across the New Zealand emigration trade routes. After completing successful voyages to Wellington, she came to grief when starting outbound again in 1877 from London with 60 passengers. Colliding in the English Channel with another ship named Forest, she went down in just three minutes, a total loss of 99 souls – only three of the crew being saved.

This diver displays a large serving dish found laying under an amidships section of wreckage

An ocean race

On the same day in March 1877, three ocean-going clipper ships left their respective New Zealand ports bound for London, the Avalanche and the Ocean Mail leaving from Wellington and the Crusader from Lyttelton. Avalanche and the Ocean Mail were soon becalmed for a day off the Chatham Islands, and Ocean Mail’s Captain, with several crewmen, took the opportunity to pay a visit to the Avalanche. A number of fine albatrosses had been sailing about the ships, and several were shot for their skins, which were presented to the ladies on the Avalanche.

The word ‘albatross’ is sometimes used metaphorically to mean a psychological burden that feels like a curse. In Samual Taylor Coleridge’s famous 1789 poem, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, an albatross starts to follow a ship, which was generally considered a sign of good luck.

However, the titular mariner shoots the albatross with a crossbow, which is regarded as an act that will then curse the ship. As indeed the ship suffers terrible mishaps - even

A diver lights up a unique bottle discovered amongst the wreckage

when they are too thirsty to speak, the ship’s crew let the mariner know through their glances that they blame his action for the curse. The albatross is hung around the mariner’s neck by the crew to symbolize his guilt in killing the bird. Thus, the albatross can be both an omen of good or bad luck, as well as a metaphor for a burden to be carried as penance.

The sailors aboard the Avalanche now predicted bad luck from killing these birds. As the race to England got underway, the Avalanche crew never saw the Ocean Mail again and only sighted the Crusader as they rounded Cape Horn. For weeks Avalanche sailed in heavy squalls that smashed the wheel and almost blew her sails to ribbons.

Heavy weather and headwinds held them up all the way to the English Channel. When the pilot boarded their ship, he informed them the Crusader had passed up the Channel several days ahead of them. The Avalanche arrived in London on 2 June 1877, a passage of 78 days. It was later discovered the Ocean Mail had gone ashore the day after the albatross shootings and was totally wrecked off the Chathams!

The collision in the Channel

It was on her return trip to Wellington, leaving 10 September 1877, that early in passage through the English Channel, like Ocean Mail, Avalanche would end up on the seabed. With heavy winds and mountainous high seas running about 12 miles off Portland, the Forest and Avalanche collided. The

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Diver Jeff Goodreau inspects the seabed to the hull side of the wreck for exposed artefacts

A rare photo of the ship’s anchor being brought into Weymouth during the 1980s

© Graham Knott collection

only survivors from the Avalanche were three men who had managed to leap onto the forecastle of the Forest when the two ships struck. While Avalanche sank almost immediately, the Forest sank sometime later, but not before three lifeboats were launched.

The weather to which those frail boats were exposed throughout the night was fearful, the wind and sea being so rough that by morning only one was still afloat off Chesil Beach. Just 12 men remained of the passengers and crew from both ships, numbering over 180 persons dead! In memory of those who died in the disaster, a church consecrated to St Andrew was built on Portland by public subscription in 1879 and named ‘The Avalanche Church’.

Discovery

The wreck was discovered in 1983 by members of the Trent Valley branch of the British Sub Aqua Club and quickly identified by the distinct pottery bearing the Shaw Savill name. Many of the items recovered can be seen today at Weymouth’s Museum located on Brewer’s Quay. At the time sport dives to depths of around 50m were relatively uncommon and maximum bottom times ran to just 15 minutes! What is interesting is that those Avalanche divers of the early 1980s were the first recorded divers that we Each year brings new finds and plenty are silver cutlery like this spoon found amidships

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A distance of five to six metres aft of the bow, the wreck seems further damaged, particularly over to the port side, but despite this, her ship design is still obvious and inquisitively interesting know of to use what is known today and sold in every dive store as a DSMB (delayed surface marker buoy).

Fifteen miles offshore was quite a distance in those days, and the dive boats used to motor out to the wreck with the tide behind them and it was often the case that the wreck was dived with a degree of tide running to give them a clearer visibility dive. It meant that decompression was undertaken under a free-floating maker, normally in the form of a lift bag, but to avoid it being mistaken for a bag of artefacts lifted from the wreck and thus being pulled from the water, each diver clearly marked their name on their bags to indicate they were decompressing below.

The divers had experimented with all manner of variations and methods to overcome drift decompression at sea, even line stuffed inside Coca Cola bottles that could be deployed as and when!

Three years after the Avalanche was discovered, a decision was made to recover the ship’s main anchor.

The Avalanche church society began fundraising to help

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Computers • O2 Cells • Gas Analysers Cables & Connectors • Rebreather Parts PathFinder Strobes • Sensors Tools • Solenoids Much of the main structure is still there to see today and although broken still remains interesting

financially with the recovery project, which would be undertaken by known British shipwreck hunter Martin Woodward. Woodward’s company, Stoney Cove Marine Trials Ltd, provided the thermal lance underwater cutting equipment, and on 14 July 1986, he cut through the heavy-duty chain freeing the anchor. Although a short dive of just 15 minutes, it was still advanced for its time, with the divers using US Navy tables for decompression. Video footage shot shows a gloomy seabed with a bright orange glow as the men cut their way through Smoking pipes recovered from –– a hair-raising dive, apparently succeeding the wreck site in 2018 only just in time! Once on the surface, the anchor was hoisted aboard the trawler Lia-G, skippered

by Timmy Thomas, and taken into Weymouth, where it was lifted ashore with a large crane parked on Wreck today the quayside. The anchor now rests outside the Avalanche Today visiting divers will find the wreck lies upright with memorial church. Sadly, Lia-G herself, during February of a 20° list to port over a silt and shingle pack seabed at a 1993, would succumb to the depths of the English Channel depth of 52m. Despite over 145 years on the seabed, the and sink off Cornwall also with loss of life. The last known wreck can be found standing up as high as four metres, with commercial salvage operation on the Avalanche in search of the highest point being the area of her bows. The bow rests that speculated emigrant wealth was made during the early more over to her starboard side, although like the rest of 1990s, although apparently nothing but boxes of tobacco the wreckage appears very broken. A distance of five to six and matchsticks were found. metres aft of the bow, the wreck seems further damaged, particularly over to the port side, but despite this, her ship design is still obvious and inquisitively interesting. The diver will note two obvious four-metre square holds central to her deck clearly distinguishable by their combing. Both hatches appear filled with barrel objects and covered with silt, as are sections of the under-decking framework, the decking of which has long since rotted away. Notable amidships is the remaining four metres of mast stump, while her stern mast is over to starboard at seabed level.

The only survivors from the Avalanche were three men who had managed to leap onto the forecastle of the Forest when the two ships struck

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www.narkedat90.com Mystery shipwreck

The wreck of the Forest herself for many years had posed a mystery to divers and researchers in more ways than one. Like Avalanche, she had also met her fate after the collision, capsizing soon after being abandoned and seen the next day floating bottom upwards a few miles off Portland. We have always known that the Avalanche was in collision with a ship named Forest, although historic documentation throughout various reports refers to the ship as one of three different names, Forest, Forest Queen and the Forest of Windsor. Some records even suggest she was a Canadian vessel while others claimed American. Survivors’ accounts constantly refer to the ship as the Forest Queen and one would think a survivor would know the name of the vessel they were saved from, yet an official enquiry into the disaster at Portland only refers to the ship simply as the Forest.

If the Forest had confused the researchers, so too had she the divers. In 1996, another wreck was discovered, a short distance from the Avalanche. Thought to be that of the Forest, and so called for many years. Matching the description of a sailing vessel of that vintage, the wreck continued to puzzle wreck researchers for years, however, refused to provide a positive identification. It was not until local dive boat skipper, and old Avalanche diver, Graham Knott - who had found the mystery wreck - discovered information hidden deep in the archives regarding the true fate of the ship that had collided with the Avalanche.

Graham discovered that HMS Defence, along with the Trinity yacht Galatea, had towed the wreck of the twodecker ‘Forest’ into Portland late that September, 1877.

Particularly poignant and not devoid of humour are reports of how the hull of the Forest refused to sink and became a danger to shipping even 12 days later, when the Royal Navy tried in vain to sink her!

The author (far right) and the divers he explored the Avalanche with

Technical diver Mike Barnette had travelled from Florida to explore the Avalanche

The Navy’s original objective was to sink the Forest as the upturned hull was a danger to other shipping. The intervention of a newly developed weapon called a torpedo was used in several attempts, but failed to sink the doomed ship.

Graham discovered the wreckage was towed into the Portland marina but that it was also eventually scrapped! It was then he realised that the other shipwreck he had found close to the Avalanche, which we had always called the ‘Forest’, must bear a completely different name. Over the coming decades, a generation of divers would make way for another as each tried to identify the mystery shipwreck. As clue after clue came to light but faded any significant hope, again it would be down to the man who first found the wreck that would solve the mystery. That shipwreck became much more than the Forest, everything we had ever wished her to be - and more! All will be revealed as I pick up the story of the mystery shipwreck in the next issue of Scuba Diver.

As for both the Avalanche and the Ocean Mail, maybe the shooting of the albatrosses and the famous ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ really did curse both ships. Maybe, just maybe, the fate of both vessels and all of their crew had been written that day in March 1877 off the Chatham Islands?

I joined Skin Deep Diving for my Avalanche adventures. Why not delve back into history and dive the wreck yourself aboard any one of the Weymouth or Portland dive charters that venture out to the site each summer? n

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

APEKS OCEA | SRP: £509

The Ocea is the first of its kind – an environmentallyconscious regulator made from recycled materials and bioplastics, manufactured in a solar-powered facility.

Based on the trusty XL4+, every single material and process was reconsidered to create the most eco-sensitive scuba diving regulator in the world. For instance, the leadfree brass can be endlessly recycled and it is stronger than standard brass. The Ocea is a truly game-changing regulator that removes five times its own weight in plastic from the environment, as each purchase funds the collection of 5kg of up-stream plastic waste (in collaboration with Plastic Bank).

The compact machined first stage is based on the expedition-tested Apeks DS4 platform and has a unique over-balanced diaphragm design – as the diver descends, the over-balancing feature allows the medium pressure gas in the hose to increase at a faster rate than ambient. This results in superior performance at depth. It has two highpressure ports and four low-pressure ports.

The lightweight second stage improves comfort and helps reduce jaw fatigue on long duration dives, and features a igh performance pneumatically balanced lever operated poppet valve, large, over moulded self-flushing and controllable purge button, and ergonomic Venturi lever that is easy to use and locate.

The flexible nylon braided hose has better cold water performance than a traditional rubber hose, and it has the standard metallic hose connection for interchangeability.

The comfo-bite mouthpiece has a unique bridge that fits across the upper palate and does not require bite pressure to stay in place, while re-useable mouthpiece clips make it simple to change mouthpieces in the field. www.apeksdiving.com/uk

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OTTER WATERSPORTS CHANGING MAT SRP: £25 Getting changed in a muddy car park or on a rocky/sandy beach can be a real pain, as you don’t want to be getting dirty while trying to get into normal clothes apresdive. Otter Watersports have had divers covered on this front with their innovative drysuit bags, which open up fully to make a handy changing mat. However, they realised many people didn’t want to be standing all over their drysuit bag, and getting the outside dirty before it goes back in the car. Enter the Otter changing mat. Made from nice, thick neoprene, the changing mat rolls up and is secured with a Velcro tab. Once opened up, it makes a decentsized square on which to stand while you change. The thick neoprene is well padded against a stony surface, and once it does get a bit grubby, it can be given a good wash. www.otterwatersports.uk

TECLINE PEANUT 16 ASYMMETRIC WING SRP: £514.50-£941.43 Tecline boasts an impressive selection of backplate-and-wings, but here we are focusing on the Peanut 16 Asymmetric – the name relates to the 16kg lift provided by the uniquely shaped bladder. As with many Tecline products, there are a plethora of options available, from three different travel sets (Travel Set Comfort £633.74, Travel Set Light £514.50 and Travel Set Ultra Light £514.50) through Kevlar variants with DIR harnesses (£625.24) to femalespecific Comfort sets (£763.50) and full-on Kevlar Comfort rigs (£941.43).

There is a mesmerizing range of colourways too, including grey, red, camouflage, pink, pink camouflage, blue, black, and orange.

Peanut wings – they come in 11kg and 21kg variants as well - are made with an internal PU-240 bladder and an external Cordura nylon 1000D or Kevlar layer.

The DIR harness is simple one-piece webbing, but the Comfort harness has padded shoulder straps, adjustable pinch clips, etc. www.teclinediving.eu

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MARES XR-REC ICE | SRP: £670 The success Mares saw last year with the new XR-Rec Silver Backmount Set came with many requests for a more-robust, heavy-duty version suitable for cold-water diving. Mares has a long history of listening to its customers, so they have introduced the new XR-Rec Ice Backmount Set. The XR-Rec Ice is the perfect companion for all cold-water technical divers. To increase this buoyancy system’s durability, Mares is replacing all aluminum components of the first version with stainless steel. The stainless steel backplate allows for double tank strap configuration, while stainless steel D-rings and buckles increase strength and offer a unique look.

Although the XR-Rec Ice buoyancy system is robust, Mares does not compromise comfort. A soft back panel, lower back padding, and XR shoulder protection make wearing the weight required for cold-water diving a breeze.

The XR-Rec Ice also includes two removable side weight pockets with D-rings. These optional pockets close with Velcro brand fasteners, and one pocket extends to store diving accessories. Available as a one-size-fits-all, this technical buoyancy system allows divers to create a custom fit when wearing the XR-Rec Ice Single Backmount Set. www.mares.com

FOURTH ELEMENT XEROTHERM HOODIE SRP: £129.95 Fourth Element’s lightweight but super-comfy and warm Xerotherm hoodie is now available in three new colourways – rust, stone and blue – to accompany the existing, original black version.

The Xerotherm undersuit was Fourth Element’s first technical product, and the Xerotherm hoodie references this with a minimalistic style. It is made from ECONYL regenerated nylon, made in part from lost fishing nets, and has a deep hood, generous hand-warmer pockets and thumb loops that essentially make it feel like it has built-in wrist warms – toasty! It comes packaged in a recyclable paper bag. www.fourthelement.com

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SHEARWATER RESEARCH PERDIX 2 | SRP: £970£995 / SHEARWATER PETREL 3 | SRP: £1,130-1,345

Shearwater Research has updated its two iconic flagship dive computers, the Perdix and the Petrel.

The Perdix 2 has an armoured casing with precision titanium surround bezel and dependable titanium piezo touch buttons, while an aluminosilicate glass lens guards a fantastic 2.2” bright screen. A strong vibration customizable alert system draws attention at critical moments of the dive.

Air integration with up to four Shearwater transmitters, the trusted and easy to find user-changeable single AA battery, and familiar ergonomic compact form factor. The Perdix 2 is available in Ti and Ti Black colour finishes.

The Petrel 3 features an all-new, stunning, easy-toread, 2.6” AMOLED display is protected by a toughened aluminosilicate glass lens, titanium bezel, and piezo touch buttons. Air integration is now standard to all Petrel 3 models with up to four Shearwater transmitters. Safety is increased with a strong vibration alert system, and a userchangeable AA battery offers l ease of replacement.

The Petrel 3 is available in standalone or rebreather monitoring models, including DiveCAN, 4-pin AK, and Fischer port connections. www.shearwater.com

CREST CR5 | SRP: APPROX. £480 Crest might be a new name to the UK diving market, but the creative minds behind the company have a long history in diving.

The CR5 is their latest product, and it is firmly aimed at the diving and sports enthusiast, being a fullfeatured dive computer as well as a smart sports watch.

On the diving side of things, it is waterproof to 100m, can handle nitrox from 21 to 99 percent, and has a freediving and gauge mode alongside the scuba mode, which operates a Buhlmann ZH-L16C algorithm.

On the sports watch front, it has built-in modes for hiking, biking, running, swimming, triathlon and workout. It also features GPS positioning, compass and heart rate monitor.

The CR5 has a bright colour MIP LCD display, is very lightweight (80g) and the battery is rechargeable. www.crestdiving.com

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

FOURTH ELEMENT TECH FINS | SRP: £139.95

Mark Evans: Broad, vented ‘jet-fin-style’ fins are all the rage at the moment, not just with the technical diving fraternity, but also with recreational divers wanting to have power, control and manoeuvrability.

Alongide their Rec Fins, Fourth Element has now launched their Tech Fins, but being Fourth Element, these are not just your normal run-of-the-mill dive fins. Made from natural rubber, the body and blade of the Tech Fins has a different density gradient – what this means is that the blade portion, equipped with stiffening lateral rails and strengthening ribs, has the optimal stiffness for thrust and ‘snap’, while the foot pocket, especially the leading edge where it meets the top of your foot, is exceptionally soft and supple. This is unbelievably comfortable, and means you can even get away with wearing thinner booties with the fins.

Fourth Element have managed to achieve this feat by making the Tech Fins via compression moulding, as opposed to the more-normal injection moulding method.

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Compression moulding has enabled Fourth Element to give these different areas different densities. Clever stuff. And the innovation continues. The usual three large vents allow water to flow easily along the blade, which is said to reduce drag and fatigue, while so-called ‘turbulence disruptors’ on the blade beneath the vents give the fins a distinctive look and make them stand out from other ‘jet-fin-style’ fins. These are apparently inspired by the nodules on the leading edge of the pectoral fins on a humpback whale and are designed to allow the fins to move through the water more efficiently.

What this means underwater is that you get an immense amount of thrust from the fins. They deliver a terrific frogkick, but work with modified flutter, helicopter turns, and so on as well. Diving in my drysuit, these provided huge amounts of power, and I could make small adjustments to my positioning as I was taking photographs with ease. The short, stumpy nature of the fin blade also means they are excellent in tight, confined areas, like inside wrecks or cave systems.

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The Tech Fins are slightly negatively buoyant, but not massively so, which means they are not too heavy for the travelling diver. Medium tip the scales at around 2kg, XXLarge take this up to 3.5kg. Stainless-steel spring straps with a large heel pad, complete with big thumb loop, keep the fins securely in place and are easy to pull on and pull off, regardless of exposure protection on your hands.

A handy webbing and stainless-steel hanging/carrying strap comes with the fins, and goes through the hole in the tip of the blade. This can be used for storage of the fins on the hook in your dive lock up, when you are walking to and from the dive site, or even for when you are negotiating a dodgy exit and need both hands free. While the Tech Fins are robustly constructed, and natural rubber is inherently tough and durable, it is reassuring to know that all the components are recyclable when the fins reach their ‘end of life’.

The Tech Fins comes in four sizes (Medium, Large, X-Large and XX-Large) and three colour-ways – all-black for the traditionalists, grey with an orange heel-pad for those who want a bit of colour, and an eye-catching aqua turquoise blue for those who really want to stand out. www.fourthelement.com

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

TECLINE V1 TEC II ICE | SRP: £403 Mark Evans: Tecline Diving offers a touchpoint in pretty much every area of diving, and they have a couple of regulators in their line-up, and we got hold of the V1 Tec II Ice for review. The distinctive balanced diaphragm V1 first stage, machined from maritime bronze and ready for UK diving thanks to its dry chamber and cold-water kit, certainly stands out from the crowd thanks to its steeply angled ports.

As per the norm, it has two high-pressure and four low-pressure ports, but these are arranged in a deep V shape (hence the name), which puts all of the hoses into a great orientation for effective routing, and ensuring that there is nothing poking up from your upper body that could be a snag hazard. This works well on a single-cylinder set-up as we had here, but would be equally beneficial if you have two of these first stages on a twinset.

The other benefit of this hose routing is that when mounted correctly at the right height on your BCD, you can tilt your head back without touching the first stage. When I was in a nice trim position, I could look well ahead and be well-clear of the back of my head hitting the V1.

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

TECLINE V1 TEC II ICE | SRP: £403 Likewise, the Tec II pneumatically balanced second stage is also eye-catching, with plenty of shiny stainless steel around the large purge button, and on the large cracking resistance control knob. As I discovered, this knob is easy to locate and twist even wearing drygloves or thick neoprene, and the Venturi lever alongside it is also a decent size, so similarly simple to use.

The ergonomic mouthpiece is very Aqualung-esque, much like the Comfo-Bite, and is just as comfortable.

Combined with the lightweight body, this means you do not have to bite down too hard to hold the reg in position, so no jaw fatigue on long dives. The reg body is made of materials resistant for big temperature changes, and has additional heat exchangers for cold waters, plus there is a Teflon coating of metal parts as well.

Myself and my fellow testers were impressed by the V1 Tec II Ice. It is a good-looking unit, it gave a smooth, dry breathe in all orientations, the mouthpiece is right up there with the best on the market in my opinion, and it comes in at a decent price point. The V1 Tec II Ice comes with a ten-year warranty for peace of mind. www.teclinediving.eu

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

SDC OCEANRIDER ‘GREAT WHITE’ | SRP: £425

Mark Evans: There may be more and more wrist-watch-style dive computers coming to market, from the likes of Suunto, Scubapro, Aqualung, Crest, Shearwater and Garmin, to name but a few, but I firmly believe there will always be a place for the traditional diver’s watch.

Maybe the days of people actually diving in them and using them for purpose – ie. keeping track of your dive time – is long gone unless you are some ultra-traditionalist, but a good, solid dive watch is still a badge of honour, something that singles you out in the pub as a diver. Now there are a plethora of ‘dive watches’ out there, but the funky OceanRider range from new-kids-on-the-block SDC Watches certainly stand out from the crowd, for various reasons.

The simple but striking design of the watch faces is very eye-catching, particularly the Great White reviewed here.

The other three – Black Tip, Ocean Blue and Silky Grey, which have black, blue and grey dials as you might expect – are good-looking bits of kit, but the Great White is the stand out for me, as I can’t recall seeing a dive watch with a white dial. It attracts positive comments and attention in day-to-day wear, but it really ‘pops’ in underwater photographs.

Yes, we took the watch diving to put it to the test properly.

As we’ve established, the probable natural habitat of most

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dive watches will be topside, but you still want a watch that is capable of doing what it was originally intended to.

The Great White ticks all those boxes – it has a 42mm case crafted from 316L stainless steel, so is very robust, and it is powered by the fully automatic Japanese Seiko NH35 movement, so is accurate. It is depth-rated to an impressive 300m, and of course has a uni-directional bezel.

Another nice feature of the OceanRider range is that they tap into the current trend for reusing discarded materials.

Sean Clements is the man behind SDC Watches, and he says that he ‘sought to challenge the status quo by creating luxury dive watches and combining upcycled materials’. To this end, he utilises old wetsuits, which are collected from dive centres around the UK and then cut and stitched into silicone rubber to make unique watch straps. Not only do they look good – and different - but they are also very comfortable.

Continuing the eco-friendly vibe, all of the OceanRider watches come in a box that uses 100% biodegradable and sustainable FSC sourced materials, including a natural water-based, vegan-friendly glue. As well as Sean using upcycled materials in his watches, 5% of every sale goes to the Marine Conservation Society too. www.sdcwatches.com

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DIVE RETAILER WITH THE LARGEST STOCK HOLDING IN THE UK OF ALL MAJOR BRANDS

Why buy from us?

We service all major brands of regs, BCDs, cylinders & computers

All orders are shipped in bio-degradable packaging

All our staff are manufacturer trained in product fitting

We proudly partner Sea Changers, a UK marine conservation charity

3000 sq ft London showroom staffed by experienced divers

Premier Fourth Element Argonaut dealer with custom Biomap sizing

Earn Plankton points with every qualifying purchase

Best prices and carbon offsetting for purchases

Customer voted winner of dive retailer of the year!

+44 20 8994 6006 support@mikesdivestore.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LEICESTERSHIRE SCUBA 2000 (LEICESTER) t: 07724 412161 | e: info@scuba2000.org.uk a: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre, 50 Duns Lane, Leicester, LE3 5LX Learn to dive or build confidence, experience and skills. Family-friendly, small groups (2:1) and a ‘no-rush’ approach. 1:1 coaching available. www.scuba2000.co.uk

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

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

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

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

SHROPSHIRE SEVERN TEC DIVING t: 01939 291303 e: severntecdiving@gmail.com a: Seventec Diving, Unit 1J, Leaton Industrial Estate, Shrewsbury SY4 3AP We are a Scuba Diving Training Center with over 20 years experience with a multi-agency approach to scuba diving. www.severntecdiving.com

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

Book a lesson. www.dive.academy

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

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

Exclusive lake in Surrey. www.oysterdiving.com

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

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

YORKSHIRE BELOW THE SURFACE t: 07967 733764 e: info@belowthesurface.co.uk a: 26 Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 8AH A PADI 5 star centre with over 30 years’ experience, we teach in small groups & at your pace. www.belowthesurface.co.uk

DIVEWORLD

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

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

Your diving memories deserve

the best home www.divelogs.com

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

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

CAMP ‘N’ DIVE CORNWALL

The lure of Porthkerris’ house reef proves too strong to ignore for Editorial Director Mark Evans.

Q&A: ANDY CLARK

We chat to the distinctive face and voice behind the Andy the Northern Diver YouTube Channel about exploring, stunt work and freediving.

AUSTRALIA’S HMAS WRECKS

Whistlestop tour around the numerous HMAS warships sunk around Australia’s coastline.

FROM LEEDS TO MALTA

Insider’s view on making a career out of diving, as a couple head out to the Mediterranean.

TECH: THE MYSTERY WRECK

Leigh Bishop investigates a mysterious deep shipwreck that refused to give up its name.

GEAR GUIDE: TEST EXTRA

Editorial Director Mark Evans dives the Tecline Peanut wing and Garmin G1 dive computer.

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

AWARDS WEEKEND AND WORLD OCEANS WEEK

T

he 2022 Scholarship year began with many long-awaited reunions and warm introductions at the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society awards weekend in New York City. There was laughter and light as old friends embraced and new friendships were formed between incoming and outgoing Scholars and interns alike.

Upon my arrival in New York, after my first-ever crossing of the Atlantic, I was welcomed into the most-amazing family of divers. Due to its nature of supporting early career ocean professionals, the OWUSS draws together a group of like-minded individuals with whom I felt instantly connected. It is an amazing thing to meet so many people who are committed to the same cause as yourself.

It was noted by several members that there was an incidental theme of hope for the future running throughout the weekend. Having spent their own Scholarship years discovering incredible depths of knowledge both in the underwater realm and above, Jamil (2021 North American Scholar) and Arzu (2021 European Scholar) handed over to the incoming 2022 Scholars. The 2019 Scholars and interns were also in attendance, having missed their own final symposium event due to Covid.

After a welcome dinner on Thursday, the OWUSS weekend was in full swing on the morning of Friday 3 June, with meetings of the Society’s board members and a hand-over of Scholar equipment. Bright and early on Saturday morning, the outgoing Scholars and interns gave presentations on their achievements during their sponsorships. That evening came the premiere of the outgoing Scholars’ video creations, followed by the award ceremony for the new Scholars and interns. It was a joy to

get to know Millie and Rosie, the Australasian and North American 2022 Scholars; the three of us shared an instant connection and were able to share our excitement and ideas for the year together.

The weekend ran directly into World Oceans Week and the OWUSS group were kindly invited to attend a series of fascinating events at the Explorers Club and World Oceans Day at the UN, NYC. There were seminars from UN professionals on the Law of the Sea and various marine policies and ‘Blue Generation’ career events. Following this there was a day of dedicated talks and discussion panels of leading scientists whose work focuses on one the three 2022 UN Oceans Ambassador species: Octopuses, Penguins or Mangroves. It was so interesting to listen to some of the world’s experts discuss their fields and study areas, and it was inspiring as a budding marine scientist to meet with those that are leading the industry.

It was an absolute honour to meet Her Deepness, Sylvia Earle, who was also attending the events in the Explorers Club and speaking at the UN World Oceans Day. Her grace and down to earth nature were apparent and soon there was classic diving chatter back and forth, discussing recent dives and hopes for the future of the underwater world.

Wednesday 8 June marked UN World Oceans Day and the OWUS Scholars attended the conference in the UN New York headquarters. It was a full day of talks from policymakers, leaders and scientists centred around the concept of regenerating the ocean. It was completely inspirational to hear the ideas and work of these dedicated professionals, and again there was a distinctive feeling of hope among those attending the event.

Never has the phrase ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ felt more true. n

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