ALOHA, HAWAII
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MICHELE WESTMORLAND HEADS OUT TO EXPLORE THE ISLAND OF KONA
LIVE AWAY FROM THE COAST? THE INLAND SITES ARE BACK IN ACTION!
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EDITOR’S NOTE KICKSTART 2021 AT THE GO DIVING SHOW
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MAGAZINE
CONTRIBUTORS
Maria Bollerup, Rasmus Dysted, Pete Mesley, Michele Westmorland
The year 2020 turned out to be a massive damp squib when it came to diving - and pretty much anything else, to be honest - thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but here’s to us all getting back on track! The first bit of good news is that the GO Diving Show - and keynote speaker Steve Backshall - is returning for the third year running, and is preparing an action-packed show, that will follow all government guidance still in place at the time. The Scuba Diver/GO Diving Show team don’t have a crystal ball and we can’t say what is going to happen before the show - which is on its usual weekend dates of 19-21 February - and that is why we’re giving you FREE cancellation on tickets up to seven days before the show. The sport we’re so passionate about is a little unstable at the moment, and with that uncertainty, it’s sometimes hard for exhibitors to make a clear decision. That is why we’re asking, if you’ve enjoyed the GO Diving Show previously and the plan is to attend in 2021, we would ask you buy your tickets now, if you’re in a position to. This one small action by you will help us to prove early on that the UK diving community wants this show to happen - and it’s the right choice for them to exhibit. If you’re only going to do one show in 2021, make it GO Diving! All ticket revenue is securely held by Eventbrite, so you can be confident that if your plans change, and you can’t attend the show, your refund is waiting. Tickets start from £15 for all weekend, and include complimentary parking. For those coming in groups, we’re offering weekend tickets for as little as £5 per person. www.godivingshow.com/tickets
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ALOHA, HAWAII
GET DIVING… INLAND
GEAR GUIDE: REGULATORS
MICHELE WESTMORLAND HEADS OUT TO EXPLORE THE ISLAND OF KONA
LIVE AWAY FROM THE COAST? THE INLAND SITES ARE BACK IN ACTION!
REGULATORS PRICED FROM £250-£450 ARE RATED AND REVIEWED
ON THE COVER
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: PETE MESLEY
25/07/2020 09:08
REGULAR COLUMNS
FEATURES...
10 News
24 Hawaii
22 Medical Q&A
30 United Kingdom
Girls That Scuba announce ambassador programme, GO Diving Show returns in 2021, DeeperBlue launches a podcast, and Olympus sells off its camera division.
Dr Oliver Firth from Hyperdive answers more questions, including queries on ear barotrauma and children and diving.
34 Divers Alert Network
The DAN Europe team focus their attention on diving with diabetes.
66 Conservation Corner
New series that shines a spotlight on conservation projects and initiatives in the UK and Europe and around the world.
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Michele Westmorland boards the luxurious Kona Aggressor II liveaboard to explore the diverse waters around the island of Kona in the Hawaiian islands, and is mesmerised by the night-time antics of manta rays at a world-famous dive site.
As we slowly emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, diving is resuming in the UK. Divers lucky enough to be within striking distance of our coastline has been able to start getting in the sea, both shore diving and on boats, but now that the inland dive sites have opened their doors, everyone can get back in the water.
36 Malta
Travel corridors are opening up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the diving hotspots of Malta and Gozo should be on your list, as this Mediterranean destination is only a short flight away, and boasts an array of fabulous wrecks and natural dive sites.
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CONTENTS
...CONTINUED
GEAR GUIDE
40 Q&A: Dr Laura Walton
54 What’s New
We chat to Dr Laura Walton, who through her website: www. scubapsyche.com, aims to offer her services to everyone from non-divers to professional instructors.
44 Underwater Photography
Underwater photography guru Martyn Guess looks at opening up the aperture to create a more-arty look to your macro images that will make them pop in your portfolio.
48 TECHNICAL: Indonesia, part one
Crack cave diving team Maria Bollerup, Rasmus Dysted and Pete Mesley go in search of undiscovered and unexplored cave systems in remote parts of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and are astounded by what they find beneath the jungle interior.
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New products, including the Apeks RK3 HD fins and VX1 mask in a new gun-metal colour scheme, Aqua Lung’s Dynaflex range of wetsuits, Fourth Element’s Expedition Series duffel bag, now in vibrant blue, and heated gloves from Thermalution.
56 Group Test
This issue we return with our latest group test, and we are looking at mid-range regulators from all of the major manufacturers.
64 Long Term Test
Mark Evans goes back to his drysuit diving roots when he dons the new Hydra neoprene drysuit from Fourth Element.
7
WHERE IT ALL BEGINS WWW.EGYPT.TRAVEL
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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
GIRLS THAT SCUBA ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER
AMBASSADORS
G
irls That Scuba has announced their ambassadorship programme, with ten female divers who will work closely with the female dive community to promote females in diving and represent diversity, positivity and empowerment. Girls That Scuba was founded on the simple idea of creating a safe space to celebrate females in scuba diving, and over the past three years they’ve grown into a hugely diverse group of women and cultivated a positive, supportive community. The GTS Ambassador Programme has been launched in order to work with a small group of inspiring women to elevate positive representations of females in the diving industry. They hope that through celebrating the successes of female divers and championing diverse role models, GTS can encourage more women of every age, race, sexuality, religion, ability, and size to pursue scuba diving as a hobby or career.
NOUF ALOSAIMI, SAUDI ARABIA
Nouf is a certified instructor from Saudi Arabia, and the first Saudi female technical diver. She is the creator of two platforms to promote diving in the Red Sea – ‘Redseacitizen’ and ‘Pink Bubbles’ – which aim to encourage more Saudi women to start scuba diving. She is also Nike’s modest swimsuit athlete and has featured on swimming campaigns around the world.
MARIA BOLLERUP, DENMARK
Maria is a multi-stage tec sidemount diver and a certified rebreather instructor from Denmark. She has worked professionally as a diver all over the world for the past 17 years. In that time she has continued her education within diving, slowly moving from recreational instructor to technical instructor. Her biggest passion is cave diving and she has participated in and executed several wreck and cave expeditions around the world, and is an active advocate for female explorers. As the CEO of a Scandinavian dive travel agency, she actively uses her experience in the diving industry to secure safe diving courses around the world for young people.
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INKA CRESSWELL, UNITED KINGDOM
Inka is from the UK and is a PADI Instructor, Advanced Nitrox Diver, AAUS Scientific Diver and Underwater Photography Instructor. She has a degree in Marine Biology and a masters in Wildlife Filmmaking, and currently works as a researcher on ocean based wildlife documentaries. Her underwater cinematography work has been featured on the BBC. She is currently working collaboratively with several NGOs and dive companies to make marine conservation and STEM careers more accessible for women and minorities.
AMBER BLOUNT, USA
Amber is a PADI certified AOW Diver and is currently working towards being a Rescue Diver. Originally from Tulsa, OK, USA, she currently lives in Key Largo. She has worked for Key Largo Dive Center for 2.5 years and absolutely loves meeting all the new faces that the job brings in. Amber finally started diving in October of 2018 after a few not-so-glamorous attempts at the Open Water course. After losing her left leg above the knee in 2013, she found a number of ways to help with PTSD and anxiety, including CrossFit, swimming, and speaking to others about her experience.
EUNA ZIO, THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
Euna is an Open Water Dive Instructor from The Solomon Islands. Working for SIDE Dive Munda as a Dive Instructor and a Dive Guide, Euna is one of only two female instructors in the whole of The Solomon Islands – and the first female dive instructor to certify a new diver! She is also a seaweed farmer and is in the process of starting her own seaweed nursery. Her dream is to encourage more women in Solomon Islands to dive and to dive with them, whilst also learning more about conservation in her local area.
JAN SALISE, PHILIPPINES
Jan is a Divemaster from Cebu, Philippines. She enjoys the feeling of being weightless underwater and loves underwater
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macro photography, with colourful nudibranchs being her favourite subjects. As a Trans woman in a male dominated industry, she finds it inspiring to belong to a community where everyone is open and supportive. Jan hopes to connect with many divers from the Girls that Scuba community and hopes to inspire the LGBQT+ community to join her dive passions, too!
IRENE MARCOLUX, CANADA
Irene was certified in the cold water of Quebec, Canada, and has also worked as an instructor in Switzerland and Thailand. As a PADI Course Director she trains future instructors, and is the first female to achieve Course Director status in Quebec. Irene is also a PADI Freediving Instructor, and her goal is to keep improving her freediving in order to become an Advanced Freediving Instructor. She is especially dedicated to raising acceptance of larger bodies in diving.
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MARIAM ALSAIF, KUWAIT
Mariam is a certified Advanced diver from Kuwait. Her biggest achievement has been her drive to chase a career that brings her joy. Former Marketing Executive at Chanel turned founder of MER, a dive tour operator specialising in liveaboards internationally. Her mission is to encourage more Arab women to join the diving world, letting others into her passion and discovering what she fell in love with.
GRACE WESTGARTH, UNITED KINGDOM
Grace is a 17 year old Master Diver/Sidemount Diver who has just started studies for the Divemaster exam ready for when she turns 18. She learned to dive in Egypt in 2013 but since then has found a love for all UK diving! She is an aspiring underwater cinematographer and is hoping to help raise awareness of ocean conservation, especially in the next generation, through the media of film.
JESSY FAYA, INDONESIA
Jessy is a certified Advanced Open Water Diver originally from Bali, Indonesia. When Jessy tried scuba diving for the first time back in 2013, she didn’t know how to swim and worked on becoming a stronger swimmer to allow her to dive. She built a local community called ‘Lombok Airport Dive Club’ to encourage her fellow employees at Lombok Airport to start diving. Her ambition now is to learn more about how to save coral reefs, focusing particularly on her local area in Lombok, a beautiful neighbouring island of Bali, Indonesia. www.girlsthatscuba.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 2019 Course Dates available www.commercialdivertraining.co.uk info@commercialdivertraining.co.uk 01726 817128 | 07900 844141
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KICKSTART THE SEASON WITH THE GO DIVING SHOW 2021 The GO Diving Show - and keynote speaker Steve Backshall - will be back early next year, returning to the Ricoh Arena over the usual dates of 19-21 February, providing the perfect launch pad for the 2021 season. COVID-19 meant that the 2020 diving season was a non-starter, with local lockdowns and restrictions on travel curtailing many activities, but now, as the UK diving fraternity is able to get back in the water, and travel corridors are opening up to several diving hotspots further afield, it is time to think to the future and what 2021 holds in store. The tried-and-tested format will remain in place, with a trade-only day on Friday 19 February, followed by the weekend of 20-21 February open to all, with inspirational talks from guest speakers, major manufacturers displaying their latest products, training agencies offering hints and advice, and travel agents, resorts, liveaboards and tourist boards showcasing destinations near and far. The popular Ricoh Arena will again be the venue for the third year, and as before, we will be providing complimentary parking, making this an enjoyable – and affordable – day out. We are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, although there is light at the end of the tunnel, and like everyone, we will be keeping a close eye on how the worldwide recovery is progressing as we near the end of the year. We will be strictly following government guidelines that are in place at the time, such as social distancing, hand sanitiser stations and so on. Keep an eye on the website for future updates! Tickets will now be weekend passes, with keen pricing for a post-COVID-19 world: 1 person – £15 for two days (So £7.50 per day) 2 people – £20 for two days (so £5 per day per person) 10 people wplus – £5 for two days (so £2.50 per day per person) And remember – we provide complimentary parking! So you have more money to spend on courses, dive kit or holidays! www.godivingshow.com
SEAHORSES UNDER THREAT FROM RETURN OF POST-LOCKDOWN VISITORS Seahorses off the coast of Dorset are under threat from the hordes of tourists flocking to the seaside as the country comes out of COVID-19 lockdown. The Seahorse Trust had previously reported that during the lockdown period, they had discovered 46 seahorses during surveys off Studland, but that an influx of visitors – and the associated increase in activity in the bay – could see the animals reduce in numbers, or even disappear completely. The Seahorse Trust founder Neil Garrick-Maidment explained that prior to this recent survey, no seahorses had been seen on dives since 2018, when a single dead one was found. “As horrific as COVID-19 is, it has meant a lack of people and noise underwater, the food chain is better, and the seagrass can recover,” he said. However, since the lockdown guidelines were eased, the South Coast has seen a huge influx of visitors, prompting Garrick-Maidment to urge people to ‘give nature a chance’. He said: “It will have an effect – suddenly, with all the people and boats, the seahorses will vacate the site and we’ll be back to numbers dwindling again. “There has got to be action taken – we want to keep this impetus going to help these enigmatic and iconic creatures.”
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BRITISH FAMILY OF FOUR RELOCATES TO TINY ISLAND IN THE SEYCHELLES A British family of four has sold their family home and ‘most of their worldly possessions’ to relocate to a 400-metre-long island in the Seychelles. Karolina and Barry Seath, together with their daughters – seven-year-old Josephine and 11-year-old Georgina – sold their home in Putney, southwest London, and are moving to Moyenne Island, a tiny island nature reserve off the north coast of Mahe in the Seychelles. The family aim to create a coral farm that will repopulate the nearby reef, which has been devastated by climate change and other human-related factors. They have set up a charity, Coral Reef Conservation UK, after witnessing the destruction of the coral reefs first-hand during family holidays to the Seychelles. Barry said: “Every time we visited the Seychelles, we noticed the coral was getting worse and worse. All the tourists say the same thing – they love the beaches, but are really disappointed with the coral. They expect these lush coral reefs, but what they actually find is lots of coral rubble. “We felt the need to make a positive change for ourselves, our children and the world we had largely taken for granted.” The Seath family hopes that helping to rebuild the coral reefs will assist in boosting visitors numbers to the Seychelles in the future, as its tourist industry has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their coral farm in the Seychelles will only be the second in the world – the first one is on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is expected to take some three months to build the farm, at a cost of £25,000, but once complete, they aim to grow around 10,000 corals a year. These will be nurtured to a suitable size, and then transplanted on to the local reefs.
DEEPERBLUE LAUNCHES ITS OWN PODCAST Hosted by DeeperBlue.com founder Stephan Whelan and produced by Jason Elias of the Big Deep Podcast, the magazine-style podcast will cover all the latest underwater news, trends, equipment, and events happening all around the world. Stephan highlighted the diverse set of stories guests will bring to the show: “We will talk to the most-interesting people in the dive world, from worldfamous underwater pioneers to fearless modern explorers. We’ll discuss the latest in diving innovations from the people who created them… athletes pushing the limits of what we think humans can do underwater… and we’ll speak to people leading the efforts to preserve and protect the oceans we love.” Jason added: “We will also cover all aspects of the travelling it takes to get to the dive spots we love, from undiscovered dive spot recommendations to epic exotic resorts and tropical islands in sun-washed waters.” The first few episodes bring guests such as EMMY and BAFTA award-winning director Hugh Pearson, who has worked on The Blue Planet, Our Planet and The Hunt, RAID International President Paul Toomer, 18x world champion freediver William Trubridge, and extreme environment research scientist (and aquanaut) Dawn Kernagis, to name just a few of the amazing diving and ocean personalities that will be joining the show every week. You can subscribe now via Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out more details about the podcast at: www.deeperblue.com/podcast
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R E A DY TO W E LCO M E YO U
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ARTEFACTS, INCLUDING FROM ROOSWIJK, TO BE X-RAYED TO REVEAL THEIR SECRETS The X-ray and analysis of aretefacts, including those recovered from historic shipwrecks such as Rooswijk, will take a major leap forward thanks to a £150,000 grant from The Wolfson Foundation. The grant to Historic England for high-power and highresolution X-ray equipment offers exceptional potential for analysing objects which are covered in thick concretions, or hard concrete-like matter, to a much-higher degree of detail. The funds will enable Historic England to replace and upgrade equipment in a large, walk-in X-ray facility that is at the centre of Historic England’s archaeological assessment, analysis and conservation work. This can accommodate large objects and a moveable X-ray tube - much higher powered than typical systems - which allows X-rays to penetrate heavily corroded objects. It plays an essential assessment role, providing a complete, cost-effective diagnosis of condition, and informing the best possible treatment for each object by revealing details obscured by deposits or rust. The equipment, to be based at Historic England’s scientific and archaeological analysis centre at Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth, will greatly contribute to both Historic England’s own research work and those of its partners. This will include exciting projects such as the scanning and analysis of artefacts recovered from the excavations of the Dutch East India Company vessel, the Rooswijk, which is a protected wreck site. This project is a collaboration between RCE (The Cultural Heritage Agency of The Netherlands) and Historic England. The Rooswijk sank on the treacherous Goodwin Sands, off Kent, in January 1740 while outward bound for Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) with tradegoods including silver coins. Many objects are covered with concretions which could require the intensity of the new equipment.
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AGGRESSOR ADVENTURES CELEBRATES OCEAN CLEAN-UP MONTH Aggressor Adventures recently pioneered international shoreline clean-up efforts in the Galapagos, Cuba, Belize, Palau, and the Bay Islands of Honduras. This company-led project involved 40 Aggressor personnel and was inspired by June’s Ocean Clean-Up Month, filling over 60 trash bags with debris over a span of more than 170 hours, covering an estimated 2.55-mile area. Ocean Clean-Up Month is an active way for Aggressor to engage with their employees while supporting the brand’s sustainability initiatives, inviting teams to join in on the efforts by cleaning up local waterways and wildlife habitats. “As global adventurers, we witness first-hand the impact pollution has on our environment, especially in our oceans. It’s our responsibility to change that,” explained Wayne Brown, CEO of Aggressor Adventures. “Humans must take initiative to restore nature through recovery efforts that promote real change, such as our shoreline clean-up actions and commitment to keeping our adventures environmentally sustainable.”
SAD DAY AS OLYMPUS SELLS OFF ITS CAMERA SECTION Many underwater photographers will have fond memories of Olympus cameras, particularly compacts, which were at the forefront of digital underwater photography. So it is a sad day when the company calls a close to that part of the business. Olympus was once one of the world’s biggest camera brands, but after recording losses for the last three years, it is selling off the camera part of the business after 84 years. According to a spokesperson, the arrival of smartphones, which has shrunk the market for separate cameras, was one of the major factors in the decision. Olympus is now seeking to strike a deal to carve off the camera part of its business so that its brands - such as Zuiko lenses - can be used in new products by another firm, Japan Industrial Partners. The UK Olympus team said on social media: “We ask for your patience... Olympus sees this potential transfer as an opportunity to enable our imaging business to grow and delight both long-time and new photography enthusiasts.” The Olympus Corporation will continue, as the company never stopped making microscopes, and has turned its optical technology to other scientific and medical equipment, such as endoscopes.
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HAPPY DIVERS El Gouna - El Gouna Paradisio - Soma Bay - Safaga Coral Garden Tulip - Moreen Beach - Wadi Lahmy - Bali Lovina - Bali Candidasa Flores - Mauritius - Sardinia - Rosenheim
orca-diveclubs.com
Dr Oliver Firth is a diving doctor with over 22 years of diving experience. He is an Approved Medical Examiner of Divers for the UK HSE and a medical referee for the UK Diving Medical Committee, performing many hundreds of diving medicals a year. As the senior doctor at London Diving Chamber for the last 13 years, he has supervised the treatment of hundreds of cases of decompression illness. He has now set up Hyperdive (www.hyperdive.co.uk) to continue his diving medical work with a global audience. With his accumulated experience, he has seen most things a diver might come across, but remains eager to hear from anyone with a medical conundrum they need a solution to! divingdoctor@scubadivermag.com Q: Recently I had to cut short a diving weekend because of an ear problem. I tried to push through a sticky ear situation and it got so painful I had to abort the dive and come up from about 4m. Luckily, there was a trained ENT doctor on the same trip, who was also diving – she said she never goes anywhere without her trusty ear torch! Anyway, she told me I had ‘grade 3 barotrauma’ and I needed at least a month off diving. This happened a week ago and it all feels fine now. The problem is I’ve got a big weekend of diving planned… next weekend! Is there any chance I can get back in the water before the month is up? And what is grade 3 barotrauma anyway?! A: The word ‘barotrauma’ simply means damage to tissues resulting from pressure changes. Getting all scientific for a minute, Boyle’s Law states that at constant temperature, the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional. The painful application of this to diving is that as you descend (and the pressure increases), the volume of air in the middle ear will shrink proportionally, sucking in blood, mucus and general gunk from the surrounding area until the pressure is ‘equalised’. The grading system is basically a way of us docs describing to each other how bad the barotrauma is, by looking at the eardrum. The most common system has six grades, confusingly numbered 0-5. Grade 0 is the least serious – someone with symptoms, but nothing abnormal when you peer into their lughole. A poor grade 6-er has a perforated eardrum. In between are various levels of bruising, bulging and blueness; your grade 3 would probably be a very red and engorged-looking eardrum, but no
22
sign of a hole or blood sloshing about inside the middle ear. Recovery rate is very variable but barotraumas of grades 3-4 will take up to two weeks to get right. Be guided by how it feels and whether you can equalise, but be wary of pushing it too hard too soon, as you can easily perforate the drum in its weakened state and prolong your time out of the water massively. Q: Why is it that children can’t dive below the age of eight? I suppose there has to be a cut-off at some point, but is there a good medical reason why a seven-year-old can’t dive? I’m asking because my sevenyear-old son is very jealous of his nine-year-old sister doing her Bubblemaker and I’d love to put him out of his misery, but the rules say no. A: They do say no, for good reason. As you mention, to some extent there has to be a cut-off point somewhere, and there will always be exceptions to any rule, but there is a physical reason diving below the age of eight is not advised. Up to about this age, the areas of the lung where gas exchange takes place (the alveoli) are multiplying, and the elasticity of the lung tissue is reduced. Theoretically this puts children at higher risk of barotrauma, particularly when you take into account their emotional immaturity and consequent increased chance of panicking and ascending rapidly. The rate at which children develop varies enormously, and for this reason there are some who would not allow children to dive until twice this age. So perhaps try to distract your seven-year-old with some other activities for now – didgeridoo lessons perhaps, or bee keeping?
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Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia
AQABA’S MILITARY MUSEUM
Mark Evans marvels at one of Jordan’s latest diving attractions - the unique Military Museum collection of submerged vehicles.
Q&A: VALKYRIE CHARTERS
We chat to Hazel Weaver and Helen Hadley about the challenges of running a fleet of liveaboards in the Orkney Islands.
BACK TO THE BAHAMAS
The Bahamas are opening up their borders to Brits - we look at an enviable liveaboard trip that hits the diving hotspots.
ANILAO OVERLOAD
Mike Bartick extols the virtues of Anilao in the Philippines as a diving destination for all levels of diver, especially UW photographers.
TECH: INDONESIA, PART TWO
Maria Bollerup, Rasmus Dysted and Pete Mesley continue their expedition in Sulawesi to find new, unexplored cave systems.
GEAR GUIDE: HIGH-END REGS
Bunaken National Marine Park
The Test Team has been busy rating and reviewing top-of-the-range regulators from all the major manufacturers.
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Michele Westmorland boards a luxury liveaboard to explore the mythical islands of Hawaii PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHELE WESTMORLAND
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of the
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Healthy hard corals abound
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n the Hawaiian Islands, one goddess reigns supreme. Pele (pronounced ‘pay-lay’) is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes in Hawaiian mythology, and nowhere else does she show her power more vividly and forcefully than on the Big Island of Hawaii. Pele, according to legend, lives in the Halema’uma’u crater of Kilauea, and when you fly into Kailua-Kona airport you get an extraordinary glimpse of her presence in one of the most-active volcanoes in the island chain - and in the world. There are many myths and stories about Pele, and most Hawaiians claim to have seen her at least once in their life. She is so powerful that she can change her shape and appearance at whim. Maybe she is a dancing plume of fire, smoke and ash. Other times, she appears as an old woman, bent over with age. I have come to Kona to seek out my own underwater goddess - one that may appear in the form of a beautiful fish, dolphin or manta - and maybe even catch a glimpse of Pele herself. I will spend the next week onboard the Kona Aggressor II, a liveaboard dive yacht that travels the coast of the Big Island in search of creatures that inspire and amaze. Anxious to see what mysteries await me underwater, I set up my dive gear on the boat’s spacious dive deck, head to my roomy cabin to store my personal items, and assemble my underwater camera system. Once set up and ready to go, I feel my excitement build as our captain and Divemasters, tell us about the dive sites we will visit during the week. We don’t have to travel far from the marina to make our first dive of the trip. The Meadows is a nice secluded spot for our check-out dive, allowing us divers to make sure our gear is working properly and that we are correctly weighted. For me, even more important is making sure my camera equipment is properly set up and there are no dreaded problems! As we get our bearings in the water, we are treated to a preview of the week ahead, during which we will get an up-close look at fish, creatures and corals that can only be seen in these waters. It is estimated that some 20 percent of the reef fish and 25 percent of the coral species found here are endemic to Hawaii. One of the most-thrilling adventures in Hawaii is the night time manta dive, and participating in this event comfortably from the Kona Aggressor II is a huge advantage. Anchored in calm waters, we enjoy a fabulous dinner as we watch the sun go down and other day boats pull in to prepare for the dive. On their menu - packed sandwiches and snacks. On our menu - a lovely salad, grilled skewers of fish and vegetables, and dessert. With plenty of time to let our incredible meal digest, we get our lights, cameras and gear ready to go. It is a virtual light show at the site. Snorkellers on the surface light ‘the stage’ with their torches, and divers circle around a large underwater light system used to attract small plankton creatures – the mantas’ own dinner menu.
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This quiet refuge is a favourite for spinner dolphins to bring their young calves and rest after a night of hunting in the open ocean Boxfish
Whaleshark
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KONA AGGRESSOR II STATS AND FACTS Length: 24 metres Beam: 8.5 metres Cruising Speed: 10 knots Range: 1,200 nautical miles Builder: Nichols Brothers, Whidbey Island, Washington Staterooms: Six Passengers: 14
Night time manta dive
With the new carpet, couches and other touches, it made me feel like I was in the living room of my own home. The deluxe cabins are roomy enough and easily accessible from inside the salon area – no more damp feet by treading on an exterior walkway. There is a quad stateroom that was shared by a lovely family. The two young ladies, ages 10 and 11, received their PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification through the caring instructors on board the boat. Talk about lucky young ladies! Both the crew and the guests were delighted in sharing their first underwater adventure. Great job by the crew and instructor for making it fun – and safe! In the main story, I’ve already mentioned the food. I’ll mention it again – it was no doubt some of the best I’ve had anywhere. www.aggressor.com
Spinner dolphins
Attracted to this critter soup, the mantas appear from the darkness. Our Aggressor dive team remains on the fringe. Anxious to get closer, we are carefully instructed to be patient – and we will be rewarded. Once the other visitors start to leave, we are ready to move in. At depth, we see more than ten large, graceful mantas dancing above our heads, giving us an incredibly memorable performance. We are privileged to have these creatures all to ourselves, and they are obviously enjoying themselves, too. As we leave the site, several mantas follow us back to the boat, continuing their dance as they feed under the lights of the Aggressor. Back on the boat, we all wonder what can possibly top our exciting manta dive for the balance of the week. The west
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coast provides all the dive action you need for a wide variety of experiences, from colourful swim-throughs to fascinating lava tubes. The lava formations are, for the most part, blanketed in brilliant red and orange encrusting sponges. Light streams from overhead through openings and crevices, where fish hide from the elements – and predators. Sites with names like Catacombs, Stoney Mesas and Tubastrea Tunnel are clear indicators of the interesting structures. The sites are visually amazing, but even more striking are the different sounds you hear. What stood out to me was not the typical crunching of coral by parrotfish, or even the muted calls of the humpback whales during the winter months, but the distinctive whooshing noises of small rocks and boulders being tumbled by the surge.
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The rocky reef offers many swim-throughs
Smiling faces are always a good sign
Probably my favourite area on the week’s itinerary is Manuka Bay, located midway between the town of Kailua-Kona and the southern tip of the island. This quiet refuge is a favourite for spinner dolphins to bring their young calves and rest after a night of hunting in the open ocean. They are not always in the bay, but when they are, it is a treat that creates a lasting memory. Because these dolphins do not like the bubbles created from regulators, we leave our scuba tanks on the boat and grab our snorkelling gear. Clearly, the dolphins love to play with ‘human toys’— at one point, there are more than 40 animals frolicking around us. Babies come close to investigate us, while their mums stay nearby to herd them off if they spend too much time around us. I watch my friend, who is an excellent swimmer, dive down, twist and turn alongside several beautiful dolphins. But once they become bored with him, they quickly let him know his time is up with a nod and a vocal sound. Seconds later, all that could be seen are tails moving off into the blue. After so much physical activity, it’s wonderful to get back onboard the Kona Aggressor II and be treated to some of the best meals served on any liveaboard. Grace is an accomplished chef who creates fabulous dishes, such as fish filet on a bed of couscous drizzled with a lovely caper and lemon sauce. We finish each meal with a dessert that would make any pastry chef jealous. How can food of such a high quality be prepared in a little galley on a boat? No wonder our fabulous chef received an award for being the best in the fleet. As a dive location, Manuka Bay is as memorable as it gets. Just below the boat are rock and hard coral outcroppings in a variety of delightful formations. Several arches make for interesting swim-throughs, but what I find most delightful is a soccer ball-sized frogfish. He (or she) is a brilliant red, and its chosen site for hunting is right on the wall of one of the arches. Here, I am able to photograph the grumpy-looking fish with every imaginable lens. I start with an 8mm-15mm fisheye lens, which is generally used for very large subjects and landscapes, allowing me to focus within a few centimetres and still include some of the scene in the image. Then I move
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Four spot butterflyfish
to macro lenses to get a lovely close portrait and to capture facial details. I am also treated to eels I’ve never seen before. I see dragon and viper morays and a sizable conger out on the hunt, and brilliant blue male boxfish, the peacocks of the reef. Our captain navigates north to our next site, Never-Never Land. Here, a large pinnacle protrudes out of the water, but below the surface is a beautiful coral-filled ledge along the crater’s drop-off. Never-Never Land features plenty of raccoon butterflyfish, but what fascinates me are the juvenile and
VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
Rent a car and drive to the volcano. The landscape changes dramatically from the rocky shoreline into the vast lava fields with steaming vents from the active volcano. If you are lucky, you may even see some action from molten hot lava flowing from a couple of locations. Contact the park service for information on the activity.
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Light streams from overhead through openings and crevices, where fish hide from the elements – and predators
Kona Aggressor II at anchor
adult peacock razor wrasses. These small sand-dwellers are not the easiest to photograph, but they are fun to watch as they skip across the bottom searching for morsels of food. I spot a lovely strawberry nudibranch slowly making its way over some rubble. Off the wall are two larger species of marine life – a lone hammerhead cruising and a slow-moving green sea turtle, oblivious of the apex predator. Down deep, the Divemaster points out two of Hawaii’s most-stunning residents that are found nowhere else in the world - the bandit angel and Tinker’s butterflyfish. We move on to a new location, a crew favourite called Au Au Crater. This underwater crater of an extinct volcano is a testament to the power of the Earth’s (and, no doubt, goddess Pele’s) activities. The walls of this subaquatic basin are decorated with hard corals, fish, and nudibranchs. I also come across a little octopus love - perfect timing as it happens to be Valentine’s Day! And the gorgeous red colours of the reef, thanks to the endemic lionfish and strawberry nudibranchs, only add to the romantic effect. Romance is also in the air (or water, to be precise) for the humpback whales who call the Hawaiian Islands home this time of year. It’s their calving and breeding season, and the whale songs are so loud that it feels like the creatures must be right on top of us.
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Octopus
However, the fact is that these calls can travel great distances, and many times during the early morning and late afternoon we are treated right to spouting, tail lobbing and occasionally breaching whales. Continuing north, our captain, Carl, spots something I’ve never experienced before. It is a group of seven logging hammerhead sharks, resting on the surface of the glasssmooth water. Who knows how many are below? According to long-time friend and marine biologist Doug Perrine, this is something that only happens this time of year. The reason is still unknown. We stay right next to them for an unforgettable half hour. After a night at the mooring, we venture north to wrap up the trip at Turtle Pinnacle. This is a cleaning station for turtles to be manicured by the local tang population, but they elude us today. I only see one very sleepy giant under the ledge of the pinnacle. However, I do find a little frogfish on the reef, and off the wall I observe a spotted eagle ray casually gliding over the top. I end the week with precious memories of brand-new sensations and experiences - and a deep appreciation of the goddess Pele in all her many manifestations. If, as legend has it, she can transform herself at will, then I am sure she was diving with us all week, making her presence known among the gliding mantas, playful spinner dolphins, and spectacular humpback whales. n Undulated moray eel
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One of the planes in Capernwray
INLAND DIVE SITES People were already flocking to the coast as the COVID-19 lockdown was relaxed, but the reopening of most UK inland sites in June was warmly welcomed by more-landlocked divers. PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS AND ADAM HANLON
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hore-diving sites were attracting divers as soon as the relaxation of the COVID-19 lockdown allowed travel to these locations, but for those who lived some distance from a shore-diveable coastline – like me! - were champing at the bit to get their diving fix. The news that most inland dive sites were reopening their doors in June was just the tonic, and so far I have managed to get to Capernwray in Lancashire, and Vivian Dive Centre in Llanberis, North Wales, for my first dives in over three and a half months – that’s the longest I have been out of the water for many years, and it felt great to get my gills wet once again. Trips to Stoney Cove and Vobster Quay are on the cards for the next month, although with Wales now open to visitors, the shoreline of North Wales and Anglesey is beckoning… Capers’ plane in all its glory
Stoney Cove’s Stanegarth The editor and buddy Dean happy to get diving again!
Some of Capernwray’s attractions
Helicopter in Capernwray
INLAND SITES AND COVID-19 Entering the water at Stoney
The inland sites have all implemented COVID-19 rules and regulations to keep their staff and visiting divers safe. The government rules on social distancing and other guidelines are constantly shifting, so I’d advise contacting your favoured centre before heading off just to make sure they are open, what the opening times are, and any other rules you should be aware of. Most of them are common sense. Wraysbury Dive Centre | www.wraysbury.ws Delph Watersports Centre | www.thedelph.com Stoney Cove | www.stoneycove.com Capernwray Dive Centre | www.dive-site.co.uk Vobster Quay | www.vobster.com Vivian Dive Centre | www.viviandivecentre.com St Andrews Lakes Diving and Watersports www.smbdiving.co.uk
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NDAC WILL NOT REOPEN FOR THE REST OF 2020
Leaving the Stanegarth
Divers will be mourning the loss of the facilities at NDAC after it was announced the popular inland site would not be reopening for the rest of 2020. NDAC – the National Diving & Activity Centre – is located near Chepstow, and divers travelled from far and wide to make use of its waters, which offer deep depths for technical diving and training, as well as plenty of sunken attractions in shallower waters. In a statement published on their website and widely shared over social media at the weekend, it said: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) OUTBREAK Sadly, we will not be reopening the National Diving & Activity Centre to the general public during the rest of 2020. Any purchased vouchers, or memberships, will automatically be extended to the 2021 season, when we will look forward to welcoming you all back. We thank you for all your support, and dedication over the years, and look forward to welcoming you back next season to the National Diving & Activity Centre.’ NDAC is also home to many other activities, including a zip line, giant swing, fly boards, SUPs, kayaks, bungee jump, Atlantis water park and a drive-in cinema. www.ndac.co.uk
Capers basking in the sunshine
Mark and buddy Dean on a dive Sturgeon in Capernwray
The Apeks van in Capers
Trips to Stoney Cove and Vobster Quay are on the cards for the next month, although with Wales now open to visitors, the shoreline of North Wales and Anglesey is beckoning… 32
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DIVING WITH DIABETES
GUIDELINES AND LATEST RESEARCH Cristian Pellegrini looks at diving and diabetes, and reviews the latest research and guidelines for those suffering from the disease
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or many years, the medical community have advised against diving with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease which affects the endocrine system, the collection of glands that produce hormones regulating your metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things. The main threat of diabetes is the effect it has on your pancreas, the organ which produces insulin and glucagon. These are the two hormones which balance and maintain your blood glucose (blood sugar). As of 2015, an estimated 415 million people already suffer from diabetes worldwide and by 2040, the number of diabetics is estimated to rise to around 642 million. Does this mean diabetics are not allowed to dive? Absolutely not! But let’s run you through important information you should know. Having diabetes means either your pancreas is not producing enough insulin, or the cells of the body are not responding properly to the insulin produced. There are two main types of diabetes: • Type 1 diabetes entails the pancreas’s failure to produce enough insulin, which leads to insulin dependency (needing insulin injections). The cause is currently unknown. • Type 2 diabetes begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin properly, which may also lead to a lack of insulin. This type of diabetes can be controlled by maintaining a healthy diet and by taking oral medication. The most-common cause is an unhealthy lifestyle, excessive body weight and lack of exercise.
raised a red flag when it comes to diabetics diving, especially when their illness is unstable or newly discovered. Common risks, symptoms and effects of suffering from high and low blood sugars include: • Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar): extreme thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, hunger, blurred vision, nausea, drowsiness, slow-healing wounds, vomiting. • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): trembling, fast heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, anxiousness, paleness, hunger, weakness/fatigue, headache, fainting. When in doubt, diabetics must immediately check their blood sugar using a blood glucose monitoring device, and either eat or drink something with sugar when blood glucose is low, or take the appropriate medicine to counteract high blood glucose. Symptoms and precautions are difficult, if not impossible, to identify and manage underwater, and due to the scope of these potential problems caused by diabetes, diabetics possess a greater threat when it comes to diving safely. In the past, diving with diabetes was definitely considered inadvisable. Even today, some medical experts strongly disapprove. However, in recent years, many divers with diabetes have successfully proved the medical industry wrong, proving to the community that it is possible to pursue your
The reason why medical experts have advised against diving with diabetes is due to the fragile and potentially life-threatening conditions diabetics may encounter when suffering from high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Just so you understand, insulin (and physical exercise) lowers your blood sugar, and glucagon (as well as foods with glucose) raises your blood sugar. Diabetics may often suffer from overly high and low sugars, which puts them at a much higher risk of suffering from an accident underwater. This means that diving underwater in a state of hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia may lead to loss of consciousness and, in some cases, even death. So naturally, medical experts have
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passion for diving without jeopardising or sacrificing your health and safety - by taking the right precautions. When diving with diabetes, it is important to know your limits and always speak with professionals to get an objective opinion of your health condition before attempting to dive underwater. No matter how controlled your condition may be, diabetics cannot dive without restrictions. The same applies to people without diabetes, of course, yet diabetics must accept that their risks are higher - even if their diving skills are equal to non-diabetics. Suffering from diabetes should never prevent anyone from exploring the world, but the right safety precautions should always be taken. The diving and medical community has evolved a great deal. Whereas once suffering from diabetes meant you were banned and forbidden from diving, attitudes have luckily changed.
DAN RESEARCH ON DIABETES Results from research by DAN Europe suggest that to prevent worsening of hypoglycaemia and to correctly interpret hypoglycaemia-like symptoms while diving, diabetic divers could benefit from real-time Blood Glucose (BG) monitoring during their dives. During a study, 26 dives were recorded [with] no statistical difference between the BG recorded every five minutes pre, during and post dives. Furthermore, this study was a perfect example of how technology can help diabetics increase their dive safety using a CGM Monitor in a waterproof case. In such cases, blood glucose levels are seen in real-time on a display, allowing the diver to continuously check [their] BG. Another study by the DAN Europe Research Division found similar results, stating diving does not imply significant risk of hypoglycaemia even if the continuous monitoring showed a progressive lowering [of blood glucose levels]. These findings further encourage diabetics to try diving. From the studies conducted by DAN, a general conclusion has been obtained: a real-time continuous glucose monitoring system used by diabetic divers during diving can provide immediate information on blood glucose values and trend, with a significant increase in diving safety and with an increase of sports medicine knowledge and interest in this specific field. Provided you do not suffer from any long-term complications, diving with diabetes is totally acceptable provided you undergo regular checkups and keep your diabetes well controlled to avoid any potential threats. Regardless of whether you have diabetes or not, our
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SOURCES
• Diabetes Atlas • Diabetes & Diving - DAN Southern Africa • Diabetes and Recreational Diving: Guidelines for the Future’ Workshop Proceedings 2005, UHMS, DAN • Scuba Magazine April 2015 • Ask DAN: Diabetes and Scuba Diving 2008
DAN RESEARCH
• “Continuous real time monitoring and recording of glycaemia during scuba diving: pilot study” - Pieri M, Cialoni D, Marroni A, Undersea Hyperb Med. 2016 May-Jun; 43(3):265-72. • “A continuous real time monitoring and recording of glycaemia during scuba diving: case report” - Pieri M, Cialoni D, Piacente A, Balestra C, Marroni A. (Poster, 2014). • “Real-time underwater glycaemia monitoring and recording during scuba diving: update” - Pieri M, Cialoni D, Marroni A (Poster, 2015). • “Safety of recreational scuba diving in type 1 diabetic patients: The Deep Monitoring programme” - Bonomo M1, Cairoli R, Verde G, Morelli L, Moreo A, Grottaglie MD, Brambilla MC, Meneghini E, Aghemo P, Corigliano G, Marroni A., Diabetes Metab. 2009 Apr;35(2):101-7. doi: 10.1016/j.diabet.2008.08.007. Epub 2009 Feb 28. mission is that everyone succeeds in diving safely, so that we can all be proud and share our passion for exploring the world’s enchanting waters. If you are thinking about diving with diabetes, or know someone who is, take a moment to go through our recommendations.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIVING WITH DIABETES • Speak to a physician and diabetes/diving specialist before attempting to dive. • Always wear a diabetes bracelet so that fellow divers are aware in case of an emergency. • Carry oral glucose with you at all times and make sure your buddy is aware and has some too. • Have a glucagon injection on site (at the surface) in case you lose consciousness. • Eat food with slow-digesting carbohydrates before diving to ensure a balanced glucose level. • Measure your blood glucose immediately before and after diving. • Avoid depths greater than 30 metres - Nitrogen Narcosis can be confused with Hypoglycaemia! • Avoid diving for longer than 60 minutes. • Log your dives and take note of your blood sugars for future reference. • Do not dive in cold waters, strong currents or conditions which demand strenuous activity. • Ensure you have a stable blood sugar no less than 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) - with Type 1. • Consider using a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system to check your BG in real-time. • Stay hydrated and healthy before, during and after diving. • Remain relaxed and enjoy the experience. n
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You are enveloped by shoals of sea bream when you first enter the water and during your safety stop, but throughout the dive you can find grouper, lizardfish, octopus and seastars 36
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don’t know about you, but I’ve been going a little squirrelly during the COVID-19 lockdown. Not so much because of the lockdown itself – I am lucky to have a nice garden, and live in the countryside, so I could enjoy the stunning weather we were treated to at the beginning of the process – but because I couldn’t go diving. Diving has been such a big part of my life since my teens, not getting my gills wet for a few months was a cruel form of torture. So as soon as the UK coastline opened up, followed by the inland dive sites, it was great to get back in the water and enjoying the hobby we all love so much. Now I love British diving, but I also hanker for warm water, crystal-clear vis and endless sunshine, and so the start of travel restrictions being lifted is the icing on the cake. And one of the cherries on that cake has to be Malta – and you can travel there now!
SHORT-HAUL HEAVEN
The Maltese archipelago has a lot going for it for Brits. It is only a two-and-a-half to three-hour flight away from various regional airports, flights and accommodation are very cost-effective, and they drive on the left (although a comment you will often hear is that they ‘drive in the shade’). The diving is also right up there with the best in the Med, with a plethora of shipwrecks, airplane remnants, swim-throughs, caverns, caves, and a decent amount of marine life, from tiny nudibranchs to shoals of barracuda.
WRECKS R US
Malta is blessed with a veritable smorgasbord of ship and airplane wrecks, both artificial and ‘genuine’. These can be found in a selection of depths, some suitable for entry-level divers, others for more-experienced divers, and others for true technical divers. Below are just a handful of the wrecks on offer: Tug 2, a 30-metre-long former tug from the Grand Harbour of Valletta is now sitting upright in 22m on a sandy seabed, having been scuttled in June 2013 to form an artificial reef. Originally it was some 20 metres or so from the nearest reef, but storms in October 2016 ended up shifting her east, so her bow has now impacted into the reef. There is plenty of marine life on the wreck itself and the neighbouring reef.
As travel restrictions begin to slowly lift, one of the first diving hotspots that should be on your radar is Malta. Mark Evans, a frequent visitor to ‘the rock’, explains why PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS
Luke checks out a torpedo ray
In Marsamxett Harbour off Manoel Island at the start of Lazzaretto Creek, you get to dive a World War One and a World War Two vessel in a single dive! The X127, or the X-Lighter as she is also known, is a 24-metre landing craft built in 1915 in the UK for the Royal Navy. Initially she was converted into a water lighter, and then later again into a fuel lighter. It was sunk in March 1942, and for many years was known as the Carolita, or Coralita, by divers, who referred to it as an ordinary barge, but in 2003, an underwater survey identified it as a lighter. First it was thought to be the X131, but in 2006 it was finally confirmed to be the X127. She lies on a slope, with her bow in just 5m, and her stern in 22m. The vis is generally not great given its location, however, given its history, it still makes for an interesting dive. One of Malta’s most-famous wrecks lies in St Elmos Bay. The HMS Maori was a 115-metre-long World War Two British destroyer which was sunk in the Grand Harbour by a German air raid in February 1942. In July 1945, the wreck was raised, though it split in half, and the fore-section was scuttled in its current position in St Elmo Bay near the entrance to Marsamxett Harbour. It now lies in a maximum depth of just 16m, making it a genuine wartime shipwreck that can be explored by all levels of diver. Although her shallow depth means she has suffered at the hands of winter storms, the Maori is still an impressive dive site. The wreck is half-buried in the sand, with 40-odd metres of the forward superstructure still recognisable, and while the guns were removed soon after she sank – to be used on land as a shore battery – there is still much to find, including hatches, gun-mounts, bollards, cables, anchor chain and more. On the nearby island of Comino, which lies between Malta and Gozo, lies the P31 patrol boat. This 52-metre-long former East German Kondor I-class patrol boat was initially a mine-sweeper in Germany but was used by the Armed Forces Malta from 1992, until it was decommissioned in 2004 and
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Light streams down through holes in the rocky reef above, especially in the afternoon, so torches are not necessary, and there is a reasonable amount of room inside
The plaque on the Um El Faroud
subsequently sunk by the Malta Tourism Authority in 2009. The wreck is wide open for those suitably trained, and there are various swim-throughs to venture through. Marine life is plentiful, but it is the wreck itself that is the real draw.
CAVES AND CAVERNS
The famous Santa Maria Caves on Comino are a system of large cathedral-like caves and interconnecting caverns well lit by natural light, with only a couple of places where it momentarily is a bit dark, but it is well worth bringing a small torch with you to peer into nooks and crannies where you will find cleaner shrimp and crabs. Most of the bigger caves are only semi-submerged, and boats often cruise in, so make sure you stay close to the bottom and aware of surface traffic during the dive. You are enveloped by shoals of sea bream when you first enter the water and during your safety stop, but throughout the dive you can find grouper, lizardfish,
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Returning from a dive on the Faroud
Qim, Mnajdra, Ta Hagrat Temples, Skorba Temples and the Tarxien Temples. Malta was a vastly important military base for the Allies during World War Two, and was remorselessly bombed by the Axis powers, so much so that in 1942, the entire island was awarded the George Cross, which today appears on Malta’s flag and coat of arms. Valetta is the capital of Malta, and the walled citadel is certainly impressive, its sheer scale hitting you as soon as you begin walking towards the main entrance. It is now home to a wide collection of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as various museums and exhibitions. The ‘silent city’ of Mdina, which can trace its history back more than 4,000 years, is full of winding streets and passageways within the walled city. Make sure you visit the Fontanella Tea Garden for absolutely enormous – and delicious – slices of chocolate cake, all served while you admire stunning views from the top of the walls out across the Maltese countryside. n Ghar Lapsi swim-through
octopus and seastars. However, it is the topography of the site that really holds your attention, and it is a safe and shallow introduction to this type of diving. Ghar Lapsi is a site that ranked highly on the ‘top dive list’ of one Jacques-Yves Cousteau. It is a large natural swimming area, popular with general tourists and snorkellers, but it is also the entrance to one of the mostpicturesque cavern systems on the islands. After kitting up in the car park at the top of a steep slope – thankfully equipped with steps down either side! – you trudge down to the water’s edge and giant stride into the blue. The water is only shallow, a few metres at most, but once you make your way over to the corner, you drop down under an archway and enter the cavern system. Light streams down through holes in the rocky reef above, especially in the afternoon, so torches are not necessary, and there is a reasonable amount of room inside. There are various exits, and when you pop out on to the outside of the reef, you are faced with huge boulders, beds of seagrass and that lovely deep blue that characterises Maltese waters.
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Where Malta and Gozo come into their own is the vast array of activities and places to visit available above water. There are all the usual sandy beaches, rocky coves and such like, but Malta and Gozo have a rich and diverse history stretching back thousands of years. Excavations have shown that the islands’ first inhabitants showed up in 5900 BC, but it was then left uninhabited until 3850 BC, when the civilisation that made the archipelago its home created the impressive megalithic temples, which register as some of the oldest buildings in the world. These UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the Ggantija temples, Hagar
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There are vibrant sponges and algaes
The wreck is wide open for those suitably trained, and there are various swim-throughs to venture through 39
Q&A: DR LAURA WALTON We chat to Dr Laura Walton, who through her website: www.scubapsyche.com, aims to offer her services to everyone from non-divers to professional divers IMAGES COURTESY OF DR LAURA WALTON, YVONNE PRESS (DARK HORIZON DIVING), MAREK RUDNICKI AND MARK EVANS
Sidemount on a shipwreck
Q: You are both a diver and a clinical psychologist. Which came first, and when did you seen the benefits of combining the two? A: That’s an interesting question because they’ve been running in parallel for well over a decade now. If pressed, I’d have to say the interest in psychology came first, because I didn’t try scuba diving until after I’d began working towards the career in Clinical Psychology. I was diving for three or four years before I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist. After that I worked in the NHS while also training as a PADI Divemaster, then teaching as an Instructor at Deep Blue Scuba, Edinburgh… eventually buying and running the centre with friends. I remember seeing the benefits of applying psychology in diving from dive one, in fact I do not think I would have continued diving if it hadn’t been for psychology. Initially, it was a way to help myself through the various challenges we face as divers. But when I started diving as a professional guide and instructor, helping other people to dive, I realised how useful it could be to all divers.
The first dive. That moment you realise there is a hidden world underwater, and you can breathe there
explanations. During the week at work, I’d learn something new and get excited about how it helped me to understand scuba diving. For years I’d been talking about how dive psychology should be a thing, but didn’t really know what to do about that. In 2015, I set up the first version of the website, mainly to have somewhere to write down all these ideas. I also created PADI Psychological Diver as a course to share all of the theory that helped me over the years. There was so much of it I decided it would work well as an online course that divers could work through at their own pace. As the website grew, more divers talked to me about the problems they have in diving, so I created more courses as a way for people to access useful information. Q: You offer a wide range of courses, aimed at everyone from non-divers to professional divers. Who do you think Laura has various onine courses
Q: You operate in the diving world via your website: www. scubapsyche.com, and as well as dealing with divers on a one-to-one basis, you also offer online courses. Tell us how these online courses came into being. A: As anyone who’s ever shared a ride from Loch Long with me knows, if I wasn’t thinking about diving, I was thinking about the psychology of it. Whatever happened at the dive site, or even in the pool, I’d be working through psychological
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can benefit the most from participating in your courses, and why should they sign up? A: I’m a recreational diver, and an instructor, so most of my courses are aimed at recreational scuba divers. However, what I cover is not found in diver training so it can be something that technical divers and professionals have not had the chance to learn about - not formally at least. I’ve found that knowledge of psychology has been like having a toolbox for times I’ve had difficulties in diving, and it’s hard to know of course, but I think it’s helped me avoid problems. It offers ways to understand why we do what we do, or what has got us stuck. Q: As well as your courses and one-to-ones, you also use your website as a host for all manner of interesting and useful information that people can access for free. What was the thinking behind that service? A: Essentially it evolved. At first I used the site to collect links to other people’s work in the psychological aspects of diving. There was surprisingly little! Then I began to explore my own ideas in writing, long essays that delved into deep topics. But as I heard from more and more divers, I realised there were common problems that I was able to explain. Also, the issue with setting up a dive psychology service is that there hasn’t been one before. So nobody knows it exists, and no one thinks to look for ‘dive psychology’, so I make resources that fit with the actual problems divers look for help with. Q: You help people wanting to get into diving who are feeling anxious, but also, are there to offer support for those divers who have experienced a distressing or traumatic incident. Do you think enough people are aware of the psychological impact of a diving incident, and how can we raise the profile of this side of diving? A: It’s well known that scuba diving, (with Laura in dive correct training and procedures) is actually instructor mode a pretty safe activity. But so is driving a car. Similarly, bumps and crashes are a possibility. In most cases, people are a bit shaken up, but gradually work through it. This is easier when people are able to talk about what happened, can make sense of what went wrong and work out how to avoid it in future. The impact of distressing, or even traumatic incidents, on divers is not well-researched. So, it is hard to say how much of an issue it is, but, because I have an interest in this area, people tell me about their experiences, and so I know it does
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affect people. Occasionally, divers do experience ongoing issues following an incident, sometimes subjectively minor ones that turned out okay… but left an impact. For some people, they simply stop diving, for others, they work through it. But for some people, things get stuck, and it’s quite common that when divers ask me for help, they are really keen to dive, but having a lot of trouble getting/staying in the water and enjoying being there. And, I think there is often a silence around that, on that last point it’s creating spaces to talk about these incidents in a way that is healing, and also highlights what we can do to avoid similar things happening again.
Q: As we always do in our Q&As, we like to find out your most-memorable diving moment. A: The first dive. That moment you realise there is a hidden world underwater, and you can breathe there. Q: On the flipside, what is your worst diving experience? A: Probably one that had nothing to do with diving! On the themes we are talking about, one that was particularly intense was, as a Divemaster trainee, going with an Instructor and students on a PADI Advanced course (I can’t say worst, because I learned so much from it). It was the Deep Adventure dive, max 30m. Being Loch Long, it was pitch black, and then one of the students stirred up the silt, got a little freaked out and the vis dropped to zero. All I could see was two torch beams flashing, eventually I figured out one was the Instructor and the other was me, but I couldn’t see the student I was buddied with. A few seconds later I caught sight of her and held on. The instructor decided (quite rightly) the dive was over and signalled to me to start ascending with my buddy as she kept sight of the others. Relieved, I started to ascend with her. But, checking my computer I saw we were going nowhere, we were sinking. Stressed and task fixated I kept finning, trying to pull her up. The combination of narcosis, psychological stress and hypercapnia meant I was feeling the full effects of a nearpanicked state… including the aptly named ‘sense of
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impending doom’ – I really thought we were going to die. In the foggy thinking, I slowly realised that the reason we were not ascending was because she was negatively buoyant. So I signalled she add air - she didn’t, so I did it for her. We began to ascend in black water. At about 5m, the instructor met us, and I pretty much threw the student at her with relief! Back on the surface, that same student reflected that ‘the deep dives are not much different from 18m’, I smiled, and encouraged her to swim to shore. Q: What does the future hold for Dr Laura Walton and www.scubapsyche.com? A: I’m continuing to work out dive psychology as a specialism, helping divers who are stuck and also more preventative psychology too, and learning as much as I can. In the past, such a specialist service for a small but widely spread community would not have been an option. However, as the evidence for online work is growing, it is now possible to work across a wide geographical area online, which means being able to gain the experience and knowledge needed to offer this. I’ll also be teaching people to dive at The Fifth Point Diving Centre, Blyth. And for me, lot’s more diving, I hope. n
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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY OPENING UP THE APERTURE Following his last article on snoot lighting, Martyn Guess provides some insight into, and also tips on, opening up the aperture for an arty look to your images PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS
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n photography, we are always looking for ways of showing a subject or a scene in a more-creative or dynamic way. In underwater photography, there has been a trend towards more surreal images, with photographers of note using slower speeds for motion blur and also more open-aperture images with dreamy and soft bokeh. The oceans are full of the most-vibrant coloured subjects and backgrounds and adopting more-creative techniques provide stunning and different images for our audiences (See tomato anemonefish). In order to start shooting with open apertures, we need to understand the technical effects of doing so. The technical bit about apertures: Aperture is one of the three elements that build up the exposure besides shutter speed and ISO. The aperture in a lens is an adjustable hole or, more technically, the diaphragm. A good analogy is that aperture is like the pupil of an eye. In low light conditions, the aperture or pupil generally needs to be large to let more light into the camera’s sensor and in bright light, the converse and the aperture, or pupil, shrinks to restrict the amount of light getting to the sensor. The aperture in the lens is reduced or increased mechanically by changing the aperture control in the camera. In photography, the aperture is measured by the F-stop scale. To confuse beginners (and some more-experienced photographers too), the lower the F-stop, the wider the aperture, and the higher the number, the smaller the aperture. The most-important thing to understand is that as the numbers rise, the aperture of the lens decreases to half its size with every stop, i.e. it lets half the amount of light onto the sensor. The opposite happens as the numbers reduce and by ‘opening up’ the aperture by selecting a small number F-stop, you are letting more light onto the sensor. It is important to understand this as we explore the effect of opening up the aperture on our images, as the exposure will need to be adjusted to compensate for this extra light by reducing either the ISO, or increasing the camera speed. (Check out my article for this magazine on ‘the exposure triangle’ for a
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Tomato Anemone fish opening image for article: Tomato Anemone fish taken with very wide aperture F2.8
more-detailed explanation). You should be using your camera in either Manual mode where you have complete control, or Aperture priority, whereby you can select the aperture and the camera then compensates for the exposure automatically. The main creative effect of aperture, though, is depth of field. DOF is the distance at which the subject will stay in focus behind and in front of the lens. If a large aperture is selected, the area of focus will be very small and visa-versa with a small aperture. In macro photography, traditionally images were taken with a small aperture for maximum detail and pin sharp focus, i.e. an F-stop of circa F22. However, tastes and creativity have changed and in order to portray subjects in a more-artistic way, more open apertures are used to give an almost-surreal and dreamy look to the subject. Apertures of say F4-F7.1 depending on the type of camera being used. Full Frame cameras, for example, will provide a nice blur or Bokeh at around F7.1-F10 and Cropped Sensor cameras or Mirrorless
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BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS
Image 1: Anthias taken across the focal plane to retain sharp skin texture and eyes
Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for nearly as long. He has been very successful in National and International competitions and regularly makes presentations to Camera and Photography clubs and diving shows as well as The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP) and other underwater photography groups. Today he shares his passion and knowledge - As well as teaching underwater photography courses he leads overseas workshop trips for Scuba Travel and his articles regularly appear in Scuba Diver Magazine. Image 3: Anthias with sharp eyes which are bang on the focal plane
cameras at F5.6 or even wider. When reading up about DOF, often F-stops quoted are for full frame cameras. A good comparison is F8 on a full frame camera equates to about F5.6 on a 1.5x cropped sensor camera, and F4 on Micro four thirds, 2 x crop cameras and F2.8 on a 2.7 x crop factor Compact. It is important to know also that the subject to camera distance and also the focal length of the lens will also impact on Depth of Field. I often use a 150mm macro lens for more bokeh than my standard 105mm will produce as generally the longer the lens the softer the bokeh. (See Image1). Be aware that cheaper lenses might display Chromatic Aberration at wider apertures – strong colour fringes appear around the edges of subjects especially in high-contrast situations. If this happens, try stopping down slightly (reducing the aperture). You can also suppress this fringing slightly in post processing. It is definitely worth investing in good quality glass to avoid much of this issue. The distance between the subject and the background using open apertures is important to understand too. For example, if you have a subject which is away from its background and select say F5.6, then the subject will still be sharp, but the background will be nicely out of focus. If you can select a subject or angle yourself so the subject is closer to the background at the same F5.6 aperture, then everything will become more blurred depending on how close you are. In macrophotography we tend to be close, so this helps with creating a more out of focus look. The position of the subject is important at wider apertures. If you want to blur the background more but keep the subject more in focus, then the subject needs to be across the focus plane and not receding back, i.e. from nose to tail. See the image of the anthias in Fig 3 taken at F5.6. The difference between open apertures is subtle but the bigger the difference, the more marked. I quite often when working a subject will take the same shot with a range of apertures. In Fig 2, there are two images of the same blue-
ribbon eel taken at F7.1 and F10 on a full frame camera. The reduction in the detail and the softness of the background bokeh are quite marked. At F10 you can still make out the teeth but when taken at a wider aperture they become quite blurred. It is important that however soft the image becomes the subject’s main features are kept sharp. In subjects such as fish, then the eyes have to be ‘bang on’ the focal plane – the sharpest point of the focus. See fig B of the anthias. The eyes are sharp, but the rest of the body and the background are soft. I use single point or 3D tracking focus so that I can move the focal point exactly where I want it so that part of the subject is sharp. For mirrorless cameras, select continuous AF as the camera will find the subjects eye and hold it in focus even if you recompose and put the subject to one side.
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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Image 2: Blue ribbon eels taken at F7.1 and F10 to show subtle difference in sharpness/blur
It is possible to adjust the aperture and control the depth of field to exactly where you want it. In the image of the box cowfish, I wanted the facial pattern as sharp as possible, but the background and the foreground blurred (fig 4). This was taken at F10. It is worth using the cameras DOF Preview button. This works better with Mirrorless cameras than with Full frame or Cropped sensor cameras, but it is possible to see what is in and out of focus with different apertures. As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, when you open the aperture a lot more light is let into the sensor. While the exposure can be adjusted to compensate for the light it is also important to keep an eye on the Histogram to make sure that highlights in the subject have not been blown out. In Macro photography we also use strobe lighting and therefore the power of our strobes need to be turned down and the highlights checked constantly. One of the lenses I like using is a manual Trioplan 100mm, which is known as the soap bubble lens. Mine is a modern version of a lens that was originally manufactured over 50 years ago. This is shot wide open at F2.8 (See Fig 5). I have found it difficult to restrict the light getting into the sensor and use my strobes on the absolute minimum power and with two stacked diffusers fitted. I also sometimes shoot with a Neutral Density filter which has a 67mm thread so that I can screw it onto the outside of the port when needed. You can
Image 4. Box Cowfish to show control of depth of field
Image 5. Blurred Skunk Anemone Fish taken with Trioplan 100mm at F2.8
buy cheaper versions of this filter than you would normally use on land cameras, as they tend to get a little bashed and salty. The main issue with this is that the brightness through your viewfinder is less, so it becomes harder to see the subject, but they work very well to restrict the light getting through to the sensor and become another ingredient in getting the right exposure. I use the ND filter with my other macro lenses when taking very open aperture shots and where the subject is light coloured. The subjects in these instances reflect light which needs to be compensated for. You can get a similar effect as this with your macro lens by shooting at the widest aperture you can but watch out for chromatic aberration. Try opening up the aperture on your next dive and see how creative you can be! Happy snapping! n
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ndonesia is well known for some of the best ocean diving in the world. I know, I have been fortunate enough to log numerous dives from East to West. But in Southeast Sulawesi, this little cave diver had her experience of a lifetime, searching for caves in dense jungle, swampy mosquito ponds, and inside local villages. Equipped with the absolute A-team as dive buddies and surface interval entertainment, it was hard, sweaty work, but worth every second! Over the years, I have spent much time cave diving in Florida and Mexico. All my training has been done in these caves that, between the two countries, are diverse and challenging in their own ways. Once my initial cave training was concluded, I had the pleasure of joining my husband Rasmus Dysted when he was travelling with his groups of cave diving students. And when we went for our own private ‘leisure trips’, I had the joy of joining shorter expeditions, scouting for new caves in the jungles of Mexico. I loved every dive, and every challenge the caves would hand me. And then, after eight years as a smitten cave diver, the ultimate challenge presented itself - a cave exploration expedition in Southeast Sulawesi. It all started when a Malaysian friend invited us to come cave diving with him in Indonesia. Neither Rasmus or I had heard of any cave diving worth travelling for in Indo, but we were assured that they were ‘highly decorated, but yet, still vastly unexplored’. He said this casually, almost apologetically. It didn’t take long before we were in contact with the instructor of our Malaysian friend, who was indeed cave diving on mainland Sulawesi and out on the island of Wakatobi. It turned out that Robin Cuesta, a French dive instructor and cave explorer, had been setting up his base on Wakatobi, and sporadically over the last few years, explored a vast number of caves that were found in the apparent area.
A crack team of cave divers embarks on an epic adventure to seek out the cave systems beneath Sulawesi in Indonesia, but as Maria Bollerup explains, just getting to the potential caves was an experience in itself PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETE MESLEY, RASMUS DYSTED AND MARIA BOLLERUP
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Talking to Robin, we understood that he had found a ridiculously high number of caves in Southeast Sulawesi, most still needing mapping. He further explained that the northern part of Pulau Buton (Butur area) was completely unexplored, but showing several sinkhole prospects on Google Earth. That’s all the convincing we needed. Flight tickets were booked, and gear lists were created. We knew it would take a lot of hiking, possibly some climbing, and hopefully extended hours of explorative diving. This became the first time where our bags were just as heavy with climbing gear as with dive gear. Hauling a few kilometres of cave line, 70 metres of climbing rope, harnesses, carabiners, helmets and OC sidemount gear, along with kit for multiple stages on small Indonesian airlines, was in all honesty the biggest mental challenge of the whole expedition! Luckily, we got around carrying camera gear as well. Calling up our good friend Pete Mesley, the infamous wreck explorer, for some advice on camera lightning, Pete barely heard the full story before he burst out with an oath of joining – ‘I am in Maria, this is too good to miss!’ As a diver, you know how important it is to have a trustworthy buddy, and for exploration diving, the skills of the team is inarguably what gets you home alive. Rasmus and I have been diving together for years, he is the most skilled and composed diver I have ever come across, and I’d trust him with my life. Cave goddess Jill Heinerth and Rasmus taught Pete to cave dive, and Pete has been running wreck expeditions in some of the most-remote parts of the world, so if anyone would be a positive addition to the team, it would be Pete! And also, he loves (with sparkles in his eyes) taking his camera underwater, and since one of the most-important things on an expedition is documentation... The team was complete. After meeting up with Pete and Robin in Bau Bau, and checking all the gear that had been collected by a joint effort, we took to the road and headed north. Our initial base would be the small town of Ereke, and the drive up there involved nearly eight painful hours on the main road, which consisted of muddy jungle track and battered ‘sporadically concreted’ roads with potholes perfectly positioned to best secure the absolute destruction of your internal organs. But arrive we did, and found ourselves staying at the only Fossilised coral and shells
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The villagers look on in amusement
hotel in the area. It is safe to say that this is far… FAR… from a tourist area. The fact became apparent upon arrival in Bau Bau, where I jumped in the back of an open truck with all our gear. As we drove through town, people were waving and squealing as if they had never seen blonde hair before. This turned out to be nothing compared to the reactions we caused further north. I have never had people waiting in line to take selfies with me before. To secure best chances of a positive outcome, Robin had prepared a team to help carry gear, fill tanks, and talk to the local community for hints on potential water-filled caves. We also were accompanied by another cave-diving team on this first part of the trip. Two local Indonesian cave divers and their Russian buddy Igor (of course) would be one team, Pete and Robin another, and Rasmus and myself a third. Beside the cave-diving exploration teams, an ocean exploration team joined in on the party too. The coastal waters in the north are still vastly unexplored and, this American/Indonesian team spent several days scouting prospective ocean dive sites. But that’s a whole other story, and not mine to tell. Spending the first few days checking out the lakes and sinkholes that stood out like sore thumbs on Google Earth, it quickly became apparent that caves were present all over. The whole area is limestone and perforated to hell with brackish water. But we also found cave and lakes with tidal water, coral sponges and saltwater fish. The potential cave entries were spanning wide in their location and feel. We were optimistic and eager to push as many first entries as possible, in the hope of finding the ‘mother system’ that would open up enough for us to dedicate our time to explore it in depth.
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But so far, this system was still in hiding. We found many caverns, and smaller systems with either shallow water or horrid visibility. We were treated to daily unforgettable experiences with the village residents, who were so inquisitive at what we were doing. My personal favourite moment was when we got led to the pond inside a local village. Rasmus and I were to do the exploratory dive on this potential lead, after Pete had scouted the immediate entrance with a little three-litre tank, mask and fins. My heart was racing when he surfaced with his corrupted Kiwi/Zimbabwe accent and calmly said: “I think we might actually have something there, eh?”. This one could go both ways. It was crystal clear, and disappeared down into two tunnels, but it was also in line with a few other ponds, which could mean that it was part of a simple fracture, and not a system. Robin, who has spent much time studying the geography and the caves further down South, couldn’t kill my excitement though. After I had changed into my wetsuit in some kind lady’s house (she was now the star of the village), Rasmus and I walked back down to the pond. Chickens and goats fled in all directions as we were closely followed by a growing crowd of playful kids and curious adults eager to see what strange things we were going to do. Unfortunately, this too was a dead end. Rasmus and I
When doing an initial scouting dive on a prospect cave, it is a constant balance of your own safety and being as sure as possible if the cave goes or not
Maria heading off on an exploratory dive
followed several tunnels, which all ended depressingly narrow. Too narrow and too silty to continue, but I was struck by the beauty of the fossils that the cave was carved out off. Rasmus was laying the line, which gave me time to study the surfaces of corals and shells from the ancient coral reef. Finding the caves became more and more challenging. We had checked the ones that were near the roads, and Pete’s drone came in handy to fly over patches of jungle that seemed extra dense with higher trees (a good indicator that there is water beneath), or smaller lakes that were more challenging to get to. But before all the gear gets hauled to the water,
Some of the caves were stunning
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We were optimistic and eager to push as many first entries as possible, in the hope of finding the ‘mother system’ that would open up enough for us to dedicate our time to explore it in depth a volunteer jumps in the water with a little three-litre tank, speedos (not mandatory), fins, mask and a light, of course. This check could prove either simple and short, or longer and a little more intimidating. Also, for the ones waiting on the surface. At one of the prospective sites, Rasmus was doing the scouting dive. This was a little lake outlined by stunning mangroves and a thick blanket of mosquitos. Rasmus has done plenty of these checks in the past, but as his bubble trail disappeared from the surface, and a white cloud started spreading in the lake, my heart skipped a few beats. My anxiety was unnecessary. His smiling face emerged back on the surface. “There are tunnels trailing off in three directions, one tunnel for each team,” he announced. The entrance was as deep as 14m, with an initial slope down to 22m. Rasmus and I laid the main line, and picked the tunnel to the right, which dived down around a corner to 28m, opening up to a small chamber, with white silty walls. The chamber split the cave into two tunnels, one was a vertical drop, the other moved back on itself and ended at 31m. Having previously discussed and agreed upon safe parameters with regards to gear limitations and remote location, we tied off the line and turned the dive to avoid decompression. The small chamber had lost all visibility due to percolation (our bubbles hitting the ceiling), so the rest of our exit was in complete silt-out. The tunnel Pete and Robin explored also went way beyond the point we could go on this trip. The days were slowly turning, and even though we were checking high and low, bushwhacking in dense jungle looking for signs of cave entries, finding small systems and laying quite a bit of line, the team was starting to get antsy. There was obviously cave here, but where was that grand system we were hoping to discover? Robin, a man of many talents, speaks Indonesian. And by chance, he stopped the right man on a scooter, as we were driving away from another little hole in the ground. This man led us to a stunning dry cave. It was very cool, ducking down under the jungle like a cone with a little pond at the bottom, stalactite formations on the walls and bats in the ceiling. I volunteered to do the scouting dive on this one. It felt right. So I undressed down to my swimwear, and let myself slip into the crystal clear and chilly water. This place felt good. There was no silt, just bare rocks and carved down coral reef. With the three-litre tank under my arm, I was weighed down enough to gently pull myself down through the crack and
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The entrances to some of the caves were extreme
a little deeper into the cave. I took it slow, savouring every second and enjoying the fresh water after the sweaty hike. As I slowly sank down to the bottom of the first chamber (a mere depth of 2m, a perfect little pool) I saw a crevice in the wall, dictating the obvious path of the tunnel. As I neared, I realised that the restriction might be tight for us, and most definitely a no-mount restriction for some of the team members. But in my bare skin, I could easily glide through the lips to follow the tunnel around a corner, where it opened up into another small chamber. Here, the cave ducked down through another restriction, this one was too narrow. This too, was a dead end. Before swimming back out, I sat down with my back facing the wall. Just for a little while, enjoying the space of the cave. When doing an initial scouting dive on a prospect cave, it is a constant balance of your own safety and being as sure as possible if the cave goes or not. This avoids having to carry all dive gear to the sites only to find that the cave goes nowhere. Our time up north was over. We packed up all our gear, and headed back on the intestine-killing roads. It never got any easier crossing numerous fragile wooden plank bridges that shrieked with decay when we crossed over them! n Next month: The team ventures into previously found caves to push the exploration on further, and are blown away by what they discover.
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HEADING BACK
INTO THE WATER? Let our expert team of divers get you kitted out and ready to explore as you get back into diving. Shop online with the help of free live-streaming video calls with the team or visit our London store (by appointment only). With the largest stock of diving equipment in the UK at the best prices, we’ll have what you need. Despite everything that has been going on, we’re still here for you!
020 8994 6006 support@mikesdivestore.com www.mikesdivestore.com
What’s New
APEKS VX1 AND RK3 (SRP: £69 AND £118)
The Apeks VX1 mask and RK3 fins are now available in a striking new colour – a stealth-like gun-metal grey. Designed and produced in Italy, the VX1 is a frameless mask that is lightweight and low-volume, and with the pure clear lens, it provides maximum optical clarity with no distortion. The quick-release buckles with stainless-steel rollers allow easy adjustment for the bestfit, even while wearing dry gloves. Matt and gloss areas on the surgical-grade silicone skirt create a better seal and improve fit and comfort. It is supplied with a comfortable silicone mask strap and an additional neoprene strap, all in a resusable zipped protective case. Designed in collaboration with the US military and renowned for outstanding performance and reliability, the RK3 is a rugged thermoplastic rubber fin featuring an over-sized foot pocket to accommodate drysuit boots and a spring strap for easy donning and doffing. The short, wide blade provides maximum forward thrust while maintaining great manoeuvrability. www.apeksdiving.com
AQUA LUNG DYNAFLEX (SRP: £138-£303)
The Dynaflex range, in 5.5mm and 7mm, is a complete modular wetsuit system, with premium styling and features. It offers environmentally friendly, great-looking thermal protection in a wide range of dive conditions. All the suits feature male and female styling with their own unique colour scheme, YKK zipper with smooth-skin inner flap, high-quality Supratex abrasion protection, ergonomic panels with double-glued, double-thread seams, and a removeable right-hand-side 3D pocket. They are made from high-quality neoprene, including nonoil-based products or polyaromatic hydrocarbons – Aqua Lung uses eco-carbon from recycled tyres. www.aqualung.com
FOURTH ELEMENT EXPEDITION SERIES (SRP: £78.95-£99.95) Fourth Element‘s bright-orange Expedition Series duffel bags, which are available in a range of sizes, from 60 litres to 120 litres, have become a familiar sight at dive sites around the country, as well as on airport luggage belts. Now, the orange version has been joined by a vibrant blue edition, available in the same three sizes – 60, 90 and 120 litres. The bags are made from heavy-duty mesh PVC and the base is double-lined for durability. They come with shaped and padded rucksack straps, and high-quality clasps. Buckles and compression straps complete a rugged specification. www.fourthelement.com 54
THERMALUTION HEATED GLOVE SYSTEM (SRP: £425)
INNOVATIONS FOR TECH, READY FOR REC Thermalution, who brought you the heated vest (which could be used under a wetsuit or a drysuit) and full heated undersuits, have now released a heated glove system. You can get these as standalone products, or you can add them on to existing Thermalution undersuits (some they can just be added into the system, others will require new batteries – if in doubt, contact the Thermalution team). These would be perfect underneath a dryglove system, such as KUBI DryGlove System, but as they can be used wet, they can even be used under a wet glove. They are depth-rated to 100m, have three heat settings, and via a nifty magnetic switch, you can turn them on/off and adjust the heat settings on the fly even while you are diving. www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk
HOLLIS, OCEANIC AND ZEAGLE NECK BUFFS (SRP: US$19.95)
X-MISSION EVOLUTION Designed in partnership with a team of cave divers, the X-Mission Evolution was built using our most advanced technical materials and construction methods to meet the most demanding requirements.
Huish Outdoors has released multi-purpose neck buffs for their brands Hollis, Oceanic and Zeagle. The buffs, which are fully machine washable, can be used as a face guard, beanie, do-rag, neck warmer and more. www.huishoutdoors.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
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THIS ISSUE: MID-PRICE REGULATORS Each month, the SCUBA DIVER test team assembles to rate and review a selection of dive equipment from a range of manufacturers. Products are split into price categories and are then evaluated for performance, comfort, ease of use, build quality, looks and value for money. The Test Team comprises Editor in Chief Mark Evans and a squad of volunteers, whose dive experience ranges from a couple of hundred dives to well over 7,500.
MID-PRICE REGULATORS
This issue, we are back in the water after a forced hiatus due to COVID-19, and once again, we are looking at one of the most-vital pieces of the modern divers’ kit bag - regulators, or more specifically, middle-ofthe-price-range regs. Without a solid, reliable reg, you aren’t going anywhere underwater, as this is your true life-support system. As many of our readers dive in all year round in a range of temperatures, we generally test regulators in February and March, when water temperatures are at their lowest in the inland sites - much to the chagrin of the Test Team members - but because of the coronavirus, we have ended up testing the mid-price and top-end regulators in July instead. We push the units to their max by extensively purging them underwater and topside, over-breathing them underwater to simulate a panic situation, breathing them in every orientation, working any Venturi and/or cracking resistance controls, and various other trials - if they can handle this over-the-top usage, they can handle a normal diving situation. A large array of manufacturers produce regulators, and our aim here at Scuba Diver is to give you the widest selection in each review. We have a good array from Apeks, Zeagle, Hollis, Mares and Scubapro. Aqua Lung and Atomic Aquatics are missing as they had nothing available in this price bracket.
ON TEST THIS MONTH • APEKS XL4+ • HOLLIS 150LX / DC7 • MARES DUAL ADJ 52X
• SCUBAPRO MK21 / C370 • ZEAGLE ONYX
Location: Tested at Vivian Dive Centre, Llanberis www.viviandivecentre.com Date tested: 10/07/20 Water temp: 11 degrees C 56
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APEKS XL4+ | SRP: £401 Blackburn-based Apeks Marine Equipment has been around for over 40 years, and since that time the company’s regulators have found a special place in the heart’s - and kit bags - of many divers. The XL4+ is one of their newest regulator effectively an XL4 but with an added highpressure port and a nifty white colour scheme - and as with its predecessor, was designed from the outset to be a very lightweight, travelfriendly unit, but crucially, also cold-water rated. The body of the second stage is reminiscent of the lightweight Flight reg, except this has a large purge on the front, and an easy-to-operate venturi lever. This over-balanced diaphragm reg features an innovative over-moulded first-stage endcap, one high-pressure port, four lowpressure ports and comes with a braided hose. The XL4+ is a nice-looking regulator, especially with that white finish, and its subtle styling is matched by a stunning performance. The first stage is chunky but quite compact, while the second stage is extremely small and lightweight - you almost don’t feel it in your mouth. The Comfo-Bite mouthpiece is also very comfy. The large purge is easy to locate and depress, and the Venturi, while fairly small, can be operated even with thick gloves. The wide exhaust tee disperses exhaled bubbles well clear of your face. www.apeksdiving.com
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CHOICE 2020 GROUP TEST
REGULATORS
TECH SPECS & VERDICT VENTURI: Yes | CRACKING RESISTANCE: No | PROS: Compact, lightweight, smooth breathe, comfortable mouthpiece. CONS: No cracking resistance control.
SCORE
••••••••••
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HOLLIS 150LX / DC7 | SRP: £419.95 Hollis popped back into the market with a bang last year, and the 150LX follows on nicely from where the 100LX left off in this price bracket in 2019. The 150LX features a braided hose and large venturi lever, and has a big purge. It can also be converted from right-hand to left-hand. It has four low-pressure ports and two high-pressure ports on its DC7 first stage, which is pneumatically balanced and chrome-plated brass. As with all Hollis regulators, it comes with a lifetime warranty, only requires a service every two years - and you get service kits free-of-charge for the life of the regulator. It is easy to see the benefits of being part of the Huish Outdoors family. The super-comfy mouthpiece, which is soft but has harder inserts in the ‘bite’, is very reminiscent of Atomic Aquatics. The breathe is smooth and dry in all orientations, and the big, chunky venturi lever, which has a rubber grip built in, is easy to use even wearing drygloves, as is the monster purge, which is effectively the entire front of the second stage. It looks good too, in an understated way, with the 316 stainless steel elements, and I like the red-and-black colour scheme. www.hollis.com
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TECH SPECS & VERDICT VENTURI: Yes | CRACKING RESISTANCE: No | PROS: Good-looking regulator with well-designed venturi lever. Two-year service interval. Lifetime warranty. CONS: No cracking resistance control.
SCORE
•••••••••
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MARES DUAL ADJ 52X | SRP: £332 Mares were absent from this price bracket last year, and it is good to see them back in the mix with a new regulator. The Dual Adj is made from an ultralight technopolymer, which is abrasion resistant but extremely lightweight, making it ideal for coldwater use, but also for travel. It features an oversized purge button, superflex braided hose, and a chunky knob on the side for adjusting the cracking resistance of the inhalation effort. It incorporates Mares’ VAD (Vortex Assisted Design), an air bypass tube which delivers air to the mouthpiece, creating a swirling vortex with a low-pressure area in the centre that keeps the diaphragm down during inhalation, for easy breathing at all depths. It is paired with the trusty 52X balanced diaphragm first stage. This has double DFC (Dynamic Flow Control) ports, which minimise intermediate pressure drop during inhalation, thus maximising gas delivery. The 52X also has an NCC (Natural Convection Channel), which increases cold-water performance by creating a flow of water across the regulator. It also has pre-orientated lowpressure and high-pressure ports and a neat pearl-chrome finish. It provided a smooth breathe in all positions, and the cracking resistance control gave a nice degree of control to the user. www.mares.com
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TECH SPECS & VERDICT VENTURI: No | CRACKING RESISTANCE: Yes | PROS: Well-made, high-performing regulator, at a stunning price point. CONS: No venturi control.
SCORE
••••••••••
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SCUBAPRO C370 / MK21 | SRP: £299 Scubapro has been churning out highquality dive gear for over 50 years, and the MK21/C370 certainly slots into the roll-call well. The MK21 is Scubapro’s most-compact air-balanced piston first stage has a compact chrome-plated brass body and boasts four low-pressure ports and two high-pressure ports. The C370 second stage body is made from fibreglass reinforced nylon and now features a balanced valve and new exhaust tee. It retains its good looks, though - when SubGear was still in existence, the earlier incarnation of this was their regulator for the next price bracket up. It is one of only two regs in this price segment to feature both a venturi lever and a cracking resistance control. The MK21/C370 is a nice little unit, with good looks matched to a decent performance. It was nice and dry in all positions, coped admirably with whatever we threw at it, and the venturi - and in particular, the cracking resistance control - really did make a difference to the breathe. Nice large purge, comfy mouthpiece, neat first stage and awesome price point. www.scubapro.com
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BEST VALUE 2020 GROUP TEST
REGULATORS
TECH SPECS & VERDICT VENTURI: Yes | CRACKING RESISTANCE: No | PROS: Venturi and cracking resistance controls, smooth breathe, good looks, amazing price point. CONS: Nothing significant.
SCORE
••••••••••
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GROWN, NOT MADE. Diving’s first certified sustainable wetsuit. Made with YulexŽ Pure.
fourthelement.com fourthelement.com
NEW for autumn 2020
ZEAGLE ONYX II | SRP: £419 Zeagle is a US brand that has built up a strong following for its robust, wellmade BCDs, and it looks set to follow suit with its regulators. The Onyx II blends an environmentally sealed balanced diaphragm brass first stage equipped with two high-pressure ports and five low-pressure ports with a thermoplastic second stage via a flexible braided hose. This was one of only two regs in this price bracket to feature both a venturi lever and a cracking resistance control. The Zeagle Onyx II is a great-looking regulator, benefitting from a stylish metal insert into the front of the second stage around the large, soft purge, which belies its price point and you’d be mistaken for thinking it was in the next test bracket. The first stage, with its black finish, neatly sets it off. In the water, it breathed effortlessly in any orientation, and the venturi and cracking resistance control really made a difference to the air flow, allowing us to finetune it. The mouthpiece is very comfortable, and the exhaust sends exhaled bubbles up the side of your head. This is one of the more-expensive regulators on test, but it has plenty of features of merit, and it has a fantastic performance to match its eye-catching good looks. www.zeagle.com
TECH SPECS & VERDICT VENTURI: Yes | CRACKING RESISTANCE: Yes | PROS: Looks bely the price, great all-round performance, venturi and cracking resistance controls. CONS: First stage is quite heavy.
SCORE
••••••••••
VERDICT Regulators are something we rely on underwater, so you want to know you can count on it, and none of these regs was found wanting, despite some, shall-wesay, robust testing! In the Best Value category, it was a close-run thing between the Scubapro MK21 / C370 and the Mares Dual Adj 52X. The Mares Adj is a capable unit, with an excellent performance, but the Scubapro just took things to another level, and at an amazing price point. It is a bargain, and well deserves the Best Value Award. The Choice category was a tougher battle. The Hollis 150 LX / DC7 put up a good fight, and is a great regulator, offering up decent performance at a good price, but in the end, it was between the Apeks XL4+ and the Zeagle Onyx II. Both the Apeks - in its previous XL4 guise - and the Zeagle had been recipients of the Choice Award. In the end, there was not much to separate the two, with both offering sublime performance, solid build quality and good looks, but the Apeks just pipped the Zeagle to the post for the Award.
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There are many moments like this in the future.
EUROPEAN MADE
www.xdeep.eu
FOURTH ELEMENT HYDRA | SRP: £999 Mark Evans: I started out my drysuit diving, many moons ago, in a 7mm non-compressed suit, which was undoubtedly very warm, but gave you that classic ‘British diver’ silhouette, with your arms out from your sides as if you were carrying a box under either arm. People often used to think we walked around like that as a bit of a swagger, but really it was just that was the natural shape of the suit and it was too much effort to fight against it! Now things have moved on massively in the world of neoprene, but so has the development of trilaminate, and so I went from being a hardcore neoprene drysuit user to a huge fan of trilaminate suits, which are just so lightweight, comfortable, easy to get in and out of, and quick-drying. So with that in mind, why would anyone go the neoprene route? Well, there are various plus points for neoprene. One, it is easy to fix with neoprene glue if you happen to snag it on something sharp, and two, the closer fit of a neoprene suit more-closely resembles a wetsuit, and so is perhaps less-daunting for those coming from warmer waters due to the familiarity. Also, neoprene suits are usually cheaper than trilaminates, and due to their inherent warmth, do not require such a thick, bulky undersuit. The downside is they are heavier than trilaminates, and take longer to dry than their neoprene counterparts. So, there are pros and cons to both types of drysuit. Now there is a new neoprene drysuit on the market, and it comes from Fourth Element. One look at the Hydra and you can tell its heritage – it has all the design flair and attention to detail we have become accustomed to from the Cornish company’s range of wetsuits, and their existing drysuit, the trilaminate Argonaut. The Hydra is made from high-density neoprene, which is compressed from 7mm to 4mm, which is a great combination of the thermal protection afforded by neoprene but with a greater consistency of buoyancy at all points of the dive. The outer surface of the high-density neoprene is laminated with a hard-wearing fabric, which offers superior abrasion resistance, while the inside has a smoother lining to aid donning and increase general comfort. There are Supratex linings in critical wear areas, such as under the arms and in the crotch, which provide extra toughness without limiting movement. The shoulders, waist and knees, which are the points that will get maximum wear, there is a Durawear print for additional protection. All of the seams are fused and blindstitched before being taped in the inside, while the outer seams are treated to plasma finishes. The Hydra suit has a traditional cross-shoulder rear-entry zipper, but inside of the usual brass zip, it is a composite YKK dry-xipper – as used in the Argonaut – which is more flexible and lighter in weight.
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Fourth Element’s excellent 4mm compressed neoprene dryboots are fitted as standard, and their combo of doublelayer reinforcement, good grip and ergonomic footbed make them exceptionally comfortable. I had been looking forward to trying the Hydra after seeing it in the flesh at previous dive shows, and the production version did not disappoint. It is a smart-looking suit, with nice use of printed graphics, especially the huge Fourth Element logo on the back – you are not going to be missed in this suit! I had not dived in a neoprene suit for a long time, but even by those standards, the Hydra is – by design – a slim-fitting suit. You will not get a thick undersuit under it. I opted for a base layer, but if you wanted additional warmth, you could wear an X-Core vest around your torso. I was not cold after an hour-long dive in 11 degrees C water. The neoprene wrist and neck seals are very comfortable, and I am already a big fan of the Fourth Element dryboots, as they are the same as fitted to my Argonaut. The cut of the boots allows lots of ankle movement for delicate finning actions, and the Velcro-closing webbing strap helps prevent air migration into the feet. That said, the very close fit of the Hydra really keeps air movement to a minimum, and I could
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see this making the transition from wetsuit to drysuit not such a daunting process. Even though it is a close-fitting suit, the 4mm compressed neoprene does have some flex to it, and underarm gussets help retain a high degree of movement for this kind of suit. One thing I noticed immediately was the unusual inflate and dump valves. These Apollo Bio-Dry items were completely new to me. I had used a side-inflate valve once in the past, but the vast majority of inflate valves on the market have a push button on the front, so I was surprised to see a hinged side-inflate button on the Hydra. However, while it might be different from the norm, it worked extremely well, and I quickly got used to locating and pressing the lever with my thumb. The shoulder dump was brand new to me. In fact, at first, when I was faffing with the suit fresh out of the bag, I was trying to twist the entire thing to open and close it, before I realised that a small slider was all that was needed to render it open or closed. I have to say, I was a little dubious about this, especially as to how easy it would be to locate and operate this slider when wearing neoprene gloves on cold hands. How wrong was I! In use, I found it very easy to get my finger on to the slider and move it to open or closed, or
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wherever I wanted it in between. I was able to easily adjust the deflate rate, and when fully open, it certainly vented nice and fast. It is also a nice, compact design. Overall, I was very impressed by the Hydra. It is comfortable, easy to get on and off, gives you ample movement, and combined with a decent base layer will keep you warm and toasty. This is not a ‘technical diving’ suit. It has some nice features – the comfy boots, the valves, the YKK dry-zipper – but it lacks pockets and some of the other features found on the more-technicalorientated (and more expensive) Argonaut. It is aimed at recreational divers who want to dive in colder waters comfortably, not spend a fortune, and have a good-looking, high-performing suit. And it more than ticks all the boxes on that front. The Hydra comes with a Hydpro Smooth Pro low-pressure hose, which is a braided hose encased in a polyurethane coating, which ensures low friction, flexibility and excellent durability, a 5mm neoprene Fourth Element hood, and a Hydra bag, which doubles up as a changing mat. The nifty Hydra drysuit bag is also available separately. www.fourthelement.com
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New series focusing on conservation projects in and around the UK and Europe, as well as further afield on our ocean planet
Livestreaming turtle hatchlings
I
n the midst of the worldwide Covid pandemic, it is heartening to hear stories of the natural world going on as normal, especially from places that are popular destinations for divers. Even more so when it concerns baby turtles. A conservation organisation in Sabah, Malaysia, has taken a unique way of bringing these uplifting stories to many - by livestreaming turtle hatchling releases online. SEAS (Sea Education Awareness Sabah) has released over 500 green turtle hatchlings from nine nests since the start of this year, with eight nests due to hatch during the next four weeks. So far five of these have been livestreamed in a bid to lift the spirits of many who may be in quarantine, or unable to travel as usual. The Mabul Turtle Hatchery, run by SEAS with permission from the Sabah Wildlife Department, is based at the dive operator Scuba Junkie’s Mabul Beach Resort, a mere 20-minute boat ride from the iconic Pulau Sipadan. The hatchery, which has been in operation since 2011, has released over 16,000 turtle hatchlings to date – of which 5,000 were released in 2019 alone, their busiest year yet. David McCann, Conservation Manager for SEAS, said: “In the past, many of the releases have been witnessed by tourists to the island – adding a major bonus to their diving vacation. This usually happens at sunset or in the early evening, when we gather people on the beach to form a ‘guard of honour’ for the hatchlings, as they make their first crawl towards the ocean.” “It is a fantastic sight – the hatchlings move surprisingly quickly, with a quirky gait. It is an experience that people remember for years afterwards.” He continued: “Since the COVID pandemic and travel restrictions started, obviously there have been no guests to witness the hatchling releases. But people haven’t forgotten us or our work - we are getting messages from people asking if there are any baby turtles. So, we decided to livestream the releases, and it has proven remarkably popular.” The livestream is hosted on both the Scuba Junkie SEAS and Scuba Junkie Facebook pages. The videos have also been shared with people via email, as well as being picked up and shared by bloggers and PADI. “It’s been amazing to get such positive feedback,” said
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David. “People are thanking us for brightening their day, when really they are giving our morale a boost, inspiring us to keep going with our conservation programmes in these uncertain times. “We hope that when the current crisis is over, people will come back and be able to witness it in person again and get involved in our conservation projects once more. “Turtle conservation is only one of our conservation programmes here at SEAS. We actually have six conservation areas - sharks, corals, turtles, tackling marine debris, supporter engagement and eco-friendly resort. “As well as the hatchery, we also operate the Mabul Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in collaboration with the SWD’s Wildlife Rescue Unit, where we rescue and treat sick or injured turtles before releasing them back into the wild.” David explained: “We are fortunate enough to live and work within the Coral Triangle, the region of highest marine biodiversity on Earth. As divers, we get to experience the beauty of the underwater world – it is only right that we give back in some way by acting to assist conservation efforts in this area.” A key part of SEAS work is engaging people in conservation efforts to protect the unique marine ecosystem in Sabah. “If the recent COVID lockdown means that we can’t do it in person – we will find other ways to do so. Livestreaming the turtle releases is an easy way to remind people of the beauty of the world out there, keep spirits up and bear in mind that when this crisis is over, we can return to places we love,” said David. n www.sabahtourism.com www.scuba-junkie.com
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