ISSUE
N°20 O C T 2016
PORTFOLIO
Sergio
Riccardo
SHARK DIVING IN BAHAMAS by T. Houppermans
A RENEGADE TRAWLER by I. Urbina
THE LAST PARADISE OF THE EARTH by V. Apuzzo
MACRO WORLD: NUDI OF ANILAO by J. Wayne
TESTED THE EASYDIVE LEO 3 by R. Pastorino
MONTHLY CONTEST Christian Llewellyn wins “Color: red”
Dear Scubashooters, The end of the year is approaching and as last year we will be organizing our international photo contest Deep Visions. 2015 edition was the first one ever and then the 2016 will be a test bed for us; 2015 was a real success, we were able to gather many sponsors and we were rewarded with hundreds of entries from over 40 countries. So we are approaching Deep Visions 2016 with a lot of curiosity and excitement, waiting to see if we will be able to make it better. Of course our aim is always to make it better but we are very aware that we deal with big players out there, some of them are partners, some others are not; no matter what we will always be doing our best to bring you the best services, the best experience and the best prizes. I would like to make a recommendation; please, please, please!!! Read the rules carefully as last year we had to disqualify many amazing photos just because they were carrying the name of the author or a watermark. As well as other major contests we don’t allow watermarks on the photos and as I said many potentially winning photos had to be disqualified, we really hope this year we will not be facing the same situation again. I always like to remember that our international jury voting system is set up to be a blind judging. No one, among our judges, is able to see the name of the author of a photo... This is why it is so important you don’t put any watermark or traceable name overimpressed on your photo. We want you to join and trust the system even if this means to disqualify big names and amazing photos. Stay tuned for more Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network
Cover image
“Great White” by Sergio Riccardo
C O N T E N T S 3
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EDITORIAL by Marino Palla
SHARK DIVING in Grand Bahama by Tanya Houppermans
NUDIBRANCHS OF ANILAO : Cuthona sp. 13 NSSI A monthly encounter of the Nudibranchia of Anilao, Philippines by Jones Wayne
THE LAST PARADISE OF THE EARTH by Vinny Apuzzo
PORTFOLIO Sergio Riccardo
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EASYDIVE: Leo 3 by Ruggero Pastorino
24° MONTHLY CONTEST: “Color: Red”
A RENEGADE TRAWLER, HUNTED FOR 10,000 MILES BY VIGILANTES by Francesco Turano
DIVING BEYOND RECREATIONALS LIMITS DAN Europe
Editor: FABIO STRAZZI Verein Scubashooters, 8952 Schlieren - Switzerland
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SHARK DIVING in Grand Bahama Words and Pictures
Tanya Houppermans
There are few places in the world favored by shark divers as much as the area off of Grand Bahama known as Tiger Beach. And it is easy to see why - close interactions with tiger sharks, lemon sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and nurse sharks are practically guaranteed; shallow depths allow for hours of bottom time; and the warm, clear waters offer comfortable diving conditions. These are also the reasons that countless underwater photographers travel to Tiger Beach every year hoping to capture stunning images of these beautiful sharks. But with the abundance of Tiger Beach photos nowadays, what can you do to make your images stand out? Let’s take a look at some tips and techniques for creating unique, memorable photographs during your next trip to Tiger Beach.
TRAVELS What Haven’t I Seen Before? Before my last trip to Tiger Beach, I asked myself, “Are there any types of images that I have not seen lately from this location?” The first thing that came to mind was more than one tiger shark in the frame. So my goal was to capture images of two or more tiger sharks in close prox-
imity. Whenever I would see two tiger sharks starting to approach each other, I would start shooting. Typically one or both of the sharks tended to veer away before they got very close to each other, but every so often their paths intersected, resulting in an unconventional composition that grabs the attention of the viewer. So before you even arrive at Grand Bahama, look at other images that
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have been taken at Tiger Beach, and ask yourself what you might do differently to set your images apart. It could be as simple as a different approach to lighting, or something a bit more complicated like targeting multiple sharks together in the same frame. And while we’re on the subject of multiple sharks… Don’t Ignore The Other Shark Species Sure, the tigers are the stars of the show at Tiger Beach. But don’t focus solely on the tigers to the exclusion of the other incredible sharks you’re likely to see. At some point during your diving at Tiger Beach, there will likely be lulls in the tiger action. Use this as an opportunity to observe and photograph the other sharks. An image with multiple Caribbean reef sharks can be just as intriguing as an image with multiple tiger sharks. You could even challenge yourself to see how many different shark species you can get in one shot. Although many underwater photographers see species other than tigers as somewhat of a nuisance, sometimes those lemon and reef sharks getting into the frame along with the tigers can be a blessing in disguise. After
all, what better way to show the amazing variety Tiger Beach has to offer than an image with several species of sharks? Include Other Divers and Photographers As underwater photographers, we not only want to produce compelling images, but we want those who see our images to care about the animals we photograph. This is especially true with sharks, which are some of the most misunderstood members of the animal kingdom. Images that include meaningful interactions between other divers and sharks go a long way in countering the constant negative portrayals of sharks so often see in the media. Concentrate on images that show a connection between the diver and shark, such as a diver looking at the shark, or a photographer in the act of capturing their own image of the shark. Seeing peaceful coexistence between shark and diver in this interaction will produce a
16 emotional response in the viewer than simply seeing some divers in the background, and perhaps even change some misconceptions about sharks in the process. Light It Up! Since dives at Tiger Beach take place at depths averaging only 20-40 feet, there is an abundance of ambient light. Use this to your advantage, and experiment with different lighting techniques to diversify your images. One of the simplest techniques involves capturing sunrays piercing through the shallow
water. Use a fast shutter speed (I typically shoot between 1/200-1/320 sec) to ‘freeze’ the sunrays, and adjust the aperture as needed for the correct exposure. By taking advantage of sunrays, an otherwise bland image of a single lemon shark on the sand now becomes more dramatic due of the interplay of the sunrays, the shark, and the negative space in
between. Sunballs are another way to add drama to an image. Using a fisheye lens is preferable, and a fast shutter speed will work best; compensate on the exposure by using as low an ISO as possible plus a smaller aperture (f/13-f/22). Point your camera very slightly upward to frame the sunball and subject, and use strobes to illuminate your subject in the foreground. Play with different combinations of shutter speed and aperture to create a softer sunball (slower shutter speed) or a clearer, crisp sunball (higher shutter speed). And don’t forget about your strobes! I’ve often seen photographers at Tiger Beach who extend their strobes far out to the side of the housing, and then not touch them again for the rest of the dive. Remember that you don’t necessarily have to try to illuminate everything in the frame. Sometimes a bit of directional lighting makes for a more interesting composition. For instance, try bringing your strobes in closer to only fill in part of a shark’s face while using ambient light to illuminate the rest of the shark. This creates a powerful contrast in light that immediately directs the viewer to the shark’s striking visage.
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Set the Scene After my first trip to Tiger Beach, I assumed that the entire location was comprised of just a sparse, sandy bottom. That’s all that we had seen during our time there. But prior to my second trip, I started seeing images coming back from Tiger Beach showing colorful reefs. I spoke to the dive operator prior to my second trip asking if it would be possible to dive the locations with the reefs. The dive operator was happy to accommodate the request, and I was thrilled with the results. Not only does the reef provide an interesting backdrop, but it also allows us to depict to a greater extent the shark’s interaction with its environment. Use the reef to develop the com-
position of your images by experimenting with using it as a stage for the entire scene, or just use it to frame a portion of the image. If you have a specific shot in mind, talk to the dive operator about it. As long as the request doesn’t present any safety issues, the operators are usually happy to help. They want you to leave with the best images possible, which is great for both you and their business!
Ready For My Closeup! Few images of sharks are as dramatic as the closeup; it provokes that visceral response of awe and fascination that people naturally have regarding sharks. The nearer you are to the baitbox and shark handlers, the better your chances of shooting extreme closeups. A good operator will ensure that
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everyone gets plenty of time near the baitbox. Remember, the closer your subject, the more you will want to bring your strobes in for even illumination. Since there are already so many closeups of sharks’ gaping mouths, try something a little different like a closeup of the eyes or a side profile instead. Or, for another variation on the mouth closeup, don’t ignore that nurse shark that has parked itself in front of you for the last half hour. Sure, they can be a little annoying, but who doesn’t love a ‘smiling’ nurse shark? On The Surface Lastly, don’t think that all of the activity takes place on the sea floor! There are some amazing opportunities at or just below the surface of the water. If the lemon and reef sharks are congregating at the surface as they tend to do, try to get some action shots by leaning your camera into the water from the boat (use a high shutter speed - these guys are fast!). While you’re on the boat, keep looking around for interesting surface shots. You never know what you’ll find. On my last trip to Tiger Beach, I discovered that at the end of the rainbow there isn’t a pot of gold, but a group of sharks! (Even better than gold if you ask me.)
Unique, intriguing photographs aren’t merely a matter of luck. As the Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Before your next trip to Tiger Beach, consider what kinds of shots you’d like to bring back. Communicate with the operator to ensure you’re getting the best possible environments to maximize your time in the water. Think about the techniques you’re using while photographing, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Combine your preparation with the outstanding opportunities Tiger Beach offers, and you’ll come home with images that stand out from the crowd.
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NUDIBRANCHS OF ANILAO : Cuthona sp. 13 NSSI
A monthly encounter of the Nudibranchia of Anilao, Philippines
Words and Pictures
Jones Wayne and Linda Ianniello
Will The Real Yamasui Please Stand Up Cuthona sp 13, Gosliner et al.(2015) ,which was previously identified as Trinchesia sp. 41 and mistakenly identified as Cuthona yamasui which, itself is also identified as Trinchesia yamasui, has created some misinterpretation to the identity of not only Cuthona yamasui but also that of the now identified Cuthona sp.13 This has probably occurred when it was decided the Cuthona genus would be limited to the species Cuthona nana while the remaining species within the Cuthona genus would be placed into the Trinchesia genus, or sub genus (I am not sure). Science has since shown that they are in fact all of the same Cuthona genus and re-named them thus. But still the confusion remains and with conflicting written identification of Cuthona yamasui still visually identified through photographs as Cuthona sp.13 also known as Trinchesia sp. 41 or even given as Trinchesia diversicolor Thus still today I can photograph Cuthona sp.13 or be with others who do and the guides will still say, while looking at the back of the photographer’s camera “Ah! Yes, Cuthona yamasui, nice one…”. I guess ‘yamasui’ sounds much more exotic than sp.13 and the information available for the layman on say google reinforce this misconception. Now while I hopefully have enlightened you on the ‘real’ yamasui (pictured above), my actual motivation is to share with you the Nudibranch of Anilao, Philippines on a monthly basis. I am living in Anilao and as part owner of a newly established UW photography school/resort, I am in a prime
Cuthona sp 13. nssi is the species I am introducing this month and the reason I wished to clarify the misappropriated identification that is discussed above. This reasonably sized Nudibranch of the Aeolidaceans sub genus of the nudibranchia family is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The Aeolidaceans are the group of Nudibranch that have finger-like gelatinous protrusions, called cerata, running down the back of the body. This is opposed to the other main group of nudibranch, Doridaceans which have the feathery gills extruding from the lower back section of the body. With Cuthona sp 13, these cerata are colored from a rich indigo blue along the sides, to an almost faded creamy bluish green down the very centre. Towards the tip of each ceras is a yellow/orange ring with a darker blue at the very tip.
MACRO WORLD
positon to bring the readers of Scubashooters a month to month feature of the marine gastropods, or more specifically, nudibranchia I have found within that month.
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Cuthona sp 13 feeds upon the hydroid Macrorhynchia philippina, commonly known as stinging or fire hydroid/coral. It has been shown that hydroid feeding Nudibranch of the Aeolidaceans group are able to pass the stinging cells of the hydroid through their digestive system undigested and deposit them into the tips of their cerata.
This stinging cell acts as a protection for Cuthona sp. 13 similarly, as it does for others in this group. The main two groups of nudibranch, Doridaceans and Aeolidaceans are food source determined as Willan and Coleman explain that the food source plays a big part in the life cycle of nudibranch, “ Those nudibranch that feed on slow-growing organisms that are common and ‘predictably present’ live for around one year” . But in contrast the Aeolidaceans, including ‘our’ Cuthona sp 13, that eat, as Willan and Coleman describe “transitory organisms (such as hydroids…that bloom briefly…) have a very rapid life cycle lasting 6 weeks or less” Now while this comes from a very good source I am not sure of the totality of this and it is surely far from exhaustive. I know first-hand of the seasonal nature of many nudibranch species around Anilao and also see a direct correlation with water temperatures which in turn may also directly affect the food sources. Though, while I am no scientist, I do see certain nudibranchs that are regularly found on the same hydroid in the same location for quite some time. Also the size of some Cuthona sp. 13 are quite large up to 5cm or more, which would lead me to think they are living longer that prior thought. I will be discussing this in further articles pertaining to other nudibranch types in the months to come.
Köhler, E. (2016), published 18 January 2016, Trinchesia sp. 41 Genus: von Ihering, 1879 available from http://www.philippine-sea-slugs.com/Nudibranchia/
Dexiarchia/Trinchesia_sp_41.htm
Willan, RC. and Coleman, N. 1984. Nudibranch of Australasia. In http://www.nudi-
branch.com.au/aboutnudibranchs.html
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THE LAST PARADISE OF THE EARTH
THE LAST PARADISE OF THE EARTH
Raja Ampat - Four Kings Words and Pictures V inny Aand puzzo Words Pictures
Vinny Apuzzo
TRAVELS
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We all know and have heard of Raja Ampat (Four Kings). I first stepped foot in this great place over 17 years ago when it was still under the name of Irian Jaya. Landing at the airport on a small island close to Sorong, getting off the plane feeling lucky that the plane even landed then being approached by all these Papua’s It was an awe-inspiring moment that I will never
forget. Going out to the outer islands of Wai and Kri was a journey in itself where I spent eight wonderful months diving the area and after every dive my mind was spellbound with the wonders that I saw underwater. Fast forward 17 years to 2016 and Sorong and West Papua has gone through some amazing changes. Just to land at the airport is a great difference to the one which
I first landed at, that already shows the changes that the area is going through. Once at the harbor your board your liveaboard or transfer boat to the Islands that you will spend your holiday on. This time I took a group out and stayed on the liveaboard Aurora. http:// www.auroraliveaboard. com/ this very comfortable 40 meter Phinisi boat, this was my home for the next two weeks. We had bad weather as we arrived so the cruise director Diego decided to head south to Misool area so we lifted anchor and sailed overnight to our first dive spot. The diving around the Misool area, I find very different to the Northern part, my most favorite spot has to be Magic Mountain, I think many of you who have been to the area would also agree ! This sea mount is located about 20 minutes from Misool resort, and it is a busy Manta ray cleaning station. The submerged pinnacle reaches up to 5/7 meters, and you have a very good chance of meeting two species of manta rays the giant Oceanic birostris as well as the smaller reef manta, alfredi. Magic Mountain is also a nursery for White Tip Reef
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Sharks and a love nest for Napoleon Wrasse. Because this site is completely exposed to oceanic currents, you can expect to see large schools of pelagics in the blue. We have been able to do 3 dives on that day there after our cruise director organized everything with the other boats and Misool resort.
38 Wow the reef is in such amazing shape I think I had a headache after those dives as my eyes where just shifting all over the place. After great reluctance we moved on to other sites around Misool. Yillet, this Island used to be home to a shark finning camp, and now has some great chance for marco and wide angle shots. Boo Window was another classic dive. I could go on and on about all the dive sites that we dived in Misool but its time to move north. But hats off to Misool Resort for doing such a good job at protecting this wonderful area, job very well done. Next stop Batanta , Batanta’s coastline, is a perfect place for weird critters. A good combina
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tion of dark sand, fresh water inlets, and small bays where critters can benefit from passing currents but still thrive in sheltered bays. Batanta is well known as a muck diving spot, you can see rare halimeda ghost pipefish, mimic octopus and wonderpus, tiger shrimps, frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish Batanta is also a great places for nudibranchs. After staying around Batanta for a day we move up even north around Melissa’s garden the hard coral here is still in great shape even after my first dive here 17 years ago. There were some stories going around that it was all dynamited but from what I could see, the hard corals are still in great shape. Other dive sites included Airborek & Manta Sandy or Cape Kri, Yeben, Sardine Reef, Mioskon, Penemu. It was nice to go back onto Wai Island and see the local Papua’s and see if they would still remembered me and too my surprise they did ! even noticing that I have less hair than before… It was nice to show the dive crew where the P47 plane wreck is, as they had not been there before, the current was also very strong on that day, maybe it was not the best time of day to dive the P47 wreck but we made it all back safely on the boat. So to sum up my 14 nights on the Aurora liveaboard sailing and diving around this wonderful place was just magical. The Papua’s have not been destroyed by tourism yet and I hope that it stays like that. Which
is always very hard to manage. As for the diving I was very impressed to see so many sharks, as during my first visit in 1999 it was uncommon to spot sharks swimming but common to see them on the sea floor left without their fins. By creating the Marine Parks and protecting the area is starting to show it’s working. I hope for all the Papua’s and tourists, whether diving or not, try to protect this last unspoiled place that mother nature has given to us. For sure I will be going back.
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Sergio Riccardo
PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
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Sergio Riccardo was born in Naples on 05 Oct. 1963. He grew up in close contact with the sea and, when he was just 10 years old, he built a small arc using the metal core of an umbrella and began fishing freediving in the waters of the island of Procida. At 15, he attended a scuba diving course and after just three years, he became PADI Instructor. He thus began immediately his professional activity, at first as a collaborator at the Sorrento Diving Center and shortly after, in 1983, moving for a long time in the Maldives. Simultaneously he opened one of the first Diving Centers in Sorrento and alternates his working seasons between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. In 1991, attentive to the needs of the market, he founded the DIVING TOUR, a small tour operator specialized in underwater tourism around the world, thus beginning his research, in the various seas of the world, of the places of touristic and underwater interest. During the following years, he dove from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, passing through the Arctic, observing and photographing carefully and meticulously. He is currently holding an archive of over 80,000 underwater photos made either in the Mediterranean than in the aforementioned seas. The result of this experience is
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“Travel & Diving�, a travel catalog produced today by Diving Tour and serving over 20 destinations worldwide, from the Galapagos to Papua New Guinea, with a wide choice of trips and diving cruises. Today, Sergio runs the Diving Tour with the same enthusiasm and passion of the first day, always looking for new places to discover and propose, without ever neglecting his home sea, the first great love of his life. Underwater photographic equipment: Seacam Housing for D800E, lenses NIKON 105, 17 .35-zoom, 15 mm. sigma, Flash Subtronic Alpha Pro, Sea & Sea D1 Photo equipment: D5, objectives NIKON: 70-200 VRII, zoom 14-.24, 16-35 zoom, zoom 200-400 VR
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LEO 3 Words and Pictures
Ruggero Pastorino
Easydive is an underwater photo-video instruments producer that in the last 15 years has distinguished for a constant and continuous research an development : its main feature is the use of remote controlled electronic buttons (now uses wi-fi controls also) that has been patented and makes all the housings fully universal for each camera past , present or future. The state of the art of Easydive technology at the moment is the Leo 3 housing , that I am using since 2014 with great satisfaction. Main body is made with die cast aluminium alloy , with a slightly rough surface that improves the grip underwater ; after CNC machining all the parts are covered with a 40 micron black matte military standard anodizing that prevents scratches and corrosion (a further zinc alloy anode is applied on the top) The rear is linked to the body with two hinges on the bottom and two stainless steel quick hooks on the top (with safety closure) that work together with two o’ring : one radial ant the other one that works by compression : this system is basically leak proof and helps the owner during the closing act : it is impossible to move or pinch the gaskets . The OR are made with NBR rubber : this means that it is not needed specific lubricant for them (instead of the silicone gaskets that require the grease supplied by the producer) something less to think about during maintenance. Right hook is also designed to help opening the housing.
REVIEW On the back we find a wide polycarbonate screen (10 mm thickness) that guarantees a great resistance and good view of the display ; there is also the possibility to add quickly a universal magnifier (optional). Main element in the front is a red aluminium ring secured with 4 screws and two o’ring that hosts that various ports domes and adapters produced by Easydive ; by request of the customer it is possible to change the red ring in order to use third parts domes or ports so each one can choose his preferred setting without problems. Inserting the ports is very easy and fast (just push and turn clockwise) and a safety lock prevents any eventual rotation ; on the right part of the housing we find a gear to be used or with zoom lenses or to manage the manual focus . On the upper part there are various threatened holes that can be fitted with all the standard joints (sphere - T1) so it is very easy to configure the housing for every kind of use : macro-wide or video adding all the necessary tools.
78 Strobes can be controlled in different ways in fact there are two bulks for nikonos standard cables and two windows for the optic fiber cable : in this way the customer can fully control each kind of strobe without problems . Built in strobe can be easily opened to control optically the strobes , for the ‘pro’ cameras without pop-up strobe it is possible to apply a led emulator. Magnetic buttons are both on the rear and on the front part and are not passing - through , very well disposed with the shutter one that is actioned by the index finger and that can be configured in two different ways directly by the customer ; these buttons are not affected by depth so Leo 3 housing is the only one fully operative up to 100 meters: Easydive has its own hyperbaric chamber to test directly all the products (by request it is possible to ask for a deep test op to 150 meters) The design of the handles is really ergonomic and together with the inner air volume gives a real good handling underwater : it is very easy to switch between horizontal and vertical shooting and the hands always have the right grip and comfort even during long shooting sessions. The ‘heart’ of Leo 3 is inside : an
electronic control unit (sealed with specific resin) that joins with a base linked to the camera : three AA batteries feed the system for many hours of use (I have made three 90 minutes shooting sessions without changing the batteries) but to prevent any problem there is an acoustic and visual alarm to monitor both batteries and leakage/flooding. Easydive patented system allows to use in the same housing every kind of camera only changing the base (id needed) and updating the ECU using an usb key inserted into an adapter so the customer can update his product by himself without sending the housing to the producer : this is valid both in case of new camera and in case of new features released by Easydive. Leo 3 can keep in memory two different cameras in the meantime so it is possible to switch immediately from one brand to a different one. The feedback of the buttons is absolutely fast (maybe faster than the mechanical ones that have a lag due to gears-levers-friction) Concluding we are in front of a really innovation in terms of underwater housing : hard as a rock , customizable ad improvable and -really important- lifetime guaranteed by the producer that has a direct contact with the customer.
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A RENEGADE TRAWLER, HUNTED FOR 10,000 MILES BY VIGILANTES A great reportage by:
Ian Urbina (New York Times)
REPORTAGE
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ABOARD THE BOB BARKER, in the South Atlantic — As the Thunder, a trawler considered the world’s most notorious fish poacher, began sliding under the sea a couple of hundred miles south of Nigeria, three men scrambled aboard to gather evidence of its crimes. In bumpy footage from their helmet cameras, they can be seen grabbing everything they can over the next 37 minutes — the captain’s logbooks, a laptop computer, charts and a slippery 200-pound fish. The video shows the fishing hold about a quarter full with catch and the Thunder’s engine room almost submerged in murky water. “There is no way to stop it sinking,” the men radioed back to the Bob Barker, which was waiting nearby. Soon after they climbed off, the Thunder vanished below. It was an unexpected end to an extraordinary chase. For 110 days and more than 10,000 nautical miles across two seas and three oceans, the Bob Barker and a companion ship, both operated by the environmental organization Sea Shepherd, had trailed the trawler, with the three captains close enough to watch one another’s cigarette breaks and on-deck workout routines. In an epic game of cat-and-mouse, the ships maneuvered through an obstacle course of giant ice floes, endured a cyclone-like storm, faced clashes between opposing crews and nearly collided in what became the longest pursuit of an illegal fishing vessel in history.
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Industrial-scale violators of fishing bans and protected areas are a main reason more than half of the world’s major fishing grounds have been depleted and by some estimates over 90 percent of the ocean’s large fish like marlin, tuna and swordfish have vanished. Interpol had issued a Purple Notice on the Thunder (the equivalent of adding it to a Most Wanted List, a status reserved for only four other ships in the world), but no government had been willing to dedicate the personnel and millions of dollars needed to go after it. So Sea Shepherd did instead, stalking the fugitive 202-foot steel-sided ship from a desolate patch of ocean at the bottom of the Earth, deep in Antarctic waters, to any ports it neared, where its crews could alert the authorities. “The poachers thrive by staying in the shadows,” Peter Hammarstedt, captain of the Barker, said while trying to level his ship through battering waves. “Our plan was to put a spotlight on them that they couldn’t escape.”
Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/world/a-renegade-trawler-hunted-for-10000-miles-by-vigilantes.html?_r=0
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108
DIVING BEYOND RECREATIONALS LIMITS Beyond recreational depths, the “technical” diving community pushes the frontier of “recreational” diving steadily to deeper and less-forgiving environments. Rebreathers, once almost exclusively used by the military, are now commonplace the world over. Blends of helium and EANx are more commonly available than ever, along with the training to use such mixtures. Using long-range scooters, technical divers are reaching further and further into caves, often with decompression schedules that are experimental in nature. Let us now look at some of the consequences of these developments. Firstly, the clinical manifestations of DCS are often different after breathing multiple gas blends on the way back up from 100m depth. Inner-ear DCS has become widely reported in just the last 25 years and, research has shown, is often associated with the “hole-in-the-heart”, known as a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). Consensus of medical opinion is that the risk of DCS in recreational divers with PFO is between 2.5-6.5 times higher than in divers without a PFO, so the risk is still so small that routine screening for a PFO is not justified. In technical diving however, divers go beyond recreational limits and often require decompression before surfacing. At least one technical diver training agency recommends screening for PFO before engaging in decompression dives. Rebreathers are typically quite unforgiving if the diver makes an error. These hightech devices require more detailed and exhaustive training, as well as proper maintenance including a far lengthier pre-dive check. For example, if a recreational diver forgets to turn his SCUBA tank valve on then he will realise this when he first attempts to breathe and cannot suck any air. He will then normally be able to surface and have his valve turned on: an incident, not an accident. With many rebreathers however, if the diver forgets to turn on the oxygen cylinder, no immediate consequence follows. The oxygen already in the breathing loop however slowly and unnoticeably gets consumed - until the diver suddenly “blacks out” into unconsciousness and death, even with the mouthpiece in place. This is known to have happened in very shallow water. While the exact increase in risk over ordinary SCUBA diving is not yet known, the consensus of opinion is that rebreathers have a much higher mortality risk. A
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recent analysis estimates the increase in fatality risk between 4 and 10 times. Considering that the risk of fatality while diving open circuit is thought to be between 0.6 and 2.1 per 100000 dives, then the absolute risk of death on a rebreather may not be as high as some might expect. Even so, until recently, rebreather diving was specifically excluded from some recreational dive insurance’s coverage. As the situation becomes clearer, rebreather divers are now able to purchase insurance that is equal to that offered to recreational divers. Another relatively recent development in recreational SCUBA diving is the availability to begin diving at a younger age. At least one major training agency now offers children SCUBA diving lessons from age 10, albeit with depth and supervision restrictions. Meanwhile, research into the effects of diving among children continues. Similarly, though at the other end of the scale, only now that SCUBA has been so widely available for 40 years are we starting to consider the long-term effects of diving. We know that bubbles often form in our bodies even after dives considered “safe”, and that these decompression bubbles cause measurable effects on the cells and function of the endothelium, the inner lining of our blood vessels. Will a lifetime of deep decompression diving cause memory deterioration or other undesirable late effects? A recent article suggested that there might be very minor changes in cognitive functions of recreational divers, however, with no negative effect on their “quality of life”. Nevertheless, there is some limited evidence available in professional divers. Meanwhile, diving is here to stay and it is easier than ever to learn to dive and, thereafter, to rapidly progress to ever-deeper depths. Dive equipment has never been so affordable either, or so user friendly. Indeed, most modern dive computers will display decompression information, or at least emergency decompression information, for repeated dives well beyond recreational limits. Before dive computers were common, older divers and medical specialists would have assumed, for example, that anyone diving to 50m would know that they best not dive there again in the afternoon, that it is safer to allow at least a full day for their body to desaturate. However, it is not uncommon these days for divers to present to hyperbaric chambers with DCS after exactly such “unsafe” deep, repetitive dives. While the technology has progressed, there is a growing concern that basic diving knowledge is dropping to lower and lower levels. In many cases, modern dive course students do not even learn about the dive tables anymore, and fail to appreciate the relationship between depth and no-stop time or to learn the rules for exceptional exposures. It is little wonder then, that some divers may be learning these rules for the first time at their local hyperbaric chamber. Even in technical dive courses it has become rarer to learn dive planning with tables and, thus, the newly-minted technical diver might one day find himself unsure what to do when his rechargeable dive computers go flat during a long dive.
110 Where to next? – The Future We predict the face-to-face component of diver training will continue to diminish. Over this century the Internet has become so commonplace that diving course students now regularly complete the cognitive development portion of the course online. It is only a matter of time before fully online dive courses become available. Already at least one rebreather manufacturer is offering online certification for their particular model of rebreather, with no face-to-face component. It is also plausible that redundancy of specialised diving equipment will be more and more considered, leading to the development of very modular and redundant diving equipment. Such new concepts will probably ease the reconfiguration of equipment underwater in case of non-standard and or emergency situations, allowing technical divers to rely on their equipment even more than now. Of particular concern to the “old school” technical diver is that the use of dive computers is being adopted as fail-safe for decompression planning. The marriage of PC-based decompression planning software and diver-worn wrist computers has been welcomed by recreational as well as technical divers but this should not mean the fundamentals of dive planning are allowed to be handed over to a computer. A solid grounding in the theory that underpins the relationship between diver´s physiology, physical fitness, depth, time, decompression obligations and gas consumption gives a technical diver the ability to spot weaknesses and flaws in computer-based modelling. While dive computers continue to improve in reliability as well as the approximation of human tolerance for decompression stress, tablebased dive planning should continue as a staple of technical diver training. This is akin to learning the Slide Rule during the earliest availability of the electronic calculator when, until computing power matched the demands of scientists, engineers, etc., it was prudent not to abandon the old ways. We are in a developmental transition phase now and not yet quite ready to totally rely on dive computers. One training agency has even taken a stand against using them, because their success at safe decompression remains to be scientifically evaluated. Concomitant with this development is the worry that technical divers are swapping to dive computers and automated gas consumption calculations without a commensurate increase in their ability to respond to emergencies when these automated procedures fail the diver. This happens regularly, for example, when divers make repetitive dives to serious depths because “the computer didn’t give any warnings” or when they do not have enough gas for deco and surface earlier than planned because “the computer said I would have enough”. As we transit towards a reliance on technology let us keep sharp those skills that got us this far. More than one diver has had a total computer failure during deco and pulled out his trusty wet-notes for a contingency plan. Wearing more than one computer should not mean technical divers do not need to cut out-of-gas and contingencydepth plans. The decompression of non-standard dives, (e.g. reverse profiles, yoyo or repetitive diving), commonly seen in cave diving and to some extent also in deep diving, is not yet fully understood and possibly requires re-consideration in the face of new in-field research.
Lastly, as our training and procedures evolve we urge all technical instructors to stay abreast of the latest research and technical developments. This can be done by attending conferences such as EuroTek, Techmeeting and/or OZTeK, reading technical diving magazines and participating in technical dive forums. So, our last word is: Soak up technical diving knowledge but be aware that not all of it is accurate. Half of what you’ve been taught is probably untrue – unfortunately, it is not yet known which half. So prudence and conservatism is the only sensible option. It is too much of a pity to have to treat a bent diver who was not aware of the risk he/she was taking when embarking on that dive!
The article is an excerpt from the book “The Science of Diving, Things your instructor never told you” Published by Lambert Academic Publishing
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