THE DARKNESS BECKONS
AUSTRALIA’S JERVIS BAY
WHAT’S YOUR WATCH?
OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS DISCUSS ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR NIGHT DIVING
JONATHAN MUELLER ON THE HUNT FOR THE ELUSIVE PYJAMA SQUID
WRISTWATCH-STYLE DIVE COMPUTERS ARE RATED AND REVIEWED
HINTS AND ADVICE ON GETTING CREATIVE WITH MODELS
+
INDONESIA
‣ GALAPAGOS ‣ THE MALDIVES ‣ SCHOLAR
ISSUE 18 | FREE MAGAZINE!
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
SeaLife DC2000 Underwater Camera
Spare Air and Heed 3
Indigo Industries Nautilus XP Scooter
Magnetically snaps to your mask!
Indigo Industries Magnetic Snorkel Are you Dive Shop? Sign up to receive these products at wholesale prices. eScuba.com.au/go/80
Follow eScuba on: facebook.com/escuba twitter.com/escubaguru
Indigo Industries Provision Mask
with Snap-on Optical Lenses Credit your favorite Diveshop on checkout
Ideations Dive Alert Plus V2 FREE Standard Shipping FREE on orders over $50 G IN P IP SH For a Limited Time
To learn more, or find your nearest dive shop, visit www.eScuba.com.au or send an email to info@eScuba.com.au
EDITOR’S NOTE WHY CAN’T WE LEARN TO CO-EXIST WITH SHARKS? Once again our love-hate relationship with sharks is making headlines. As shark attacks steadily increase - the most-recent incident was when two snorkellers were attacked close to the Whitsundays - the debate on how to effectively deal with the problem rages on. The arbitrary slaughter of these animals, favoured by the Queensland government, has thankfully been dealt a blow by the Australian High Court, who recently ruled that culling sharks is illegal. In Western Australia, the government has been offering financial assistance for anyone wanting to purchase sharkrepellent systems. While this solution has also been criticised by some as ineffective, it is certainly a better option than extermination. In New South Wales, drones are been used to warn people if sharks are in the area. The fact remains that more and more people are going into the water, and at the same time the natural habitat of sharks is being encroached upon by development. In Brazil, Recife is now one of the shark-attack hotspots in the world - this has happened since a new port was built there, destroying the sharks’ natural habitat and pushing them towards the beaches where people enjoy swimming and surfing. Or at least used to! Many leading conservations and shark experts extol the virtues of education and common sense (ours, not the sharks) to reduce the number of attacks - simple things like not swimming at dusk or dawn when they’re most likely hunting, avoiding splashing around, sounding like a distressed animal or not venturing too far from shore would help. As sharks are essential to the health of the oceans, which in turn are essential to the health of the human race, it would seem like the onus to co-exist is on us. It is also worth mentioning that there were only five fatalities from shark attacks in 2018.
Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand)
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Mark Evans Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com
DESIGN
Matt Griffiths Email: matt@griffital.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA TEAM
Adrian Stacey Editor-at-Large (Australia and New Zealand) Tel: +61 422 611 238 Email: adrian@scubadivermag.com
Martyn Guess, Jonathan Mueller, David Jones, Byron Conroy
Paul Lees Editorial Manager (Southeast Asia) Email: paul@scubadivermag.com
ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP
MAGAZINE
Ross Arnold Email: ross.arnold@scubadivermag.com
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
To stock Scuba Diver in your centre, email: subscriptions@scubadivermag.com
PUBLISHERS
Rork Media Limited Tel: +44 (0) 800 069 8140 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.
is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2515-9593
3
THE DARKNESS BECKONS
AUSTRALIA’S JERVIS BAY
WHAT’S YOUR WATCH?
OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS DISCUSS ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR NIGHT DIVING
JONATHAN MUELLER ON THE HUNT FOR THE ELUSIVE PYJAMA SQUID
WRISTWATCH-STYLE DIVE COMPUTERS ARE RATED AND REVIEWED
ON THE COVER
HINTS AND ADVICE ON GETTING CREATIVE WITH MODELS
+
INDONESIA
‣ GALAPAGOS ‣ THE MALDIVES ‣ SCHOLAR
ISSUE 18 | FREE MAGAZINE!
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF: MARIO VITALINI
REGULAR COLUMNS
FEATURES...
6 News
20 Indonesia
The Great Barrier Reef’s Wilson Island reopens, a shark attack at the Whitsundays, and the release of Valerie Taylor’s autobiography.
14 Medical Q&A
Dr Oliver Firth answers reader questions about children diving, bladder infections, and diving after a vasectomy.
16 Dive Like A Pro
This issue, our panel of experts offer useful hints and advice on night diving, including essential equipment required.
66 Scholar
Joanna Smart gets ‘green fingered’ in the innovative Nemo’s Garden underwater agriculture site off Noli in Italy.
4
Lena Kavender and Byron Conroy sample the diving off the coast of the Indonesian paradise of Bali, and discover this island paradise has much to offer below the surface, from myriad macro critters to manta rays and mola mola.
28 Underwater Photography
Seasoned underwater snapper Martyn Guess is in the hotseat this month, and keeping with the theme from his last column, in which he looked at working with smaller subjects, he turns his attention to shooting in super-macro.
32 Shoot Like A Pro
In the first of a two-part special, two of our panel of underwater photography experts - Martyn Guess and Paul Duxfield - talk about how to get creative when working with models. Anne and Phil Medcalf, and Mario Vitalini, will be showcasing their model shoots next month.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
CONTENTS
...CONTINUED
GEAR GUIDE
36 Australia
54 What’s New
Jonathan Mueller describes embarking on a search for the elusive pyjama squid in the waters of Jervi Bay near Sydney.
40 The Galapagos
David Jones is always one to look for a deal, and he set himself the challenge of visiting and diving this iconic destination - known for being a bit on the pricey side - are a bargain-basement price.
46 The Maldives
Stuart Philpott visits a restaurant with a difference in the Maldives - it is completely underwater! And he finds out how the dive team work tirelessly to keep the view in tip-top condition for diners.
50 TECHNICAL: Mexico
We go behind the scenes of Unexplored, a film on Mexico cave diving that is the first result of an innovative dive industry collaboration between five of the top brands on the market.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
New products recently released, including the Mares Scuba Ranger BCD, Atomic Aquatics B2, Fourth Element’s Zambezi and Ridley board shorts, and the xDeep mask.
56 Gear Guide
Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans and the Test Team head for North Wales to dive a selection of wristwatch-style dive computers from Suunto, Mares, Shearwater Research, Aqua Lung and Oceanic.
64 Long Term Test
The Scuba Diver Test Team reviews a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Otter Watersports Atlantic drysuit, Mares Epic Adj 82X regulator, and the Aqua Lung AquaFlex wetsuit.
5
Each month, we bring together the latest industry news from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as all over our water planet. To find out the most up-to-date news and views, check out the website or follow us on our various social media (@scubadivermag) www.scubadivermag.com/news
MORE POSITIVE NEWS FOR THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
The Great Barrier Reef has gained another boost with the news that the remote Wilson Island is now officially open PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK FITZ, WILLIAM DEBOIS AND WILSON ISLAND
S
urrounded only by pristine white beaches and crystal blue seas, the picturesque and remote Wilson Island on the Great Barrier Reef re-opened for overnight guests on 1 November. Returning to its former glory thanks to Canadian owners Aldesta Hotel Group, Wilson Island covers just 5.24 acres of seclusion in a setting of unrivalled natural beauty. General Manager and Vice President of the Aldesta Hotel Group Australia, Tony Barradale, officially reopened Wilson Island on Thursday 31 October commenting that ‘Wilson Island delivers a true immersion into the unique environment that is the Great Barrier Reef’. Hosting only 18 guests at one time, Wilson Island will offer nine designer-inspired tents for your reef safari experience, complimented with an island host catering to all the culinary and service needs of guests. Evening meals will be served from an open kitchen setting at The Longhouse, a central
6
dining area for socialising and relaxing. The island menu will have a distinctive Australian feel, utilising fresh and local ingredients. The eco-friendly island is powered only by battery or solar, and due to its secluded location there is no wifi on Wilson Island, allowing guests to switch off from the outside world and truly feel at one with nature. The island is a natural coral cay, both part of the Great Barrier Reef and surrounded by it. An unimaginable variety of marine life surrounds Wilson Island, making it one of the best snorkelling locations on the Great Barrier Reef. Guests can enjoy snorkelling directly off the beach with all equipment provided, or join the island hosts for a guided island walk. Located on the Southern Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Gladstone Queensland, Wilson Island is accessible via Heron Island. Guests can travel to Heron Island on the ferry that departs from Gladstone marina daily at 9.30am (except
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
Tony Barradale (VP Aldesta Hotels AU and GM Heron Island and Wilson Island), Glenn Butcher MP (Member for Gladstone) and Cr Matt Burnett (Mayor for Gladstone Region)
Tuesday and Thursday). Once on Heron Island, a private boat will meet Wilson Island guests for a 25-minute transfer to seclusion. Air transfers via helicopter or seaplane are also available from Gladstone Airport to Heron Island, providing a bird’s-eye view of the Great Barrier Reef. The Wilson Island launch will also meet up with all air arrivals at Heron Island. Transfers to Heron Island available by boat, seaplane and helicopter are at an additional cost. www.wilsonisland.com
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
7
MIDNIGHT CANNIBALISM TAKES TOP AWARD AT YAP’S ANNUAL MANTAFEST 2019 Long after sunset, 10m down and miles offshore, a squid stalks in the inky darkness of the Yap Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. With a lightning-fast strike, it captures its prey in a forceful act of cannibalism. The split seconds that unfolded in this drama of one squid catching and devouring another of the same species was captured by blackwater diver/photographer Sheila Ott of Switzerland – and her image was recognised as the Best of Show by the international panel of judges during last month’s MantaFest 2019. MantaFest is hosted by the Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers on Yap in Micronesia. Blackwater diving is a fairly new scuba diving endeavour, done well after dark and far away from land. Lights are hung from a boat that drifts in the open sea. During MantaFest, the divers entered the water in the Yap Trench, the second deepest ocean trench in the world, that falls to depths past five miles. Then, camera in hand, they wait to see what the lights will attract. They search for photogenic pelagic larvae to drift by, but anything can show up. In this case, for Ott, it brought an act of nature few people have ever seen. During the annual two-week photo school and contest, the protected reef and ocean off Yap’s pristine shores produce daily shows from marine creatures big and small, including its famous resident sharks and manta rays and a plethora of small, colourful tropicals like the brightly coloured mandarinfish. Get the date in your diary - MantaFest Photo School 2020 will take place 31 August to 13 September 2020. www.mantafest.com
BRITISH SNORKELLERS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN SHARK ATTACK AT WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS A shark left two British tourists with serious leg injuries – completely severing the foot of one of them – after attacking them while they were snorkelling off the Whitsunday Islands. Alistair Raddon, from Southampton, and Danny Maggs, from Plymouth, were on a day cruise to the popular Queensland islands, which are near the Great Barrier Reef, when the incident occurred. 28-old Raddon has his foot bitten off, while 22-year-old Maggs was left with serious leg wounds. They were recovered from the water in Hook Passage by a tour boat and taken to shore for treatment, before being flown to hospital. While shark attacks are very rare, this is not the first time that the Whitsunday Islands have borne witness to them. The location of this incident is just six miles from where an Australian man was fatally bitten by a shark in November 2018, and there were two other shark attacks in September 2018. In this most-recent case, according to a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman, ‘one of the patients was attacked first, and the shark is believed to have returned and attacked the second patient’. Apparently, the men told the Central Queensland Rescue helicopter crew that they had been ‘wrestling and thrashing about in the water’ when the attack happened, so this may have been what drew the shark in.
8
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
HERVEY BAY’S MARINE PARK TURNS 30
T
his year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a marine park in Hervey Bay and the beginning of a regulated whale-watching industry that is now one of the most advanced in the world in the protection of the species and the habitat. Declared in 1989, two years after the first commercial whale watching began on 1 September 1987, the Hervey Bay Marine Park was set up ‘to conserve the natural resources and tidal lands and waters of Hervey Bay as well as the humpback whales that migrate close to the land and stop in the Bay between August and November’. From August to December, the park became a Whale Management and Monitoring Area, regulating human activities in the vicinity of humpback whales and monitoring the effect of this activity to ensure their protection. It was from these early beginnings that the State Government, scientists, conservationists and the Hervey Bay whale industry worked together to set up a whale-watching Code of Practice which has been copied around the world and still underpins the local industry today. Eventually, the park was enlarged to include areas to the south to Tin Can Bay and in 2006 was renamed the Great Sandy Marine Park, covering an area of about 6,000 square kilometres. The first time whales were spotted in the Bay is a prominent part of the region’s history and the beginning of an incredible tourism journey, which remains a clear and treasured memory for those lucky enough to be there at the time. And it is a story still unfolding today, with Hervey Bay vying to be declared the first Whale Heritage Site in the world. According to whale-watching pioneer, Jill Perry, commercial whale watching began in Australia after an unexpected whale sighting by her husband Brian and some fishing mates aboard their motor vessel Tasman Venture. “While out fishing they saw what they thought to be logs in the water which then turned over and revealed themselves to be whales,” said Jill. “They soon dropped their rods and picked up cameras”.
10
David Weatherford, a fishing friend on the boat that day recalls that “within minutes, whales began dancing in the water on all sides, performing and inviting us to share their piece of paradise. “On the way back to Urangan, which took many hours, I spent about an hour alone on the top deck with owner Brian Perry. I do believe this was where his idea of whale watching was born.” When told what happened and Brian’s immediate thoughts of starting commercial charters, Jill Perry was quick to dismiss his enthusiasm. “I thought the idea of commercial whale watching charters – people paying to watch whales – was crazy!” However, her scepticism was not permanent. A few days later, Jill put a small advertisement in the weekly Observer newspaper, and within a week, there were six boats going out daily with full boat loads of people wanting to see the whales. Academic and advisor for international programmes with Pacific Whale Foundation, Dr Paul Forestell, credits Hervey Bay with launching whale watching in Australia. “In the 1960s whales were hunted almost to extinction. In the mid-1970s in Australia whaling had just finished and the number of whales was reportedly only 600,” said Dr Forestell. According to Dr Forestell the first research groups in the bay included Pacific Whale Foundation, University of Sydney, the Oceania Project and Southern Cross University. The arrival of fashion identity (and Elle’s sister) Mimi McPherson with Matilda II in 1989 put commercial whale watching on the map, along with her partnership with thencaptain, Andrew Ellis, a current Fraser Coast Tourism and Events employee. Dr Forestell said: “Busloads of visitors from Sydney and Brisbane would come to go on her boat. It was a very professional set up with skippers in uniform on a beautiful big boat. Andrew and Mimi worked closely with local researchers such as myself, and Andrew was there when we first saw Migaloo, the famous albino whale.”
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
DIVING ICON VALERIE TAYLOR PUBLISHES AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
✈
✈Madrid ✈Seoul
✈Atlanta
✈
Los Angeles
✈
Houston
GUADALUPE
Miami
✈
✈Dubai
TURKS & CAICOS
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
HAWAII
CAYMAN
SOCORRO
a
A New Zealand shark cage diving operation involved in a long-running legal struggle is celebrating after getting a ban on their business overturned in the Supreme Court. Stewart Island-based Shark Dive New Zealand and Shark Experience had been fighting tooth and nail since the Court of Appeal ruled in September last year that cage diving was an offence under the Wildlife Act. The battle began in the High Court when PauaMAC5 – which represents commercial pāua quota owners operating in the same area – issued proceedings claiming shark cage-diving was an offence because it amounted to ‘hunting or killing’ great white sharks. The group also said it feared its divers’ lives were being put in danger. PauaMAC5 took the case to the Court of Appeal, which then made its ruling and declaration, but this latest chapter saw the Supreme Court state ‘the Court of Appeal’s declaration that ‘shark cage diving is an offence under s 63A Wildlife Act 1953’ is set aside’.
Paris
✈New York ✈Charlotte
d Se
NZ CAGE DIVING OPERATION WINS EPIC COURT BATTLE
✈Frankfurt
✈
London
✈
Chicago
Re
From trainee animator to Spielberg, from Jaws to Blue Lagoon, to falling in love with the ocean and with her husband, Ron, this is the exceptional and unique life story of pioneering marine conservationist, photographer and shark expert Valerie Taylor. At 83 years old, Valerie Taylor has lived a big, bold adventurous life. Born in Australia, Valerie spent a great deal of her childhood in New Zealand. A talented artist, she dropped out of school when she contracted polio. When she was 15, she found work as an animator and moved back to Australia with her family. All the while she thrived on being close to the ocean, and was a keen spearfisher. In the 1950s, she met Ron Taylor and then her real adventures started. Together they sailed all over the world, photographing and filming their travels for magazines, TV and movies, and making many documentaries. Valerie and Ron became interested in conservation, and focused on sharks in particular. They did all the shark work on Jaws, and James Cameron decided he wanted to become a film-maker because of Valerie and her husband. Valerie Taylor: An Adventurous Life is published by Hachette Australia with an RRP of $34.99.
Bangkok
✈
✈
GUAM
COCOS ISLAND
DERAWAN ISLANDS RAJA AMPAT
✈
SINGAPORE
GALAPAGOS
✈
Jakarta
FORGOTTEN IS.
KOMODO
✈Bali
New Philippines Aggressor liveaboard cruises starting May 2020. Book Now!
Aggressor Adventures® Worldwide Vacation Destinations
· Bahamas · Belize · Cayman Islands · Cocos Island, Costa Rica · · Cuba · Djibouti · Dominican Republic · Egypt · Galapagos ·
· Hawaii · Indonesia · Maldives · Mexico · Oman · Palau · Philippines · · Red Sea · Roatán · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Thailand · Turks & Caicos ·
+1-706-993-2531 • info@aggressor.com
www.aggressor.com
11
PHILIPPINES DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM WINS BIG AT 2019 WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS
T
he Philippines continues to reap the fruits of its intensified tourism efforts, securing two major awards at the 2019 World Travel Awards. This year’s World Travel Awards gala for Asia and Oceania held recently at the picturesque Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, hailed the Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) as Asia’s Leading Tourism Board, after the significant increase in visitor arrivals for the country in the past year, beating 11 counterparts from other countries also nominated for the award. “We are greatly honoured and thankful for this recent recognition for the Philippines at the World Travel Awards. A triumph as great as this simply could not be possible without the combined hard work from the government, industry partners, and tourism stakeholders in realizing a more-upward tourism industry for the country. This is not the DOT’s alone, but for all Filipinos to celebrate,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. In its most-recent report, the DOT indicated a 14.08 percent year-on-year increase in the country’s international inbound traffic, counting a total of 5,554,950 visitors between January to August 2019. Subsequently, the Philippines was also recognised as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination for the first time, following a number nominations for both Asia’s Leading Dive Destination and the World’s Leading Dive Destination
12
award categories since 2006. “It is also joyous news that the country’s diving scene is getting the attention it deserves. This award only adds to our motivation to promote a world-class Philippine dive tourism that is anchored on sustainability and inclusivity,” enthused Puyat. Dive tourism is identified by the DOT as one of the key areas in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2016 – 2022 that can positively affect industry growth in terms of increased visitor count, extended length of stay, and higher tourism revenue, among others.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
HUMPBACK WHALES IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTIC NEARLY BACK TO ‘PRE-HUNTING’ NUMBERS
The humpback whale population in the Southwest Atlantic, which once numbered more than 27,000 individuals, was driven to the brink of extinction after being hunted remorselessly by the steam-driven whaling boats operating out of the extensive whaling station on South Georgia in the early part of the 20th century. It got to the point where in the 1920s, whaling ships struggled to find and kill just 20 or so humpback whales in a year. But now, according to a report published in the Royal Society journal Open Science, it is believed that there are currently just shy of 25,000 individuals in this particular group, which winters off the coast of Brazil and travels to sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters in the summer. Astoundingly, that is more than 90 percent of the prehunting level. Dr Alex Zerbini from the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), was the lead author of the report, and he commented: “It’s a positive story. Though humpbacks were protected from the 1960s, there was a bit of illegal hunting still going on, but the whales’ recovery would likely have been well under way by the beginning of the 1970s. “But we didn’t really measure anything until the 1980s and it wasn’t until we did the first proper assessment at the start of the 2000s that we realised just how well they were recovering.”
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia
Bunaken National Marine Park w w w.s i l a d e n.c o m
Siladen-UK half--88x262.indd 1
09/10/2019 09:04
13
MEDICAL Q&A 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
DS N E I R DIVING WITH F
MALDIVES
NEW: Faarufushi Maldives
INDONESIA THAILAND EGYPT S PA I N
Q: My daughter is a good swimmer and really enjoys her snorkelling. Naturally she now wants to try scuba diving, but I’ve heard there are potential risks to growing children from diving – something about bubbles in the joints? I don’t know much about it, and she’s only 14 – old enough to try it, but I’m worried about her doing damage to herself. Am I being an over-protective mum? A: If you’re referring to bone growth, then you’ve touched on a question of some importance. The ends of the socalled ‘long bones’ (eg. the femur, tibia and fibula in the leg, and the humerus, radius and ulna in the arm) are called the ‘epiphyseal growth plates’, and they gradually elongate during childhood. This continues until about the age of 18, when the plates fuse with the shaft of the bone. The plates are mostly cartilage and they don’t have much blood supply, relying on diffusion from nearby areas for their nutrients. So if they are damaged, stunting of growth and shortened arms or legs may result. I’m not aware of any experimental or clinical data on whether diving causes damage to these areas, but looking at saturation divers, there is a risk of bone thinning after many years. However, considering the depths and times that children are restricted to, the risk of this occurring is probably minimal.
NEW: Roses, Costa Brava
OMAN M AU R I T I U S JA PA N C R O AT I A
LET´S DO IT: DIVING WITH EURO-DIVERS! B O O K I N G A N D I N F O R M AT I O N :
www.euro-divers.com 14 ED_scuba_diver_mag_55x251.indd 1
Q: I’m relatively new to diving and I’m going on my first liveaboard soon. My worry is this - I suffer with frequent bladder infections, and often need antibiotics to clear them up. Am I likely to get more of these due to diving, and can I dive if I’m taking antibiotics? I don’t want to sit on the boat with my legs crossed all week! A: Along with leg shaving, ‘monthlies’ and wolf-whistling brickies, another
22.01.19 12:00
curse of being female is the diminutive urethra. The simple reason that women get cystitis and men (by and large) don’t is that the tube that leads from the bladder to the outside world (the urethra) is much shorter in a female. The bugs that cause the infection therefore don’t have as far to travel to set up shop and multiply. Saltwater baths are often recommended, so in this sense diving might be helpful. Peeing lots helps clear the bacteria more often, so keep well hydrated. Other tips include wiping from front to back, and urinating after sexual intercourse. It’s a good idea to take a stock of antibiotics with you on the boat, as if all the above fails to alleviate the symptoms, you’ll need to start something before reaching land. Q: Having recently completed our family I have nearly been convinced by my better half to go for the snip. I have almost run out of excuses; but both being avid divers, neither of us know whether the op would be a problem for future underwater adventures. Is there any reason I cannot keep diving following a vasectomy? And if not, what would be the recommended recovery time before I can get wet again? A: My dear fellow, I wish I could offer you a lifeline here, to preserve your unmentionables. But the fact is, I cannot think of a good reason why you shouldn’t carry on diving after this procedure. A vasectomy is a simple operation that involves removal of a small section of the testicular pipework through a tiny incision in the scrotum. It’s a doddle to do (many GPs do the procedure under local anaesthetic these days) and diving can generally resume when the incision has healed, generally in a few days.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
This issue, our panel of industry experts focus their attention on night dives, and discuss what should be in every diver’s kit bag on one of these exciting excursions PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK EVANS, JASON BROWN/BARDO CREATIVE AND FROGFISH PHOTOGRAPHY
N
ight dives are a very exciting part of our sport. The thrill of kitting up under the lights on the dive deck, surrounded by inky blackness. The trepidation of a giant-stride into a black sea. The other-worldly effect of dive lights stabbing through the darkness during the dive. Even dive sites you are familiar with take on an eerie feel on a night dive, and you have to dive in a different way, focusing on what is illuminated by your dive light. But what should you ensure you always have when you embark on a night dive? Vikki Batten from PADI said: “Invest in a really good light. Check out what tech divers and photographers have, and ask them the pros and cons of their choices. Battery and bulb technology has improved in leaps and bounds over recent years, so you can get excellent lights that are small enough to carry on every dive. Don’t forget to tailor your choice to the type of diving you do - e.g. if you want to use an action camera underwater to film creatures at night, you’ll need something different to someone whose main purpose is getting the best view of the underwater life that comes out in the dark and communicate with their buddy. PADI’s Emily Petley-Jones commented: “Night dives are my favourite type of dive. Observing the differences in critter behaviour at night is truly mesmerising. Having fully charged primary and back-up lights are the obvious considerations when preparing for a night dive. However, careful consideration should be given to the strength of the light you are taking down with you. There are many lights which have super-strength flood which are so strong that they can dazzle the other divers and create the effect of daylight, but one could argue that if you want to replicate the effect of daylight, why are you on a night dive? This is very much a personal choice. For myself, the most-important thing is getting a torch with a robust switch so I can easily turn it off and on again should I need to. There are some underwater lights where to turn it on you have to rotate the torch head. It is possible for divers to fall foul of not being able to remember which way to turn the torch head, to turn the light back on again, and end up flooding the torch by unscrewing this too much. BSAC’s Dai Atkins said: “Hello darkness, my old friend… my torch has failed on me. Again! I wish I had put a spare in
16
my bag, Hopefully, this is what you’ve actually done, because night diving is ever so slightly more prep-heavy than day diving. Not only do you have to remember all the stuff you need for diving in the day, you also need to add some extras and take some additional precautions too. “There are some pretty standard practices when it comes to diving in low light conditions to ensure it’s safe. Dive only in sites you are familiar with is one – so select sites you dive regularly during the day and you will be less likely to become disorientated now that conditions have changed. Stick to areas of calm water – different conditions at depth may not be readily recognisable from the surface, and surfacing in a remote area far from shore is particularly high risk if surface conditions are challenging. And finally – be seen! Give surface support a sporting chance of locating you, both when you’re at depth and when you finally pop up! “Lights of all kinds are key here – torches and a back-up are obvious essentials for the kit bag, but also strobes and glowstick type devices are handy to help your buddy locate you underwater and for surface support to spot you. To avoid the higher risk of separation, a buddy-line might be a good idea
WWW.KUBISTORE.COM
+44 (0)1162 388255 | SALES@KUBISTORE.COM
and unless you’re absolutely certain you’re going to remain static, a surface marker buoy equipped with a permanent light of some description will enable you to be tracked from the surface. The boat or shore cover should be equipped with a spotting lamp to help look for your bubbles and avoid hitting you, and while everyone likes to look cool in black, there’s a valid reason here for wearing your hi-vis day-glo orange 1980s exposure suit! Don’t forget it may be cooler at night too, so up the thermal protection to avoid catching a chill and pack something warming in your thermos flask. “Diving in moonlight often gives a lot more ambient light to the water surface, and other fixed points of reference such as a shore party or boat location can be improved by having some kind of beacon-esque device – so maybe a beach BBQ or a campfire can help you maintain a datum to the shore, or stick a strobe on the shotline. If you surface under a delayed SMB, this can be illuminated by sticking your torch inside it – but beware of subsequent reports of offshore alien beings to the local papers if you haven’t touched base with the proper authorities about your intentions (don’t ask me how I know). “Sound on the surface is another way of pinpointing you
WWW.KUBISTORE.COM
position should you get separated from your group and your light has failed – so whistles, air-horns and other noisy things are all worth sticking in your jacket pockets, and if you have access to a personal locator beacon then all the better.” SDI/TDI’s Mark Powell said: “Diving at night may seem daunting at first. However, more often than not, I see divers fall in love with it. It truly is one of my favourite types of diving. With the proper equipment and the right planning, it can be a fantastic experience. “So, why do we bother diving at night in the first place? The environment completely changes. The same dive site you have seen multiple times turns into a whole new world. As the sun sets, a shift in wildlife occurs. An amazing new array of creatures emerge from their homes. Octopuses come out from their hiding holes to hunt. Squid dart in and out of your vision and lobster travel in packs across the ocean floor. Many fish will settle down into any available nooks and crannies to rest for the night while others will be out and active. This means
17
that you will see a completely different ecosystem when compared to diving the same site during the day. “Going on a night dive begins with solid preparation. Make sure you are familiar with the site you are going to dive. Choose a location you have dived before or scope the site out during the day beforehand. Knowing the layout will make navigation a breeze and will help you feel more comfortable throughout the dive. After you have picked a location, try to arrive just before dusk. It is much easier to gear up and plan out your route while there is still light. While you set up, conduct a thorough briefing with your buddy. Go over the dive plan and review all of the key hand and light signals you will be using. A circular motion with your light means ‘okay’ while a side-to-side motion means ‘attention’. Talking about these signals will ensure you and your team are on the same page. I also like to touch on buddy separation procedures. My dive partner and I have agreed to look around for no more than one minute before surfacing. Then we can reunite and continue our dive. Before you enter, mark your exit with a light or by using some prominent landmark. This facilitates an easy return by giving you a heading to swim for at the end of your dive. During the dive, try to stay shallow, stay close and go slow. Limiting your depth allows you to extend your bottom time and see all of the cool things night diving has to offer and you will have more fun knowing your buddy is nearby. “There are some additional equipment requirements associated with night diving. Of course, a good light is necessary to enjoy the dive. Actually, two good lights are required. When purchasing your first dive light for night diving, look for solid construction, common battery types, sufficient brightness, and appropriate ‘hot-spot’ for signalling. ‘Hot-spots’ are the middle area of a beam where the light is most focused and brightest. These are critical in night diving for signalling your buddy, so you’ll want to avoid lights that have no hot spot. Your back-up light should have all these attributes and should be well taken care of as it is an important piece of equipment if your primary should fail. “While you are using your light, be very careful not to shine
your buddy in the eyes. He or she will not appreciate being blind for the next few seconds. It is important to call the dive if any team member experiences a light failure. Other useful pieces of equipment are light sticks or marker lights. Light sticks can be attached to the tank valve. This makes you and your buddy easily identifiable underwater. Marker lights can be attached to an anchor chain or an exit point to help you find your way back home. Finally, compasses are very important tools to help you navigate underwater. Make sure to get one that has a glowing dial. They are far easier to use when they stay illuminated after a brief flash of your light.” IANTD’s Tim Clements said: “Night diving not only offers an additional insight into the underwater world, but it also challenges the use of our own major sense – sight. If you’re going to night dive ‘like a pro’, you’ll need to learn how to use additional senses, such as touch and have excellent navigational skills. By tapping into and developing these skills, you can also prepare for more-challenging deeper dives. “A pro would ensure that they have sufficient illumination for both orientation to the environment and signalling between divers. A pro would also ensure that torches were sufficiently charged and backed up with an additional torch in case of failure. “Night diving like a pro also means more meticulous attention to preparation of diving gear, boat or shore access – any problems at night may be harder to deal with, so preparation needs to be better. Have you got a method everyone understands for diver rescue, or location at the surface? Do you have good shore support closer than the saloon bar of the ‘Pony and Freeflow’ local pub? “Underwater, a pro will ensure that all team members stick together and, most importantly, that everyone understands anyone can turn the dive at any time – dark is an odd thing, and taking a diver for a first night dive may be unsettling. It could also be brilliant!” n
WWW.KUBISTORE.COM
Come and dive in the famous UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Favakara with Dive Spirit Fakarava the only eco responsible dive center of the atoll
PK 4 - 98763 Rotoava - Fakarava Tuamotu French Polynesia
DSF 1/2.indd 1
(+689) 87 32 79 87 – (+689) 40 98 41 40 infodivespirit@gmail.com www.divespiritfakarava.com 12/08/2019 08:26
One of the best dive locations... anywhere! Enjoy pristine diving with few boats or other divers in the area and we cater for everyone from your first time to the most experienced diver. We are a fully certified PADI and SSI Dive Resort with 50 world class dive sites... most within 20 minutes from the resort. DI V E F I J I W I T H F I J I’ S PR E MIER DI V E R E SOR T
+679 9920942 res@volivoli.com volivoli.com
VV half.indd 1
07/11/2019 10:31
Lena Kavender and Byron Conroy venture to the paradise island of Bali and discover that this Indonesian getaway can satisfy the desires of virtually any diver, whatever their particular ‘addiction’ PHOTOGRAPHS BY BYRON CONROY
20
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
It can be a challenge to decide where to go on your next dive holiday with all these wonderful options and varieties. Luckily, we’ve got great news for you – in Bali, you can get it all
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
21
The mantas here are not afraid of divers, instead they actually seem to enjoy flying above the divers in order to get their bellies massaged by the bubbles
Harlequin shrimp
F
ancy big stuff like manta rays and mola mola? Or are you more into world-class critter spotting? Why not pristine coral reefs in a million colours within one of the planet´s best national marine parks? Oh, so you´re a shipwreck junkie? It can be a challenge to decide where to go on your next dive holiday with all these wonderful options and varieties. Luckily, we’ve got great news for you – in Bali, you can get it all. My partner and dive buddy Byron and I were at Lotus Bungalows in Candidasa. The village is located on the east coast of the island, halfway between Sanur in the south and Tulamben in the north - truly an ideal location for exploring and experiencing the very best of Bali´s underwater landscape and creatures.
INDONESIA – WITH A TOUCH OF EUROPE
Upon arrival we were greeted by management couple Jan and Henriette, originally from Denmark, but ‘Indonesians’ for 15 years. While listening to an induction of the resort and the routines, we were seated next to the stunning infinity swimming pool facing the ocean. To the left and right of the pool were spacious bungalows, all with their own terrace facing either the ocean or the lush garden. Beautiful Balinese-style outdoor bathrooms for each bungalow were a really nice feature. Having a hot shower while listening to the waves from the ocean was the ultimate relaxation after a day´s diving. The rooms include unlimited
22
hot and cold drinking water, coffee/tea and there is also a minibar available with soft drinks and the local Indonesian Bintang beer. Directly behind the pool is Lotus´ popular Italian restaurant, making some of the best pizza and pasta I´ve ever tasted, along with Balinese and Indonesian classics such as mie or nasi goreng, freshly caught local fish or Balinese chicken. At Lotus, you enjoy your meals with pool and ocean views from every table in the restaurant.
FUN DIVING, TRAINING AND CCR
Thanks to the location, Lotus Bungalows and its dive centre, Gangga Divers, are able to take you to the very best of Bali´s dive sites, from Nusa Penida in the south to Tulamben in the north, and everywhere in between. This gives you the unique opportunity to experience a mix of big animals, tiny critters, healthy reefs and world-famous shipwrecks such as the USAT Liberty and the Bogas wreck.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
Gigantic sea fan adds a splash of colour to the reef
The welcoming Gangga Divers centre
‘Sexy’ shrimp
Gangga Divers is a PADI five-star dive centre and offers recreational PADI courses from Discover Scuba Diving to Divemaster. It is also the first Poseidon rebreather centre in Bali with their own in-house rebreather instructor Jan. Jan and Gangga Divers offer pool-based Discover Rebreather test dive sessions, Poseidon MKVI/SE7EN recreational rebreather courses as well as Poseidon MKVI/SE7EN technical rebreather courses (40m, 48m and 60m). The centre also offers dedicated rebreather diving for already certified CCR divers, and provides different size cylinders, sofnolime and trimix fills. Byron and I spent the first day of diving in the local area, Padang Bai, a short car ride from the resort and Candidasa. We boarded Natalie, one of Gangga Diver´s two comfortable Balinese-style dive boats. Natalie and sister vessel Maya both have separate wet and dry areas, flushing marine toilets, towels and hot and cold water stations. Snacks and drinks are provided by the dive crew before, between and after dives. On this first day, we chose to do three dives with surface interval and lunch on the boat in between dives. It was macro day and we were excited to see what critters were to be spotted in these Balinese waters. We started off by diving the Blue Lagoon, followed by the Drop-off, and it is safe to say that none of the sites left us disappointed. The sites were beautifully located next to a white sandy beach framed by coconut palm trees. We managed to spot several orange and black cockatoo waspfish, leafy scorpionfish, banded pipefish, short-tailed giant pipefish, orangutan crabs, ribbon eels and tons of nudis, to name but a few of our findings. The third dive of the day was the Jetty. The Jetty was constructed five years ago as a dock for larger ferries and cruise ships. However, as the project was completed and the Orangutan crab
The infinity pool overlooks the sea
Lena on a blue-water dive
first ship was to arrive, it became clear that the jetty was not solid enough to cope with vessels of this size and the jetty was simply abandoned. It now makes for a perfect dive site with an abundance of fish and critters surrounding the pillars of the jetty. It is also a popular fishing spot, and we got instructions from our guide Wayan to stay directly under the jetty throughout the dive to avoid hooks and reels. An exciting and good fun experience, as well as an excellent macro dive.
THE BIG STUFF
If you have not already visited Nusa Pendida´s Manta Point and Crystal Bay, these sites should definitely be added to your diving bucket list. The former is a manta ray cleaning station and you have a very good chance at spotting these amazing animals during your dive. The mantas here are not afraid of divers, instead they actually seem to enjoy flying above the divers in order to get their bellies massaged by the bubbles. At Crystal Bay, the ocean sunfish, or mola mola, can be spotted seasonally from August to November, peaking in September and October. The molas are the heaviest bony fish in the world.
Anemonefish
We started off by diving the Blue Lagoon, followed by the Drop-off, and it is safe to say that none of the sites left us disappointed 24
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM
©KR AUS
©FATHERREE
AQUAMARINE DIVING - BALI
INFO@AQUAMARINEDIVING.COM
www.AquaMarineDiving.com
It now makes for a perfect dive site with an abundance of fish and critters surrounding the pillars of the jetty
Skeletal shrimp
Vast barrel sponge
THE SMALL STUFF
For fantastic critter spotting (and let’s not forget a world-famous wreck dive), Tulamben is the place. Gangga Divers take you there by an hour car drive north. Once in Tulamben all diving is done directly from the beach. We spent one day diving the famous macro site Seraya Secrets. Our guide asked us what we wanted to see – ‘pygmy seahorses, ghost ornate pipefish, harlequin shrimps, painted frogfish?’ An hour later we had seen all the above mentioned critters, along with more nudibranchs than I have ever encountered before, over 100 for sure.
Camel shrimp
THE WRECK STUFF
While in the area, one must not miss out on the opportunity to dive the USAT Liberty shipwreck. A United States Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942, the wreck now acts as an artificial reef and is covered in colourful marine life. Early morning dives on the wreck are often rewarded by large schools of bumphead parrotfish cruising by. On the sandy bottom, many free-swimming peacock mantis shrimps, along with big groups of garden eels, can be spotted.
Striped catfish
Peacock mantis shrimp
CONCLUSION
With our stay at Lotus Bungalows coming to an end, we had managed to experience a variety of diving from the largest to the smallest of marine life, as well as wrecks and reefs. Not bad for one week´s diving out of a single ‘home base’! n
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
ASIA PACIFIC’S TOP 5 DIVE DESTINATIONS
BEST VALUE
Aching to book that next diving holiday but anxious about the Christmas budget? We’ve got you covered. Having scoured all the rate sheets for the Southeast Asia and South Pacific regions, we’ve put together the 5 Best Value Dive Trips to book right now, where you can spend a week diving for less than $2,000.
1
Munda, Solomon Islands
At the eastern tip of the Coral Triangle, the mostbiodiverse marine habitat on Earth, lies the Munda, in the Solomon Islands. With direct flights from Brisbane to Munda in the Solomon Islands’ Western Province, and a choice of budget accommodation, Munda is one of the most-affordable places to dive in the South Pacific, with packages starting at just over a $1,200 for a week’s diving and accommodation and a choice of over 50 dive sites to explore, including World War Two wrecks, beautiful coral walls to drift along, and mysterious caverns to explore.
2
Bali, Indonesia
If you haven’t dived the USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben Bay, you really need to add it to your dive bucket list – the biodiversity at this one dive site alone will have you strolling from the many nearby dive resorts four or five times a day, not to mention the other great coral and macro diving on Bali’s northeast coast. A week’s diving and accommodation here will set you back around $1,000. If it’s big stuff you prefer, hop across the Lombok Strait to Nusa Lembongan to dive with mantas and perhaps the world’s weirdest marine mega-fauna - mola mola. A week’s diving in Lembongan’s resorts with 12 dives starts at just under $2,000.
3
Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Less than three hours flight from Australia’s east coast, Vanuatu boasts some of the Pacific’s most-famous World War Two wrecks, including the SS President Coolidge and Million Dollar Point on the island of Espiritu Santo, and incredibly varied diving off the coast of Port Vila. Diving in Vila ranges from the staghorn fields and anemone gardens of Hideaway Island to stunning dives such as the
Semele Federesen wreck and the Cathedral sea cavern. And let’s not forget the beautiful swim-throughs (and active volcano) on the island of Tanna. Depending which island you choose, week’s diving will set you back somewhere between $1,100 to $1,990.
4
Pulau Tioman, Malaysia
Malaysia’s Tioman Island sits inside a marine protected area and as such is home to some of the healthiest reefs in South China Sea, with a huge variety of reef fish, turtles, sharks, cuttlefish, as well as fantastic muck diving and even a wreck. A week diving here starts at about $1,700 – including road and ferry transfers from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur international airports.
5
North Sulawesi, Indonesia
North Sulawesi is a bit of a double whammy, its east coast famous for the macro wonders of the Lembeh Strait and west coast for the beautiful coral walls of Bunaken National Park (Manado) and pristine coral gardens of Bangka Island. Some dive resorts offer two-in-one and even threein-one packages which allow divers to sample two or three of these North Sulawesi dive experiences, taking care of all transfers making the trips between locations seamless. There are several resorts to choose from on both east and west coasts, with a week diving at Bunaken costing around $1,500, and at Lembeh, $1,800. For more information on the best diving deals in AsiaPacific: www.diveplanit.com n
*NB: All pricing based on per person twin share/double bookings, using exchange rates at time of publishing. Terms and conditions apply. Additional costs maybe incurred such as marine park fees and nitrox. Airfares not included.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
27
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
SUPER MACRO
Following his last article on shooting shoals, Martyn Guess provides some insight into and tips on super macro photography PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS
M
acro photography is defined as close-up photography of subjects that shows them at lifesize or greater. Subjects underwater typically can range from, for example, an octopus to, say, a seahorse. Supermacro photography is where the subjects are typically very small and where they are shown at greater than 2:1, or twice lifesize. This type of macro photography opens up a whole new range of tiny subjects such as, for example, a pygmy seahorse (Image 1) to tiny frogfish (Image 2 and 3) or hairy shrimp, or nudibranchs like Shaun the Sheep (Image 4). It also enables slightly larger subjects to be shown filling the frame – for example, harlequin shrimp or emperor shrimp (Image 5). Super macro has become increasingly popular as more really tiny creatures have been discovered, and also as modern camera’s capabilities to take decent images of these minute subjects with improved autofocus systems has moved forward.
Image 1 – Pygmy seahorse showing very narrow Depth of Field with super macro
Image 3 – The same frogfish as image 2 with magnification from Nauticam SMC2
Image 2 – Super macro subjects can be really tiny – note the guide’s finger!
Best of Manado
ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS
29th Sept 2020 £2895 excluding flights
Holiday highlights... With an action packed 29 boat dives plus 9 unguided, house reef dives and free nitrox! Martyn Guess & Manado workshop will enable you to go hone and advance your key photographic skills at Murex Bangka and Lembeh resort. The workshop will spend 5 nights at Murex Bangka followed by 6 nights at Lembeh resort, both on a full board basis (2 people sharing).
www.scubatravel.com/photography
Book your holiday with the...
To take super macro images you need to add some accessories to your arsenal of photography tools. Typically, wet magnifiers or diopters which screw onto the housing port and can be taken off and put on underwater – these offer the most flexibility during a dive. Unfortunately, these can be quite expensive but in my view are worth the investment. I use wet lenses manufactured by Nauticam such as the SMC 1 and more-powerful SMC 2 with a Nikon 105 or Canon 100mm Macro lens on a full-frame camera. Nauticam also produce the excellent CMC 1 and CMC 2 which work extremely well with cropped sensor cameras and mirrorless cameras and where the go-to lens is around 50-60mm for Cropped sensor and 45 or 60mm with Mirrorless. These latter wet lenses also work well with compact camera systems. Other manufactures include Saga, Subsea and Inon. What essentially these pieces of glass do is enable the photographer to get closer to the subject and thus fill up more of the frame. The more expensive the wet lens, the better the optics tend to be. Cheaper alternatives tend to provide images which are softer towards the edges and can exhibit issues with chromatic aberration. Cheaper alternatives to wet lenses are dry diopters, which you have to fit to the camera lens or extension tubes (get the versions with auto-focus capability). These give the same magnification as wet lenses and provide very good image quality, but the major downside is you are fixed with the magnification they provide for the whole dive. Great if you are repeat diving on the same site and know the subjects you are going to shoot, but a real hinderance sometimes otherwise, as you will undoubtedly find you are too tight for bigger subjects. You will also need extension rings for your port, which adds to the cost if you don’t have them already. The other option is to fit a teleconverter between the camera and the lens. The Camera/Lens Manufacture produced teleconverters tend to work the best but other manufacturers such as Kenko also produce excellent and cheaper teleconverters. It is important in each case that you check which lenses they will work with. I use those produced by Nikon and work with my Nikon 105mm Macro lens and also my Sigma 150mm Macro lens and find these produce excellent results. Again, the downside is you are fixed for the dive, but they can also be used in conjunction with wet lenses for extra magnification. Perfect if you know you are diving to photograph tiny subjects. The main point of difference between teleconverters and wet lenses or dry diopters is that the TC gives the lens in front of it more power without having to get closer, so are great for shyer subjects or where you can’t get physically really close. One of the main considerations in super macro photography is that the depth of field can be absolutely minute – literally wafer thin. This has to be taken into account and your technique of taking macro pictures has to be absolutely spot on. This is where ‘practice makes perfect’ comes into its own! I often advise students to set the camera up for macro with say a higher shutter speed to help with camera shake, and to freeze the action. Also, so that the camera can gain focus
Image 4 – Shaun the Sheep nudibranch – just a few mm long! SMC2 1/320th F25 ISO 100 Image 5 – Emperor shrimp hitching a ride on a nudibranch SMC1 1/320th F22 ISO 200
slightly quicker before the shutter is depressed, back button or thumb focus which a lot of the newer cameras can provide. I also use a good focus light to help the auto focus and so that your eyes can focus more easily on the subject and establish where you want the lens to focus - such as eyes or rhinopores. Having a shallow depth of field however does have many benefits, including a beautiful bokeh or blurred background, which is perfect for setting off the subject in the foreground. Also useful to disguise a complicated or distracting background.
BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS
Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for over 25 years. 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 Scubatravel.
ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS
30th November 2019 £1295 excluding flights
Relaxed Red Sea
Holiday highlights... Join Martyn Guess for a week focused on getting more out of your camera! Departing from Hurghada, you will spend 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin share cabin). Based in Northern Red Sea with up to 21 dives over the week but the itinerary will vary, depending on the photo opportunities. All marine park fees, 12lt tank and weights are included in your package.
..award winning dive experts
www.scubatravel.com/photography
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Image 6 – Whip coral goby taken with SMC1 Magnifier and showing very narrow depth of field behind and in front of the subject
My recommendation to photographers seeking to try super macro is to first use a slightly less powerful wet lens or diopter. The CMC1 or Subsea +5, for example. I remember putting on a +10 wet lens when I first started with this technique and couldn’t see anything through the lens at all! This was down to the fact that I simply wasn’t close enough! Eventually you get used to roughly how close you need to be. It might seem very difficult at first but with practice it becomes second nature and when you start getting great results, you won’t want to go back. Just make sure that you don’t get so close to the subject that you bump into it! When you or your guide find a suitable subject, first assess how easy it will be to get into a position to take a shot. One of the first things I teach in underwater macro photography is critter selection. Sometimes it is simply best to just move on and find something in a better position. It is important that you are comfortable and able to get into a steady position with something like a rock nearby place to hold onto. A current or surge is going to make life very difficult, so best avoided until you get competent with focusing. Be aware of the surrounding habitat, and don’t simply plonk yourself on the bottom where damage potentially can be done. Good buoyancy is essential. When you look through the viewfinder or into the LCD, you will probably see nothing initially, as the subject will be completely out of focus. A subject with a good contrast with its surroundings is easier to start with as the autofocus will
work slightly easier. Sometimes as you move in closer the lens autofocus will hunt. When this happens, I sometimes focus on something close by with roughly the same camera to subject distance and then without refocusing simply rock in and out with the subject in the frame until it comes into focus. You can then refocus with the camera autofocus. When you initially look at the subject decide the part that you want really sharp. It might be a feature such as an eye. Move the focus point manually over the point you want sharp. As I mentioned above the Depth of Field (DOF) with magnifiers or teleconverters attached becomes very shallow. The DOF will thus create blurred areas behind and in front of the feature you want sharp and if this blur is used creatively the image will stand out (Image 6). Certain types of subjects are more difficult when shooting face on. Long-nosed fish or shrimps with legs and claws out in front are an example. You have to decide what is more important and in almost all cases the eyes have to be pin sharp so that the subject engages with the viewer. With these types of subjects, you just have to accept that say the mouth or the claws will be soft. If an image of the subject won’t work with such features slightly out of focus, the best thing to do is to take the picture sideways on. Typically, aperture settings should be around the F22 mark and higher in order to counter the shallow DOF created with Magnifiers, etc. I like to have my ISO fairly low to ensure that any digital noise is reduced to the minimum and as much detail as possible is squeezed out of the camera. I tend to use ISO 100/200 but often go lower still. The converse of this of course is that it is relatively easy to amplify the bokeh effect by using lower apertures and get really dreamy images. There are many subjects which create dreamy images work very well when you open up the aperture (image7). On your next trip try and borrow a wet lens and try super macro for yourself. You won’t be disappointed! n
Book your holiday with the award winning dive experts at Scuba Travel!
+44 (0)1483 411590
www.scubatravel.com/photography
Image 7 – Beautiful Bokeh can be created by opening up the aperture and using magnifiers. F11 1/320th ISO 50 with SMC1
with Wireless
Multi-Transmitter
Armored
with
Multi-Transmitter Side Mount
iDive Color
Fully ARMORED Able to withstand your dive ... or a Hammer.
BĂźhlmann + VPM Algorithm Double Core Decompression Algorithm for iDive Deep and iDive Tech+
Nitrox Analyser with Automatic Calibration
Armored
Full Deco Table during the dive
The size of a Watch,
Icon-Based
thin and lightweight
User Interface exit
enter
Made in Italy
up
down
distributed by
dealer enquiries welcome
In the first of a two-parter, Martyn and Paul discuss working with models, and explain how to make maximum impact from having a diver in your photographs. Next month, Mario, Phil and Anne take centre stage. PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS AND PAUL DUXFIELD
There are certain underwater images which need a model – a diver in the MARTYN frame, in order to give the image more GUESS impact. A model can add perspective and help with scale, as the human form is instantly recognisable and it is therefore easier to judge how big something is - for example, a wreck or a section of a wreck, with a diver in the picture. A diver in the shot helps to tell a story and can make for a much-more-interesting image. A diver in a cave, for example, will help with a sense of exploration. A diver can add human interest and the viewer will often relate to the scene – on the basis that they have been there or somewhere similar. A diver looking at a specific subject can add a lot to the image as it will lead the viewer’s eyes into the subject and, if well placed in the image, can assist with the overall composition. I use models in this way a lot. To get the best out of your model though, they need to understand what you are after and also how they will look in the image. Firstly, you need to rehearse with your model how you are going to communicate underwater and create signals that you both understand. Making a circular motion with your hand or finger indicates that you would like her/him to go around again and repeat the swim-through, for example. My wife has her own hand/finger signals in response, when I ask her to go back and repeat too many times, particularly in a current! Using your forearm and fist to indicate how you want the model’s body position to be angled – the fist representing the head, works well. Tapping your mask lens with two fingers and
then pointing in the direction you want them to look helps the model to understand where they should be looking. You don’t just want the model staring straight back at you, as this will not look very natural. I hold my hand up with palm towards the model and push back, if I want them further away, or I draw them in by beckoning them with my hand. Pushing my fingers away from my regulator and rubbing by thumb and fingers indicates that I would like my model to breath out and expel bubbles, which looks good when the diver is in the distance. You, the photographer, have to decide, how you want the model to appear in the image and then organise yourself in terms of your position, and then also the model’s position, to suit what you are after. The model is not going to second
Master Macro 9th May 2020 £2895 excluding flights ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS
Holiday highlights... 10 nights in resort, full board divers plan & 24 boat dives – FREE Nitrox Join pro photographer Martyn Guess in the critter mecca Dumaguete. With 24 boat dives plus free nitrox (3 dives/day plus 1 day Apo reef) and Martyn’s workshop throughout, this workshop packs a real punch. Additional travel options available, ask for details.
www.scubatravel.com/photography
Book your holiday with the...
guess what you are after. Something that I do quite a bit is to take a picture of the scene and then show the model the LCD and point to where I want them to be within the frame. If during shooting it isn’t working, show them the picture and again point to where you want them. It makes things so much easier for the model to understand. If you are after a specific shot, discuss it before you get into the water and there will be a far better understanding when you start taking your images. Something which also works well is the fact that the model can often see their reflection in the dome port, bearing in mind with wide-angle photography you are actually very close to the subject. They can then place themselves in better positions, rather like looking in a mirror. The model has to have good buoyancy and look natural in his or her pose, with hands clasped together and legs together. You won’t believe how awful diver images look if the legs are wide open – again, it doesn’t look natural. Inexperienced models don’t feel comfortable posing and tend to just hang in the water staring at the camera, so it is worth talking through things on dry land and explaining that swimming through a scene naturally and looking ahead will work far better than just hanging in the water. By the nature of swimming through the scene, their body position will be much better and hopefully horizontal. With inexperienced models I tend to have them further into the distance rather than close up where the body position and eye direction is more critical.
It is important that the model makes sure that their equipment is properly attached, such as air gauges and octopus, as otherwise they can be very distracting in an image. Think about what the diver looks like for the image you have in mind. Long hair looks better with a hair band rather than floating around. You can if you intend to take model images seriously go as far as brightly coloured masks, hair bands, wet suits and fins, all of which help to make a model stand out. Try using a model in your shots, but remember communication is the name of the game!
ESCORTED BY MARTYN GUESS
11th July 2020 £1495 excluding flights
Relaxed Red Sea
Holiday highlights... 7 nights onboard Whirlwind, tanks, weights and open dive deck at least once a day! Photographers can go at their own pace on a photography itinerary that is as relaxing as it is productive. Welcome to the world of the Red Sea Relaxed Photo Finish. Dive a host of incredible Red Sea dive sites with an open deck policy, chosen by our photo pro based on their reliability as top notch photo-worthy dive sites.
..award winning dive experts
www.scubatravel.com/photography
Our underwater photography professionals have, between them, literally thousands of hours of dive time and countless hours spent travelling the world shooting underwater images and teaching workshops. If you have a question you’d like them to address, email: mark@scubadivermag.com
I personally find having a diver, snorkeller, or often swimmer in my PAUL wide-angle underwater shots a vital DUXFIELD component of a good communicative composition. Okay, let’s explore a little of what I mean of a ‘communicative composition’. Simply put it’s a shot that conveys a mood or impression, that can be seductive to the viewer by trying to imply that they could be the one in shot in this beautiful location. It sells the idea of scuba diving being an aspirational endeavour and I like to try and make this look like it’s more of an inclusive recreation than something that’s only available to the privileged few. It’s a tricky balancing act as while you want to make it look like a lovely warm comfortable experience that is safe and relatively straightforward, you also want to have a thread of excitement running through the shot that is anything but the norm of sitting on a sofa and living life vicariously. You want to make people want to be there, and so what better way than to use a fellow diver in your pictures, either with or without their active participation. Most of the time, I am escorting a photo-style trip so I don’t like asking too much of my fellow divers, so I practice inadvertent modelling. I’m familiar, particularly at most of the Red Sea sites I visit, of the lay of the land, so I will have a shot in mind where the composition will be made by the inclusion of a diver, usually silhouetted in the blue section of
the frame, and fairly small in shot. So I will frame up sans diver and simply wait for an opportune moment for a diver to swim into shot, and fire away. Usually a couple of shots are needed to ensure that they’re looking good, isolated from the background and not breaking the edge of the shot. Great if it’s one of your group, but to be honest for these type of shots, the diver is usually unrecognisable and it really doesn’t matter who it is. If you’re diving with a regular buddy, maybe communicate your intentions pre-dive, and visualise a shot you may like to achieve and come up with a set of signals that work for you both, communicating things like, up a bit, down a bit, etc, or if you’d like them to switch on a torch, or tuck their arms in, or keep their legs straight. Of course, it’s only courteous to return the favour if you’re both taking pictures.
Corals and Caves on
Hurricane 21st May 2020 £1425 excluding flights ESCORTED BY MARIO VITALINI
Holiday highlights... Mario Vitalini will teach you to work with natural light and wide angle photography, as well as the secrets of amazing fish portraits and using strobes. He will help you build a stunning selection of classic Red Sea images, from the decks of the stable steel hulled Hurricane. There are 18-21 dives over the workshop, as well as all park fees included, 12lt tank/weights and FREE Nitrox.
www.scubatravel.com/photography
Book your holiday with the...
A whole other type of diver shot is where the diver is the main component of the picture and not just there to lend scale. So I’d suggest that you try and get some sort of eye contact as it will engage the viewer more. If the background is uninspiring or I only want to concentrate the viewer’s attention on the subject, I will often delve into the bag of tricks and use a spin, pan or twirl shot to emphasise what I’m wanting to get across. Because of the nature of my trips I am often photographing other divers with a view to using them to show a specific
photo technique or positioning in the water. Rest assured, though, if you find me blowing bubbles and snapping away within close proximity of your good self, it’s because I am thinking you’re looking good, well-trimmed and exercising conscientious buoyancy control. At the end of the day, including divers in your shots makes a human connection with the viewer, and is a great way to convince our non-diving brethren that it’s a great accessible hobby we all indulge in. n
ESCORTED BY MARIO VITALINI
11th Sept 2020 £1295 excluding flights
Photo Finish
Malapascua
Holiday highlights... Join photo pro Mario Vitalini on this Philippines workshop to hone your images of the biggest sharks to the smallest critters. The workshop includes 20 nitrox boat dives plus daily presentations covering all aspects of underwater photography. Your holiday package includes 7 nights in a deluxe room on an full board basis – optional room grades available. Airport transfers are included.
..award winning dive experts
www.scubatravel.com/photography
POPCORN and the deathly hallows Jonathan Mueller found himself caught up in a mystical, magical hunt for an elusive little squid lurking in the sand off Sydney PHOTOGRAPHS BY JONATHAN MUELLER
I
f you asked me last week if I would have gone to the trouble of looking for deadly hobbit squids in a few metres of water, I probably would have laughed and told you it was your shout to buy me a beer. This is an actual account of events that led me to do that exact thing. Go figure. It began as a ‘club dive’. By club dive, I mean me and a couple of mates (friends) who formed an unofficial dive group. Fanatics? Possibly. Lovers of underwater photography and unique marine life? Definitely. After not having our ‘club dive’ for a while, we put aside a Saturday afternoon to go for a shorey - shore dive in Australian. It was pitched as an easy late-afternoon dive with our cameras to a location called Dent Rock. Located two-anda-half hours south of Sydney, Australia, and near the famous white-sand beach of Hyams Beach, Dent Rock is an easy dive site off the shore in the Jervis Bay Marine Park. The best part is it’s a really short walk from your car to the water’s edge. A perfect spot for an easy club dive. Being the official last day of winter, the water temperature was a cool 15 degrees C. As we’re all wimps, everyone was wearing a drysuit. We cry if the water is too cold. To start off, for a trio who are not unfamiliar with diving, the whole thing seemed to be plagued with little dramas that made an otherwise quick set-up a lengthy couple of hours. Which, by the time we all had our gear sorted, cameras fired up
36
and were ready, was actually a night dive. Not one to be dissuaded, as the water conditions were great - no current and a rising tide - we decided to proceed with the dive. We were all familiar with the dive site, having completed night dives there previously, and it’s not very deep at 5m. We all grabbed our lights and made a dive plan to navigate to the dive site (100 metres off the beach) with our compasses. And this is where our adventure to Dent Rock became a sand fest of chasing deadly hobbit squids. It was mentioned when walking to the entry point that there are these cool little squids called PJ squids, or striped pyjama squids. Sorry, not actually hobbit squids (I made that up). These cute little fellas hang out in the sand around Australian waters. On our way out and back we planned to take a look and see if we could find them. Spoiler alert - we didn’t make it to Dent Rock.
With the sand plumes and evasive tactics, it was like I was actually playing a version of underwater quidditch just to get a shot WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
37
The PJ squid is a charismatic little creature
Aerial shot of Jervis Bay
PJ squids might be a type of cuttlefish? Don’t quote me as I’m not very good with scientific names, and when I do speak one it sounds like a Harry Potter spell gone wrong - point in case expecto-per-squido. Well, it’s actually Sepioloidea lineolate, but that doesn’t fit the narrative as well. As it turns out, there’s a bit of a trick to finding expectoper-squido, which are no larger than a golf ball. We entered the water and started to slowly move out towards Dent Rock, but immediately got distracted on the hunt for expecto-persquido. Where are they? How do you find them? Our club dive ended up with a really talented floating spotter as one of our members (the club sounds more official by the line) realised they were underweighted, so resorted to shining their light and pointing out white patches of sand that looked like they could hold expecto-per-squido. These guys like to hide just under the sand so only their eyes stick out. Clever, right? Taking my magic wand (my camera fitted with a macro lens), I started to cast my spell across the sandy bottom. I was hoping a little squid would jump out at me - and jump out at me they did. Before I knew it every patch of sand was blowing up and holding one of these little beauties who, as they startled out of the sand, would dart around and then slowly find a new spot to bury themselves. Getting the magic wand in the right position to get a shot worthwhile proved to be just as hard as our pre-dive prep. With the sand plumes and evasive tactics, it was like I was actually playing a version of underwater quidditch just to get a shot. Every time the camera was in focus the expecto-persquido would move up and down and out of frame and then back into frame. It wasn’t until one particular squid became interested in the camera and light that it was possible to get the shot I was wanting. Framed on black, PJ squids show off an amazing array of colour and lines. They are, in fact, rather curious and after a few minutes, it’s not hard to become an expert in finding where they hide.
Don’t quote me as I’m not very good with scientific names, and when I do speak one it sounds like a Harry Potter spell gone wrong point in case expecto-per-squido 38
As we regrouped, it was decided to call it a night. Dent Rock was still 80 metres away, but we were all quite happy to have just been in the water looking for expecto-per-squido. After packing up and making our way back for dinner, my partner asked us about the dive. I told her the great adventure and how we found these cute little squids, which she then said ‘sounds delicious! can you get me 20? they’d make great popcorn squid!’. A few days later, we discovered that these little guys are rumoured to be poisonous (probably lethal) and not for eating or touching, being of the same toxin as blue-ring octopuses. Deathly hallows - it’s Australia, after all! The dive wasn’t the highlight and possibly not being poisoned, the friendship and the adventure that came from it really made it worth it. Now if only there was a club dive this weekend. I’ve heard about a little waterhorse called a pygmy pipehorse and I’ve got just the spell. n PJ squid are a challenge to find and photograph
Galapagos WELL, ALMOST… David Jones is never one to shy away from a challenge, and he set himself a mission to dive the fabled Galapagos Islands on a budget PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID JONES
40
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
W
e all have a diving bucket list and I expect many of you are a bit like me. There you are, just having a mooch around on the internet, maybe a quick social media session, when up pops a friend’s video from some amazing destination you have never even heard of! Then someone who you thought was a buddy shares a viral video with you that shows hundreds of mantas performing somersaults in the air. Oh, come on! These people have no idea how much we fantasise over these exotic locations that seem so far away, not only logistically, but also financially! High on every diver’s bucket list has to be Galapagos, but it too is tantalisingly out of reach. Even a cursory search on Google will leave you in no doubt that ticking this one off the list is going to be big bucks - way out of my price range. There are a few obstacles with going to Galapagos. First of all, it is a long way to go, ergo pretty substantial travel costs. Secondly, in order to go to Darwin and Wolf Islands, you needed to be on a liveaboard and they are running at around AUS$7,500 for a week without the flight! The third issue combines the first two, because it becomes too far and too expensive for a short trip, so the compromise is to stay longer - which means even more money. Aarrgghhh, if only I can overcome those obstacles, I could be onto a winner! Actually, the solution seemed simple enough. First task - get there as cheaply as possible. Second task - reduce the cost of going to Darwin and Wolf. Third task - stay longer for less money. See, simple. It doesn’t take long to realise that at some stage on the journey you are going to need a stopover and either spend a long night in an airport, or a hotel. It is also fairly obvious that the more convoluted the journey, the cheaper it ‘might’ be, but there are limits! Not been one for living rough, I went for the hotel option. After a bit of searching, I found a decent flight. It was still not ‘cheap cheap’, but it left at a reasonable hour and got us into Quito in time for cocktails. Cost for the hotel, including dinner and transfer from the airport, was very reasonable per person for a shared room. Nicely rested the following morning it was an early morning domestic flight to Galapagos stopping briefly at Guayaquil. Park fees and a ‘Transit Control Card’, or TCT, will hit you for
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
Topside Galapagos is just as amazing
around AUS$150 before you manage to take a step out of the airport, but a couple of short bus rides and an even shorter ferry ride later, we were in our hotel for just after lunchtime. In order to overcome the high cost of the liveaboard, the simple solution was to not go to Darwin and Wolf and be land based for the duration, staying at three of the main islands. First stop was Santa Cruz. This is the most populated of the islands with around 12,000 inhabitants and it is also surrounded by some cracking dive sites. I noted with some satisfaction that the liveaboard itineraries also went to many of the same sites - made me feel slightly better for taking the ‘cheap seats’ option. Using Puerto Ayora as a central base we covered well-known sites such as Seymour North, a fantastic
Turtle
41
Family owned and operated, Fish Rock Dive Centre has been in operation since 1987 as a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Resort and training centre. We have recently received the PADI 30 Years Excellence award.
WHAT WE OFFER!
• Variety of PADI courses available. • We cater for all levels of experience including technical and rebreather divers. • Year-round dive site, home to one of the biggest colonies of Grey Nurse Sharks. • Patrolled by a great variety of marine life including cownose rays, hammerheads, bull sharks, whales, dolphins and many others.
(02) 6566 6614 Fish Rock DC.indd 1
dive@fishrock.com.au
fishrock.com.au 07/11/2019 10:21
dive where the shark and ray action is astonishing. Eagle rays, stingrays, white-tips, and very often hammerheads are found in great numbers here. To the east of the island, the famous Gordon Rocks emerge off the coastline, jagged remnants of an ancient volcanic crater. On the leeward side of the rocks colonies of sealions rest in the sunshine, occasionally breaking off from their relaxation to demonstrate their incredible agility just for our pleasure. Sealions are one of the great joys of diving in the Galapagos and we encountered them on virtually every dive. The itinerary included two dives a day, and these departed from Puerto Ayora, or at ‘The Cut’ in the north. Transfers were included, as was a pretty good lunch, and we even ventured to other islands that surround Santa Cruz, including Pinzon, Seymour, Santa Fe, Bartolome and Floreana. We stayed for seven days in Santa Cruz and did six days of diving. No, it was not as convenient as a liveaboard and we didn’t do as many dives, but it was only AUS$1,150. And at the end of the day, we saw everything you would expect - Galapagos sharks, mobular rays, hammerheads, eagle rays, white-tips, more turtles than you know what to do with. Accommodation was AUS$260 for seven nights in airconditioned shared rooms, including breakfast. It was time to move on and leaving some of our luggage at the Santa Cruz Hotel - the next stop was the ancient island of San Cristobal. This island had a far more laidback feel about it. It is much smaller, less people, no noisy bars and sealions take over the park benches during the day. To move around the islands you need to take the twohour ferry ride. There are always plenty of these available and a return journey is AUS$75. Being such a ‘sleepy hollow’, there are, not surprisingly, some amazing deals here on accommodation. Hostels are around AUS$37 a night, but if you don’t want air-con you can pay even less. We spent two nights on the island and did two days of diving. There are a Expect vast shoals of fish
The Caragua wreck
The wreck, thought to be a World War One German transport ship, the Caragua, is relatively shallow and covered in life few dive operators and most charge around AUS$180 a day, including lunch. With so few dive companies we didn’t see any other dive boats except for ours on any of the dive sites. San Cristobal has one of the only wreck dives in Galapagos, situated in the rather appropriately named ‘Wreck Bay’. The wreck, thought to be a World War One German transport ship, the Caragua, is relatively shallow and covered in life. Although it is well broken, it is still a really nice dive and having spent six days purely looking at wildlife, it was actually a really nice change. The highlight of San Cristobal diving was Kicker Rock. During a two-hour boat journey to the site, you sail past totally isolated white sandy beaches that are quite stunning. Another volcanic remnant - there are a lot of those in Galapagos - Kicker Rock is split vertically down the middle. Dive one was a drift along the outside looking, unsuccessfully on this occasion, for whalesharks and hammerheads. The second dive was actually through the crack in the rock. We had been told that it was home to schools of juvenile Galapagos sharks and we were not disappointed. Although some strong winds had whipped up the sediment and lowered visibility, it was still an exciting experience. Laying in 18m on a rocky bottom, scores of young sharks swam backwards and forwards around us. It was time to move again and we headed for our third destination, Isabella Island, stopping briefly at the Puerto Ayora Hotel for one night. The ferry journey to Isabella was also AUS$75 return and
The Caragua shipwreck
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
43
Whitetip reef shark
RED-LIPPED BATFISH
took around two hours. Approaching the island, you instantly realise that you are entering another totally different world and culture. The island is overlooked by five active volcanoes so is rich with new forestation as well as huge lava fields. The tiny population of around 1,700 is mainly found in Puerto Villamil on the south coast. The youngest of the Galapagos Islands at around one million years, Isabela is still growing and Wolf Volcano (not to be confused with Wolf Island) had erupted spectacularly 100km to the north only weeks before our arrival. Accommodation can be ‘really’ cheap, but once again we opted for AUS$37-a-night room. Diving was AUS$170 for the day. There was only one dive centre and we had only planned one day of diving, on Isla Tortuga, a crescent-shaped island that was once the crater of a small volcano. The guide told us we could expect lots of mantas, the only thing on the list to have evaded us so far, and hammerheads. Having been spoilt up until this point, I was not too bothered what I saw. As it turned out, this was probably one of the best dives of the trip. As we drifted over the lava fingers of this ancient volcano that reached into the depths, it was soon clear that every ridge was a manta cleaning station. Schools of scalloped hammerheads patrolled in the deeper water. The guide was very undemonstrative about the diving here, but to be honest
These people have no idea how much we fantasise over these exotic locations that seem so far away, not only logistically, but also financially! 44
It is only found in Galapagos and off the coast of Peru and is closely related to the rosey lipped batfish found in Cocos Islands, Costa Rica. It has a lure on its head similar to anglerfish, which it uses to attract prey. When it reaches maturity, its dorsal fin turns into a spine. They are not good swimmers, but their modified pectoral fins means that they can walk on the bottom. In spite of their appearance, they do not use lipstick. Manta ray
it was extraordinary and my one regret was that I hadn’t the time to do more. We stayed for another day in Isabela, making the most of the extraordinary place. Some of us watched blue boobies, some swam with penguins through lava tunnels, others climbed one of the volcanos on horseback, but all of us were really glad we hadn’t just sailed by. As always it was over too quickly, but it had been one hell of a trip. Flights, accommodation, transfers, ferries, park fees and diving had come in at around AUS$4,600. Food and drink on top and you could manage this on a budget of AUS$5,500. Was it a shoestring? Well, not quite, but it was not too bad. We had seen everything we had hoped and more, and I had ticked Galapagos off the bucket list. n
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
NITROX MARINE PARK FEES TRANSFERS WINE WITH DINNER FUEL SUPPLEMENTS TAXES
12 Fabulous Liveboards Red Sea, Maldives, Indonesia Guaranteed Sailings
Emperor halves SD.indd 2
05/11/2019 15:52
T
his has to be the most-exotic window cleaning job in the world! Twice a day, every day, Prodivers dive staff fin out to the exclusive 5.8 underwater restaurant, situated at Hurawalhi five-star resort in the Maldives, and wipe clean the entire transparent dome. It takes just a few hours for the current to deposit a fine layer of sediment over the curved surface, obscuring the view from inside out. Having a completely clear view at this exclusive Swedish-owned restaurant is very important. Before the first lunchtime sitting begins, divers equipped with soft cloths carry out their cleaning duties, taking great care not to scratch the clear surfaces. I traced their route around the dome taking pictures from every angle. These are, in fact, the very first underwater images to be published by a magazine. Up until now, no one has ever looked at the scenery from the outside. The 18 metre long by five metre wide structure weighs more than 400 tons and is one of the largest underwater restaurants in the world. Accessed via a 40 step spiral stairway, it has a maximum seating capacity of ten tables (20 diners). The floor sits at a depth of 5.8m, hence the name ‘5.8’. Even though Hurawalhi’s house reef, called Aquarium, lies just a few fin kicks away, divers and snorkellers are discouraged from coming closer as this would affect the diner’s privacy. When I spoke to assistant marketing manager Karina Obanesyan, she said the restaurant is extremely popular and rarely has an empty seat, so advanced booking is recommended. There is a choice of three settings - two two-hour lunch settings starting at midday and at 2pm, and one dinner setting at 7pm. I was fortunate enough to visit Hurawalhi resort several years ago during the construction phase. Ray Van Eedden, Prodivers regional manager, gave me a sneak preview of the impressive-looking restaurant, but the project was so sensitive I couldn’t take pictures. A team of 13 engineers came up with the design and it took around ten months to build. In all there are eight pillars holding up the restaurant. Each pillar has been pile driven some 24m below the seabed. The semi-circular transparent tube is made from 12.7cm thick plexi-glass and was manufactured in Japan, assembled in New Zealand and then shipped to the northern Lhaviyani atoll in the Maldives for final placement. All of this work cost a cool US$10 million! Although not on such a grand scale, this wasn’t the first plexi-glass structure I had encountered. During a trip to South Africa I visited the WSRI (White Shark Research Institute) where the owner Craig Ferriera had been testing out a new state-of-theart two-man plexi-glass cage design. I’m more used to seeing thick aluminium bars so it was quite disconcerting to have a totally clear 360 degree view of the shark’s domain.
46
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
WHEN I’M
CLEANING
Stuart Philpott was left mesmerised by an underwater restaurant in the Maldives, both as a diner within, and outside with the dive staff ensuring the glass was nice and clean PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
47
At least I now knew the material was tough enough to withstand a white shark ‘bump’, so a 5.8 underwater mere parrotfish nibbling on the glass shouldn’t restaurant pose too much of a problem! With some help from Karina, I managed to secure a table at an afternoon sitting. The lunch and dinner menus are pre-set (a vegetarian option is also available). The Michelin-standard five-course meal mainly consists of fish dishes. It felt slightly bizarre eating fish while being surrounded by even more fish! The presentation of each course looked very classy and colourful, and the taste wasn’t disappointing. Even though the food was outstanding, I would have been quite happy to spend the whole two hours just gawking at the marine life. At least I didn’t have to worry about making conversation with my dinner date! We were both mesmerised by the display. Striped sweetlips, butterflyfish and snapper pottered around the corals, while a huge shoal of fusiliers passed overhead. Even after 30 years of scuba diving, I found the whole experience breath taking. For non-divers this has to be the perfect way There was a huge field of anemones inhabited by bright red to experience a thriving reef, complete with all the usual anthias and clownfish. I was basically having lunch inside trimmings. a giant natural aquarium. Marine life sightings are totally Prodivers have played a very active role in the project’s unpredictable. Anything can pass by. Placing fish ID cards on development. Dive staff spent months transplanting the every table was definitely a nice touch. surrounding coral garden. All of the corals and anemones Lunch time at 5.8 turned out to be one of the mostwere recovered from a broken reef after a storm had passed memorable dining experiences I have ever had. Combining the through. I was surprised to see how well they had flourished. outstanding view with quirky cuisine was definitely a crowd pleaser. Everybody on my sitting left the restaurant with beaming smiles. The walkway out to the But then again who wouldn’t enjoy restaurant eating posh nosh at an exclusive underwater restaurant on a tropical island paradise! I’m not sure it could get much better than this? Well, maybe an underwater hotel might just tip the scale. It wouldn’t surprise me if the astute Swedish owners had already made plans. n
EATING UNDERWATER
5.8 underwater restaurant attracts visitors from all of the surrounding resort islands. Hurawalhi can arrange a water taxi from Kuredu and Kudadoo private island. The cost per person for a five-course lunch is US$225, or US$280 for the seven-course dinner. Wine and beverages are extra. WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
MALDIVES
Submerge with Prodivers Maldives
LHAVIYANI ATOLL Famous dive spots such as Kuredu Express and Caves are reachable by boat within a few minutes. The Lhaviyani Atoll is an absolute must if you want to see big fish. Schools of grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks and eagle rays can be seen on a scooter dive through the channels!
Our Islands: Kuredu Famous 4* Hotel Komandoo Pure Relaxation 4*+ Hurawalhi Luxurious 5* Island Kudadoo Private Island 5*+ Innahura New 3* Divers Hotel
SOUTH ARI ATOLL The South Ari Atoll offers some of Maldives' best dive spots and a enormous diversity of marine life. Strong currents provide the atoll with enough nutrition so that even manta rays and whalesharks can be seen all year round.
Our Islands: Vakarufalhi 4* Island Paradise Lily Beach 5* Luxury for the whole family
www.prodivers.com
BEYOND TECHNICAL
www.narkedat90.com
What happens when talented cave divers Maria Bollerup and Rannva Torfrid Joermundsson join forces with some of the leading and most-innovative brands in the industry? An impressive, thought-provoking short film called Unexplored, that’s what. We go behind the scenes. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACOB DALHOFF STEENSEN AND NATALIE L GIBB
The main goal of the collaboration is to highlight the sport of diving as an inspiring and meaningful sport - we need to inspire more people to engage in diving, to become ocean ambassadors and thus help protect and promote the ocean
50
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
We design, manufacture and retail scuba and rebreather equipment. We have fully equipped test and certification labs, and can pressure test large items in our vacuum chambers, as well as run fully automated leak test and dive simulations down to 400m. Our EMC and EMF lab is filled with state-ofthe-art equipment for testing electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic fields. We also have a large in-house laser for cutting and engraving on plastics and metals. www.narkedat90.com
F
ive of the scuba-diving world’s leading brands - Apeks, Fourth Element, IQSub, Paralenz, and Shearwater Research - have launched a collaboration to promote exploration, ocean awareness, and inclusivity within the sport of diving. The first outcome of this partnership is a short film called Unexplored (search for it on YouTube), which shatters the misconception that cave diving, often referred to as the most-dangerous sport in the world, is reserved for men. Unexplored follows two technical divers - Maria Bollerup and Rannva Torfrid Joermundsson – as they explore the Tortuga Cave in Tulum, Mexico. Scuba Diver talked to Maria and Rannva, as well as Jacob Dalhoff Steensen, Partnership Manager at Paralenz and the key initiator for this partnership, to gain an insight into the project. Q: How did the idea for Unexplored first come to fruition? A (Maria): Ha ha, I’m not sure if we all remember it the same way? Jacob, Rannva and I were hanging out at Eurotek in Birmingham, where we got talking about the cave-diving trip Rannva and I were doing a few months later. Jacob got superexcited about the thought of following our adventures. He has a grand vision about empowering women within the dive industry, by following them through the Paralenz cameras. Naturally, we got equally as excited. Telling our story and hopefully inspiring some ladies along the way – sure! A: (Rannva): Maria and I and a few of our other cave-diving friends from Denmark try to make at least one cave-diving trip per year. It’s a trip we are always excited for, and at Eurotek 2018, Maria and I were telling Jacob about our upcoming trip. Jacob, who always has an eye for exciting projects, immediately thought it would be a great story to tell, plus he is always looking for ways to get the industry working closer together, as well as promoting inclusivity. Suffice to say, as both myself and Maria are working in the industry, we thought this was a great idea and would love to be part of it. A: (Jacob): The idea came out of a passionate chat about a cave-diving trip to Mexico. Maria and Rannva told me about their planned trip, and as I and Paralenz have a genuine urge to create and tell inspiring and engaging stories, I felt like this would be the perfect project. Q: What was the main aim of the short film, and do you think the finished production fulfilled your ambitions? A: (Maria): With the short film, Paralenz and the co-lab brands aimed to show a more soft and accessible side of the technical world of diving. By combining a beautiful cave dive, executed on some of the absolute best and most-technical dive equipment on the market, Rannva and I were aiming to kill the myth that technical diving is a man’s world. I think we did just that.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
51
view all products online
www.narkedat90.com A: (Rannva): The main ambition was really to try and show cave diving from a different perspective, and ultimately urge more people to venture into cave diving, especially ladies. We also just wanted to show a bit of what cave diving can be, and what thoughts go through our minds when we go diving. I am very happy and proud of the finished project, and I think we managed to achieve our goals. A: (Jacob): The main goal of the collaboration is to highlight the sport of diving as an inspiring and meaningful sport - we need to inspire more people to engage in diving, to become ocean ambassadors and thus help protect and promote the ocean. In this context, telling a story about two girls going cave diving in Tulum just hit the spot on this agenda, and seemed like a great way to portray technical cave diving as an approachable sport of beauty, exploration and pushing your limits. Q: The film is shot in the world-renowned cave systems of Mexico. What made you choose this location for the shoot? A: (Maria): For my part, I tend to return to Mexico again and again for the sheer beauty of the caves. The cave itself (Tortuga) was chosen by the woman behind the camera. The highly skilled videographer, cave diver, instructor and overall superwoman Natalie L Gibb from ‘Under the Jungle’. She lives in the area and has an extensive knowledge of all the caves. And the cave was perfect for the job! The clean white saltwater tunnels had such a cool contrast to the brown and decorated freshwater tunnels. A: (Rannva): Obviously, we love going to Mexico cave diving, as there are so many different and exciting caves to dive over there. Natalie (our videographer and director) chose Tortuga Cave because of its variations and beautiful decorations. It’s also a lesser-known cave, which meant that we were there alone and had no one disturbing us. For safety reasons, the cave had been explored before, and Natalie and her team knew the cave well, but it was new to Maria and I. A: (Jacob): The choice of location was a result of the planned trip. But obviously, the location added to the interest in making this into a minidoc. Q: What were some of the more-challenging aspects of the film shoot? A: (Maria): To be honest, I think Rannva and I had the easiest job! Natalie was working like a horse! She was managing the whole thing with such precision and authority, that I (for my part) felt hugely inspired by watching her work. I love every minute of diving in caves, especially on a rebreather… so three dives a day, on topnotch gear, watching Natalie light up the cave, was just a wonderful new way of hanging out underground! I wish I could bring her on all my
52
future cave dives, like a little light Dobby. You know, send her ahead to open up the cave with artistic placement of lights. A: (Rannva): You do spend many hours in the water and you really want to do a good job and not waste anyone’s time – I think one of the more-challenging aspects was ‘acting’ underwater and also trying to provide what Natalie wanted. She, however, was brilliant, and had already laminated the shots she wanted to do, so she had a clear way of communicating with us. A: (Jacob): As I was not involved in the shooting underwater, I will leave this to the girls to answer. Q: You are all individually highly qualified and experienced divers. How did each of you get started in diving, and what was it that attracted you to the moretechnical side of the sport? A: (Maria): I started diving when I was 16 years old, I wanted to be a marine biologist! I had been begging my parents for years. Once I got certified, I sold my pony and bought dive gear in order to dive myself into weekly hypothermia in the Danish waters… The parents were puzzled, but supportive (thanks!). When I turned 18, Rannva and Maria
Rannva and Maria relaxing topside
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS I travelled to Jordan to become a Divemaster and at 20, I become an instructor in Malaysia. After a few years in Asia as an instructor in isolated places with great diving, I found myself a cocky immortal - until the day I found myself heavily bent by diving way too deep on air. It was bad. Afterwards, I got symptoms of DCS after the simplest dives, and I either had to quit diving for good, or radically change my approach. As for so many others, diving is my free-space, and I therefore got obsessed by the world of technical diving, searching for the safest way of executing the dives that attracted me. Rebreathers caught my heart straight away. Optimised gasses, larger depths for longer, the beauty of controlling the gear according to environment along with obtaining that sensation of absolute neutral buoyancy a rebreather gives you… it ALL got me hooked. But in the most-humble way, I must add, no more ‘cowboy-diving’ for me. A: (Rannva): I started diving in Australia in 2008 – I had seen Finding Nemo and since I was close enough to the Great Barrier Reef, I thought I had to give it a shot – even though I was quite scared of sharks and other things in the water. That all vanished as soon as I got my mask on and was able to see underwater. Technical diving came years later from Maria and my friends in Denmark, who always were super inclusive and encouraging – I also just love the challenges of the courses and then the actual dives afterwards, as well as the planning and the trust you put in your buddies and your team. A: (Jacob): My personal career in diving started in Egypt. I did my Open Water course on a week’s holiday back in 2011, and I never went back. I starting my courses to become a diving instructor and worked as one in countries like Egypt, the Maldives and Thailand until I joined Paralenz in 2017. What draws me to technical diving is the science and theoretical aspect of it, as much as it is the exploration and pushing your limits. As Rannva so eloquently puts it, ‘You will never explore beauty unless you start facing your fears’.
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
Q: What does the future hold for the three of you, both in further collaborations and in individual endeavours? A: (Maria): Ha ha, we are frequently poking Jacob for other projects, it was such fun! Paralenz has the power to reach out to so many people, and it would be an honour to work with them on other great subjects. Preferably with favourite buddy Rannva. On a personal account, my adventures continue with the daily work as a destination manager for a dive travel agency - a work that allows me to travel and dive as much as I want. It’s amazing! My next big technical trip will be in February, where I am heading to Sulawesi for cave diving. The caves are largely unexplored, and I am so exited to be part of the exploration! I can’t wait! A: (Rannva): I am always up for new adventures – especially with my favourite buddy and whatever amazing ideas Jacob might come up with. Personally, I will be doing a short cave-diving trip to Florida after the DEMA show, and then in January, I will be fulfilling a life-long dream, of going diving in Antarctica. My ultimate hope will be to go diving with a leopard seal. A: (Jacob): I am not able to disclose too much of what is to come, other than it will be in the spirit of our collaboration, to inspire people to involve themselves with the underwater world and to create meaningfulness in diving. For as long as I am able, I will keep working to raise awareness of our beloved ocean - and try to inspire others to do the same! n
53
O2 KIT
What’s New
The O2 kit comprises of a DIN G5/8 first stage with dialable flow rate from 0-20lt / min, and a constant flow reservoir mask. It also comes with a demand valve with face mask to allow an unconscious diver to breathe on demand. The system also contains a pressure gauge. This is an ideal system for using in a school or training scenario, as not only can you have a designated bottle, but once this runs out then you can also use any higherpercentage oxygen supplies which are commonly found, such as stage cylinder and rebreather bottles. It’s more compact than a standard assembled system, and the unit can come with an optional hard case, which protects and shields the assembly from adverse environment conditions. www.nautilusdiving.co.uk
DIVER’S SLIP ONS
Have you ever struggled to get your hands and feet through the arms and legs of your wetsuit? Are you one of those who has resorted to putting a plastic carrier bag over your hand or foot to aid its passage through the neoprene of the suit? Well now you can get yourself into your suit with no dramas using these nifty Diver’s Slip Ons, a nylon and spandex product that you slide on to your hand or foot, and then glide them through the neoprene of the suit arm or leg. They come in S/M and L/XL sizes, and are sure to be a popular and handy addition to many divers’ travel bags. For more information and where to buy them, contact: info@divingdistribution.com
NAUTILUS STROBE
XDEEP MASK Polish brand xDeep have earned a reputation for top-quality, durable and robust wings, and its foray into the world of fins also garnered plenty of fans. Now the company is branching out again, this time into mask territory. The xDeep mask comes with a black or clear silicone skirt, and can have either clear or tinted lenses. www.xdeep.eu 54
This new strobe from Nautilus boasts a CREE XM-L2U2 LED, which gives out a maximum of 2,500 lumens with an irradiation distance of 200 metres. It is depth-rated to 100m – having been tested to 130m – and has a magnetic rotate switch for off/continuous/strobe functions. It comes with a 26650 battery, along with a zippered box, charger, lanyard and clip. www.nautilusdiving.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
ATOMIC AQUATICS BC2 The BC2 is the backinflation evolution of the acclaimed Atomic BC series, and the Atomic BC2 incorporates the same futuristic, incredibly tough, corrosionresistant materials as the jacket-style BC1. A result of the Atomic ‘design studio’ approach, the BC2 is a radical design departure from conventional back-inflation BCDs, and is what Atomic claim to be ‘the toughest back-inflation BCD in the world’. The double-laminated, polyurethane-coated fabric has an attractive, matte-coated finish, and sheds water so that it is virtually dry seconds after surfacing. It is also nearly impenetrable, and resists abrasion, tears and punctures, as well as being resistant to chemicals, mould and mildew. It is equipped with the EZ-Lok integrated weight system, and has Atomic’s ratcheting Cam-Lok tank band, which is similar in design to the bindings on ski boots. It comes in sizes ranging from small to extra-large. www.atomicaquatics.com
MARES SCUBA RANGER More children are getting into diving, and now manufacturers are designing kit specifically for them instead of expecting them to make do with XS or even XXS adult sizes. Now while in some cases these might fit the child perfectly, often it is a case of ‘making do’, but with bespoke kid’s equipment, it fits like it should, but at the same time manages to still look like a ‘proper’ bit of dive kit.Take the Scuba Ranger BCD. At first glance, it looks just like a standard adult Mares BCD, even down to the pull dumps and power inflator, but closer inspection reveals this is designed for small divers from the ground-up. This BCD has a plastic backplate that is smaller than normal ones, and also has a dedicated adaptable shorter tank band to enable it to fit smaller cylinders. It is classed as a size 3XS, but thanks to some nifty design work that sees twin pinch clips on the shoulders, it will ‘grow’ with a diver as they go from child to youth. Mares reckon around eight to 12 years of age. The Scuba Ranger is made from Cordura 420, so it will put up with some hammer, and it has specially designed octopus and pressure gauge holders, plus two Velcro-closing pockets. www.mares.com
OCEAMA BONITO Oceama is a German brand that is not that well known, but the Bonito is sure to change that. This is a wellpriced little torch, which comes with all manner of neat accessories. The Bonito is made from anodised aircraftgrade aluminium, and is depth-rated to 200m. It is operated by a stainless-steel pushbutton on the hilt, and can run at 100 percent, 50 percent and 20 percent power settings. The CREE XPL-5V HI LED has a ten percent hot-spot wideangle beam, and at full power – 1,200 lumen – you get a burntime of 120 minutes. It comes in a zippered protective pouch, and the package includes the torch itself, along with a soft Goodman handle, wrist lanyard, 26650 battery, battery charger, charging cable and Euro two-pin USB plug, and even adaptors to allow you to use a 18650 rechargeable battery, or three AAAcell batteries. For more information and where to buy the Bonito, contact: info@divingdistribution.com
FOURTH ELEMENT RIDLEY/ZAMBEZI SHORTS
Fourth Element’s new Ridley and Zambezi shorts are made using recycled plastic from post-consumer plastic bottles. Roughly 8 bottles are recycled to make each pair of shorts meaning that these shorts not only look great, they are also good for the environment. Made with quick drying, stretch fabric for freedom of movement and comfort, the Zambezi’s have a classic boardshort design with a zipped back-pocket and cord closure at the waist. The Zambezi shorts are available in slate or patterned and sit just above the knee. The Ridley Shorts are at home on land and sea, with a traditional look, button waist closure and mesh lined pockets for fast draining and drying. Both shorts have a UPF of 35 meaning that they block approximately 97% of harnful UV rays. Sizes available: XS – XXXL. www.fourthelement.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
55
Gear Guide
THIS ISSUE: WRISTWATCH DIVE COMPUTERS
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 6,000.
WRISTWATCH-STYLE DIVE COMPUTERS
This issue, we look at wristwatch-style dive computers. At one time, if you wanted a dive computer that doubled up as a watch, you basically bought a Suunto Spyder, and then the iconic Suunto Stinger, which became pretty much de rigeur wrist-wear for dive instructors. Suunto had the wristwatch-style dive computer segment of the market to themselves for a long time, and they have bolstered their range substantially over the years, and still offer more of this type of dive computer than anyone else. However, most of the other manufacturers have now cottoned on to the fact that a lot of divers like to have a wristwatch computer, either as their primary unit, or as a handy back-up to their main dive computer, and so they have brought out a few into their line-ups. We have assembled a selection of wristwatch-style computers here for the main test, but have also provided a round-up of the other computers offered in this style by these manufacturers.
56
ON TEST THIS MONTH: • AQUA LUNG I200C • MARES SMART AIR • OCEANIC OCI • SHEARWATER RESEARCH TERIC • SUUNTO D5
Location: Tested at Vivian Dive Centre, Llanberis www.viviandivecentre.com Water temp: 11 degrees C Surface temp: 12 degrees C
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
AQUA LUNG i200C Aqua Lung offer several wrist-mounted dive computers, including the full-colour i770R, but they had not ventured down the wristwatch route until they brought out the i450T (see below). That has now been joined by the innovative i200C, which represents fantastic value for money for a well-equipped, durable wristwatch-style unit. It uses the tried-and-tested Z+ algorithm, and has a segmented LCD display, which is easy to read – for low-light conditions, it has a push-button-activated back light, which is handy on night dives or when you are in grotty UK conditions. It has got four operating modes – Air, Nitrox, Gauge (with run timer) and Free Dive. Handily, the latter tracks calculations to allow unrestricted switching between free and dive modes. In Nitrox mode, it can handle two gas mixes, up to 100 percent oxygen, so will cover the vast majority of divers for all of the diving they will ever want to do. It has a user-replaceable battery, so no sending it off to the manufacturer when it runs low. It comes in six funky colours, from the more-subtle Grey and Dark Grey to in-your-face Bright Pink, Aqua, Blue, and Hot Lime. We got the Hot Lime for this Group Test, and it certainly stands out as a daily wear watch, often eliciting comments from even non-divers. It feels solid on your wrist, but is not what I’d call heavy. The best thing about the i200C is how easy it is to use – it literally takes a couple of minutes to get your head around the menu and four-button navigation and then you are away. However, one of the i200C’s greatest attributes is down to how well it works with the DiverLog+ app (which is available for iOS and Android). The i200C seamlessly interacts wirelessly via Bluetooth Smart technology, and you can control all aspects of the computer from your phone or computer. I found it easy to jump into DiverLog+ and adjust all the settings – gas mix, salt or fresh water, alarms, etc – and then it is a simple matter to just fire that over to the i200C and, you are ready to dive. Far quicker and easier than doing it all manually on the computer itself, to be honest. On completing your dive, you can then throw over all your dive data from the i200C into your DiverLog+ app logbook. Your dive profile, time and date, water temperature, etc, are all brought over from the i200C, and you can then add additional information, such as what gear you were using, your location, buddy’s name, any photographs or videos you took, and so on. You can even get your buddy to digital ‘sign’ your logbook. Once complete, you just hit the ‘share’ button and can send it out via all the usual channels – email, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, etc. The DiverLog+ app has many features beyond those described above – you can build up a file of buddies, locations, ‘gear bags’ for different conditions, and much more. Like the i200C itself, it is very intuitive and easy to use. With a decent range of capabilities, and coming in at just a shade under £300, it represents excellent value for money and is a nice user-friendly piece of kit, especially as it works so well with the DiverLog+ app.
OTHER WRISTWATCH COMPUTERS The i450T was Aqua Lung’s first real foray into the world of wristwatch-style dive computers, and is a capable unit in its own right. It offers hoseless gas integration, and is compatible with three different transmitters and gas mixes on a single dive. The screen is nice and clear, it has a digital compass and, like the i200C, it has four operating modes - Air, Nitrox, Gauge, and Free Dive. www.aqualung.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
57
MARES SMART AIR Mares boast a wide array of dive computers, but only really made an impact in the wristwatch-style scene with the launch of the Nemo range and the Matrix (see below), but it was the Smart (see below) - and the Smart Air - that really put them on the map. The Smart Air is a neat, compact wristwatch computer that has subtle good looks - we like the grey-and-black strap and body of our test unit, and the flashes of colour on the screen surround. The minimalistic stying continues to the controls - there are only two buttons. This makes navigation around the menus very easy. The computer offers hoseless air integration for up to three transmitters, and it gives you a graphic and numeric display of tank pressure on the screen. It is multi-gas compatible, and has a freediving mode with dedicated alarms. There is also a bottom-timer mode, and a backlight for when you are night diving or in low-light/lowvisibility conditions. We found the screen nice and clear in use, and while the digits are not the biggest, they are very sharp and distinctive, so we had no problem reading the information on the screen. We were also able to operate the computer even wearing thick neoprene gloves. The Smart Air has a user-replaceable battery, which is great news on a wristwatch-style computer, and saves you having to send it off to the manufacturer The computer provides the hoseless gas integration through the LED Tank Module, which has a colour LED mounted on the end. This allows for visual tank checks predive, but also it will alert your buddy to a low-gas situation during the dive. The Smart Air works with the Diver’s Diary (Mac) and Dive Organizer (PC) apps, which allow for firmware upgrades, has full logbook functionality, and much more. The Smart Air represents awesome value for money - a wristwatch-style computer offering hoseless gas integration is an absolute steal. OTHER WRISTWATCH COMPUTERS The Nemo range was Mares’ first delve into the world of wristwatch-style dive computers, and these were followed by the Matrix, a well-equipped dive computer, with a clear dot matrix display, rechargeable battery, upgradeable firmware, and a full-tilt digital compass. The Smart is a full-featured wristwatch-style dive computer, which can deal with two gas mixes, and also has freediving mode, and a bottom-timer mode. It comes in a range of colours - black, black-and-white, lilac-and-white, lime-and-white, black-and-red, and black-and-grey. It also has a user-replaceable battery and, as it is the basis for the Smart Air, also only has two buttons for navigation/ operating the backlight. www.mares.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area
58
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
EOS UW LIGHTS
Be illuminated with the EOS lights
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
EOS Torches From 320 to 2300 lumens Magnetic adjustable focus From 55 to 100 Minutes of burn time (max power) In-house rechargeable battery Usb rechargeable cable Led charge indicator Wide light beam Magnetic multifunction switch with safety lock Four options: on, low, flash, off One-hand use Tubular handle Adjustable wrist strap Padded case with zip
• • • • • • • • • • •
EOS Strobe 450 Lumens 360° High visibility 5/25 Hours of burn time In-house rechargeable battery Usb rechargeable cable Led charge indicator Magnetic, rotational switch Two operating modes: on, strobe Anodized aluminum housing Adjustable strap Padded case with zip
OCEANIC OCI The OCi is Oceanic’s range-topping wristwatch-style dive computer, and it incorporates an awful lot of features. As with most Oceanic computers, it is equipped with the patented dual algorithm, so you can select from the Pelagic Z+ (Buhlman ZHL-16C) or the Pelagic DSAT (Spencer/Powell data basis) algorithms, and as well as air and nitrox modes, it also has free and tech free (where it calculates nitrogen during a freedive) modes. It also has hoseless gas integration, and is capable of communicating with up to four independent transmitters, with up to four nitrox mixes from 21-100 percent. That should be more than enough for entry-level technical divers. The OCi has a digital compass which is easy to use and clear to read, and in fact the entire display is nice and simple to navigate. It doesn’t have the biggest screen - the Geo 4.0 is larger, with a bigger display - but the digits are nice and clear, and navigation via the fourbutton controls is straightforward. Like the Geo it has a user-replaceable battery, though it is recommended to have it pressure-tested by a dealer. Our test unit came in a cool white colour scheme, but it also comes in black, black-and-yellow, black-andblue, black-and-grey, and black-and-red. OTHER WRISTWATCH COMPUTERS The Geo, now in its 4.0 incarnation, was Oceanic’s first wristwatch-style dive computer, and this latest version is a solid unit. It can handle air and nitrox (up to three gas mixes between 21-100 percent), and also has a gauge and freediving mode. The menu is easy and simple to navigate via the four button controls, and it has got a backlight for low-light conditions. As with most Oceanic computers, it is equipped with the patented dual algorithm, so you can select from the Pelagic Z+ (Buhlman ZHL-16C) or the Pelagic DSAT (Spencer/Powell data basis) algorithms. It will also work with the Pelagic DiverLog+ app, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store. This handy tool not only logs your dives but also allows you to control and change settings from your phone via Bluetooth. Pre-dive you can select your gas mix and algorithm, set alerts for time and depth, etc, and then fire it across to your computer. After the dive you can reverse the process, sending all your dive profile information across to your phone, where it can then be embellished with photos, videos and more. www.oceanic.com * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area
60
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
SHEARWATER RESEARCH TERIC Now most of the other wristwatch-style dive computers on the market user a dot matrix LCD display, and these are generally nice and clear, and easy to read. However, Shearwater Research decided to utilise all of their skills with full-colour screens, as with the Petrel and the Perdix, and shoehorn it all into a wristwatch-sized unit. The result was the Teric, and while it is by far the most-expensive computer here, it also boasts a mind-boggling array of features, as well as one of the brightest screens I have ever seen in all my years of testing dive equipment. When Gabriel from Shearwater Research was describing the Teric to me prior to the arrival of our test unit, he said ‘the Teric is like the sun and the Perdix is like the moon’. I have always been impressed with the colour and clarity of the screen on my Perdix AI computer, so I thought he was maybe exaggerating - until the Teric showed up. Set on its brightest setting, the Teric obliterates its sibling. Light conditions, dark conditions, lousy vis, it makes no difference, you can easily read the information on the
AMOLED screen of the Teric, and if you really have bad eyesight, you can set it to ‘Big Layout’, which makes critical information largest. Menu navigation is done via four buttons, but you can configure it so that a single button can access your mostused tools, such as compass, timer, etc. The Teric is hoseless gas integrated, and can monitor up to two transmitters on two different tanks. It has tech, OV tech and CCR tech modes, with up to five trimix and nitrox gases, so even hardened veteran technical divers will find that this has the capabilities to match their skill level. The computer also has a freediving mode, and as well as a ‘techie’ black finish, you can also get it in black-and-white, black-and-green, black-and-yellow, black-and-blue, and even black-and-pink. It has a rechargeable battery, but uniquely, this is wirelessly charged - you simply pop the Teric into the cradle and it starts charging. Even the screen display rotates 90 degrees so that you can still read it and use it as a timepiece even when it is being charged. There are also three displays on the screen - a normal digital readout, a digital ‘analogue’ style with hands, and then a funky display with circles containing the hour and minutes, and one with seconds, moving around the screen. www.shearwater.com
62
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
SUUNTO D5
Suunto have a mighty line-up of wristwatch-style dive computers, but they gave the range a shake-up with the launch of the D5. Sitting in the price point between the D4I Novo and the D6i Novo, the D5 takes a different track. It has a three-button navigation control, and a full-colour screen, which really makes it stand out from its brethren. If you are used to Suunto’s existing range, it doesn’t take long to get your head around the D5, and if you have an EON Core or Steel, you will instantly find the menu familiar. The screen is clear, especially if you set it to the highest brightness, but you can always give it a short extra ‘boost’ of brightness by pressing the middle button. It has a digital compass which is clear and simple to use, and hoseless air integration with up to three different tanks, as well as fully updateable software. It can handle up to three gas mixes (from 21 to 100 percent) and uses Suunto’s latest algorithm, Fused RGBM 2. There is also a freediving mode, and a gauge mode. One feature we really liked was the vibration alarm, which sounds when you miss a stop, break a depth limit, etc. It vibrates when you start your three-minute stop, and then vibrates again to let you know you have completed it. It will Bluetooth to the Suunto App on your phone, and you can then download your dive logs, as well as add additional information and photographs. It also has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which means you never have to worry about your computer running out of juice on a dive trip and having to scrabble around to find someone to change the battery. One neat feature about the D5 is the strap system. You can literally remove and replace a strap in seconds. There are a wide variety of colours and styles available, and even a leather strap for evening wear (Suunto don’t recommend diving in that one!), so you can swap and change as much as you want.
OTHER WRISTWATCH COMPUTERS As we mentioned in the introduction, Suunto kickstarted the whole wristwatch-style dive computer with the launch of the Spyder, and then the Stinger. The extensive line up now includes the D4i Novo, which uses Suunto’s RGBM algorithm, has three dive modes - air, nitrox and free - and has optional hoseless gas integration. Then there is the D6i Novo, which is equipped with the Suunto RGBM algorithm, and has a steel casing, 3D compass and hoseless gas integration. It has four dive modes - air, nitrox, gauge and free - and can switch between up to three nitrox mixes. The range-topper is the DX, which at its launch was the world’s first watch-sized CCR-compatible dive computer. It has a titanium bracelet, and utilises Suunto’s Fused RGBM algorithm. It can handle air, nitrox and trimix, can switch between up to eight gas mixes, has a 3D digital compass, and optional hoseless gas integration. www.suunto.com
* = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area
WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU
63
Long Term Test MARES GENIUS
SEALIFE SEA DRAGON MINI 1300S
Mark Evans: The Genius is the latest full-colour dive computer from Mares that not only supports recreational air and nitrox diving, but also hypoxic and normoxic trimix gas mixes, making it their most-advanced computer so far. Four push buttons along the bottom of the housing provide easy navigation through the various menus, screens and settings. The Genius is packed with features, including INFORMATION Arrival date: August 2019 the ability to support up Suggested retail price: * to five optional wireless Number of dives: 0 transmitters. Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins www.mares.com
SUUNTO D5 Mark Evans: The Suunto D5 has been used in the colder waters of the UK more recently, after its jaunts to the Red Sea in Egypt and Jordan, and that full-colour screen is great in lessthen-ideal visibility. The display is easy to read, and with the colour-coding you can see and understand exactly what it is telling you. The vibration method of alerting you to what it is doing is also very neat, and you can easily feel it through even a thick neoprene glove. www.suunto.com 64
Mark Evans: The Sea Dragon Mini 1300S is winging its way to me from SeaLife Cameras as we speak, and looking forward to giving it a first runout in Malta and Gozo next week. A compact but powerful dive light is a godsend on a dive - you can use it to signal your buddy, light up inside wrecks or under ledges/ INFORMATION Arrival date: July 2019 in caves, etc, and when Suggested retail price: * you aren’t using it, you can Number of dives: 0 stick it in your BCD pocket. Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins www.sealife-cameras.com
APEKS TECH SHORTS
INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 34 Time in water: 32 hrs 25 mins
Mark Evans: My Apeks Tech Shorts will be accompanying me to Malta, where they will be used to stash a DSMB and spool, and my back-up dive light. It is just so handy having decent-sized pockets to safely and securely put your accessories, leaving them easy to hand. I used INFORMATION Arrival date: March 2019 to miss my drysuit pockets when I was in a wetsuit, but Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 32 no more. Time in water: 31 hrs 15 mins www.apeksdiving.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM.AU