Scuba Diver #38

CRUISING THE CAYMANS

COSTA RICA MAINLAND

THE MALDIVES

MICHELE WESTMORLAND VISITS THE CAYMAN ISLANDS ON THE CAYMAN AGGRESSOR V

WE SHOW THERE IS MORE TO DIVING IN COSTA RICA THAN THE ICONIC COCOS ISLAND

STUART PHILPOTT HEADS FOR A 3-STAR RESORT BUILT WITH DIVERS IN MIND

FRANCE'S Herault Region CHRIS JEWELL & ANDY TORBET EXPLORE THE CAVES OF THE GOURNEYRAS

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EDITOR’S NOTE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC At the end of 2019, virtually no one had heard of Coronavirus or COVID-19, but here we are at the end of March, much of the world in lockdown, scientists battling to find a definitive solution to this virus, and the death rate still continuing to climb.

This pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on the world as we know it, far more than anything I can recall in my lifetime, and it has left many just trying to get by day to day.

Obviously, as with many other leisure activities, diving has come to a dead stop. With countries closing their borders, airlines cancelling flights, dive centres closing their doors, and many going into total lockdown in their own homes, diving is the last thing on many people’s minds. However, in times of crisis such as this, it is important to try and remain positive, as it is all too easy to slide into a pit of depression, not helped by the endless stream of negativity on our TVs, or the rubbish posted on FaceBook by armchair experts.

So you can’t go diving, but why not used your enforced time at home to give all of your gear a thorough once-over. Give it a good clean, identify any problems, and if possible, fix them. If the issue is outside a DIY remedy, make a note of what needs doing - drysuit seal, zip replacement, etc - and once we start getting back to some semblence of normality, you can support your local dive centre by taking in your gear to be repaired. Why not take your regulator set-up and BCD in for a service at the same time? Then as borders open back up, flights resume, and you can get back to our own coastline, you will be ready to hit the water.

Mark Evans Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mark Evans Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 700 Email: mark.evans@scubadivermag.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com

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CRUISING THE CAYMANS

COSTA RICA MAINLAND

THE MALDIVES

MICHELE WESTMORLAND VISITS THE CAYMAN ISLANDS ON THE CAYMAN AGGRESSOR V

WE SHOW THERE IS MORE TO DIVING IN COSTA RICA THAN THE ICONIC COCOS ISLAND

STUART PHILPOTT HEADS FOR A 3-STAR RESORT BUILT WITH DIVERS IN MIND

FRANCE'S Herault Region CHRIS JEWELL & ANDY TORBET EXPLORE THE CAVES OF THE GOURNEYRAS

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PHOTOGRAPH BY: RICH STEVENSON

27/03/2020 17:29

REGULAR COLUMNS

FEATURES...

10 News

22 The Cayman Islands

Deptherapy joins forces with RAID, the effects of COVID-19, robber crabs living up to their name, and Aqaba’s Hercules is damaged by a storm.

30 Divers Alert Network

The DAN Europe team looks at the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers advice on keeping safe, including how to disinfect and sanitise dive equipment thoroughly.

40 Underwater Photography

Martyn Guess maintains a focus on the smaller subjects we encounter underwater, this time looking at snoot lighting.

66 OWUSS Scholarship

Part one of Kim Hildebrandt’s epic trip to Antarctica.

6

Michele Westmorland returns to the Cayman Islands for only her secondever visit to this diving Mecca, and embarks on a cruise around all three islands - Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac - aboard the Cayman Aggressor V. Each of the three islands has its own unique attractions - for instance, Grand Cayman has the Kittiwake and Stingray City, Little Cayman has Bloody Bay Wall, and Cayman Brac has the MV Keith Tibbetts - and heading out on a liveaboard enables you to sample all three without the need to get on an island-hopper flight.

32 The Maldives

The Maldives was first put on the map as a diving heaven in the middle of the Indian Ocean, with its tiny dots of land serving as an entry-point to the amazing underwater vistas that surround them. However, over time, while they are still a diving hotspot, they have also attracted more general holidaymakers and honeymooners, and islands have become more four- and five-star level. Stuart Philpott headed to Innahura, a three-star resort aiming to rekindle that original diver-friendly approach to accommodation and facilities.

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CONTENTS

...CONTINUED

GEAR GUIDE

44 Costa Rica

54 What’s New

Say ‘diving’ and ‘Costa Rica’ and most people think of ‘Cocos Island’, but as Adrian Stacey explains, there are some rich and varied diving opportunities off mainland Costa Rica, it is not just all about the legendary offshore island. Adrian worked in the country for a while, so join him as he whisks you on a whistlestop tour of a selection of the best diving areas, where you can encounter everything from mobula and manta rays to whalesharks and even hefty bull sharks.

50 TECHNICAL: France

France is world-renowned for its cave-diving opportunities, but most divers tend to head to the fabled ‘Lot’ region. Always among those wanting to find new dive sites off the beaten track, Thai cave rescue hero Chris Jewell joined up with TV adventurer Andy Torbet and underwater photography expert Rich Stevenson and ventured to the Herault region of France in a bid to explore the cave systems lurking beneath the tranquil countryside.

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We take a look at new products to market, including the Hollis Katana 2 sidemount rig, Atomic Aquatics’ unique Scuba Heat system, the traditional-style Scubapro Level BCD, and Mares’ extensive Cruise range of dive bags.

56 Gear Guide: Award round-up Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans presents a round-up of the gear that got the Choice and Best Value awards in the most-recent Group Tests.

62 Long Term Test

The Scuba Diver Test Team rate and review a selection of products over a six-month period, including the Beuchat Aquabionic fins, Mares Genius dive computer, Scubapro G2, the Apeks VX1 mask, and the Best Divers Aldebaran torch set.

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WHERE IT ALL BEGINS WWW.EGYPT.TRAVEL

SHARM EL SHEIKH THIS IS RUSH HOUR

ASK YOUR TRAVEL AGENT

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

RAID JOINS FORCES WITH

DEPTHERAPY TO CREATE NEW ADAPTIVE TEACHING PROGRAMMES

F

ollowing a presentation at the GO Diving Show in Coventry, UK, at the end of February, scuba diving rehabilitation charity Deptherapy has announced that it is working on a series of exciting new programmes with diver training agency partner RAID. These new programmes are destined to transform scuba diving training for all abilities.

Award-winning Deptherapy is the acknowledged world leader in Adaptive Teaching – training those with lifechanging mental and/or physical challenges through specially designed scuba diving programmes that enable divers to achieve standard agency certifications. Many of Deptherapy’s programme members have suffered limb loss and other significant physical injuries. 80 per cent of members are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other chronic mental illness. Sadly, people with all kinds of disability are still actively discriminated against inside and outside the scuba diving industry. However, the work of Deptherapy has shown that even those with massive injuries can still meet all the standards required to become main agency qualified divers without the stigma of ‘disability’ being shown on their certification card.

Successful Adaptive Teaching requires considerable additional effort from the instructional team, working very

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closely with the student, to think ‘out of the box’ so that the individual can achieve the required standard.

Until now, the majority of Deptherapy programme members have been UK Armed Forces veterans, but the charity has long been a champion of the cause to make scuba diving accessible to all those with disabilities.

Moving forwards with RAID, Deptherapy and its training arm Deptherapy Education are now working towards extending their programme to push the boundaries of Adaptive Teaching for a wider cohort, as well as offering an alternative for those with disabilities or medical conditions that mean standard certifications are unachievable.

Richard Cullen, Chair of Deptherapy explains: “The Deptherapy Team is realistic, and we know from experience that some divers will not be able to achieve the standard certifications, even with Adaptive Teaching, due to the nature of their illness or injury. For instance, a quad amputee or a quadriplegic cannot complete all the skills required but they

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IEN R F DIVING WITH

can still dive on a limited certification, providing they do so with the support of a qualified team trained to support a diver with extreme levels of disability.

“In partnership with RAID we are working on a new model of Adaptive Teaching, but also we want to provide limited certifications similar to the old D1D3 levels for those divers who are unable to meet required standards.”

A new training programme for dive professionals is being finalised to facilitate the new teaching models. The new Deptherapy / RAID course for Instructors and Divemasters will prepare trainers to teach adaptively, to understand disability, to make realistic assessments and, most importantly, to support their student through the challenges of becoming a diver. The diver training programmes will then be available through RAID dive centres worldwide.

Paul Toomer, Director of Diver Training at RAID, says: “Deptherapy is unique in its vast experience of working with divers with all types of challenges. The diving world does discriminate against those with disabilities and the easy way has been to qualify them as ‘disabled divers’. We want to see a new approach, one that firstly looks at how a student could reach mainstream certification by adapting skills. If that is not achievable, then we will work to qualify them under the D1-D3 system. We are bringing together professionals from the RAID community worldwide to work on this major project.”

Deptherapy and RAID plan to run a pilot Dive Professionals course in Autumn 2020, with the remainder of the training courses rolling out from January 2021.

For more information about Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education, visit www.deptherapy.co.uk

DS

MALDIVES INDONESIA THAILAND EGYPT SPAIN OMAN MAURITIUS JAPAN CROATIA

ENDEAVOUR FUND 2020 – DEPTHERAPY’S TOM OATES WINS HENRY WORSLEY AWARD

Inspirational members of the Armed Forces Community who were injured or fell ill in service have been named as the winners of the Endeavour Fund Awards, recognising their determination to recover, help support others and achieve excellence in their sport or adventurous challenge – and Deptherapy’s Tom Oates took a prestigious honour.

The awards are held annually to celebrate the achievements of those injured in service and recognise the fortitude needed to take the next steps in their lives.

Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, attended the ceremony to meet the inspiring winners and nominees from the life-changing Endeavour Fund work.

Tom was one of three people put forward for the Henry Worsley Award. This award is presented to the individual who has best inspired others through the demonstration of determination in the face of adversity, while endeavouring to support others with their recovery through sport or adventurous challenge. This was presented to Tom by The Duke of Sussex and Max Worsley.

Tom said: “I have never won anything in my life before so winning the Endeavour Fund’s Henry Worsley Award is unbelievable, Without the support of Deptherapy and the Endeavour Fund I would not be alive; this Award is a true milestone for me. I hope I can give back to the charity by being a Champion for our project ‘Protecting Our Oceans’ and by supporting veterans who are new to the Programme.”

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COVID-19 AND THE WORLDWIDE DIVING INDUSTRY The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has had an unprecedented global impact on the daily lives of millions of people, who are now dealing with lockdowns, social distancing and other measures to try and tackle this devastating virus which has already claimed thousands. This of course is causing hardship for many, who are out of employment now or struggling to get government support.

The diving industry has not escaped, and every facet of our fraternity is feeling the effects.

With countries in quarantine, airlines cancelling flights, and people in lockdown, even local diving has been curtailed, and trips to exotic warm-water destinations seem but a distant dream at the present time.

However, while everyone just knuckles down to try and ride out this period of uncertainty, with the hope that some semblance of normality could be resumed by the summer, there are little moments of ingenuity and thinking outside the box that shines a positive light on the diving industry.

Ocean Reef, which produces full-face diving and snorkelling masks, has created an adaptor which will fit to their snorkelling product and transform it into a COVID-19 protection mask.

The consumer pricing for the adaptor is planned to be purposely low to help current owners convert their snorkelling masks as inexpensively as possible.

The adaptor fits in the connection of any Ocean Reef-produced mask. The filter can be of any type and brand, with the 40mm threading, and to reduce the exhalation effort, you can just push out the exhalation valve cover of the mask.

All full-face snorkelling masks produced by Ocean Reef, including the Aria QR+, Aria Classic, Aria Una, Aria Jnr, Original Aria, Head SeaVuDry and Sport, and Tusa Sport, will accept this new adaptor. Additionally, the project is ready to be modified to work on other full-face snorkelling mask brands, like Easybreath, Aqua Lung and many more.

All Ocean Reef full-face snorkel masks can be easily cleaned and sanitised, while much of the protection equipment that is now difficult to purchase is single-use. Another benefit of a full-face snorkelling mask versus most disposable masks is full coverage of nose, mouth and eyes.

First 3D printed prototypes have already been tested over the past three weeks and full industrial production was scheduled to begin on 31 March. Initial output was to be 1,000 units per day.

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GHOST FISHING CHANGES ITS NAME TO GHOST DIVING Ghost Fishing, a well-known charity, is officially rebranding itself as Ghost Diving to make it easier for the public to understand what it does.

In 2012, Pascal van Erp founded the Ghost Fishing organisation, a non-profit that works with volunteer divers around the world to carry out environmental diving projects.

Since its founding, they have managed to bring the ghost-fishing problem into the public spotlight, through key international collaborations, breathtaking underwater photography and impressive results.

“Now that the problem is identified and well known, it’s time to focus on the solution. We decided to rebrand our organisation and bring the divers on centre stage, as they are the ones who recover the lost fishing gear, once it has been lost in the seas and oceans. They deserve recognition for their truly heroic efforts,” says van Erp. Ghost Diving will keep some elements of the old logo, so fans of the volunteer chapters throughout the world should not notice too much of a difference.

The logo also includes the tagline ‘Global Mission’, aiming at reinforcing their extrovert attitude. “Our goal is that in only a matter of time our new name will become a generic term for all divers working to remove ghost gear from wrecks, reefs or the seabed,” says van Erp. This change comes at a time when ghost gear has been identified as the biggest plastic polluter in the ocean. The Ghost Diving teams around the world are trained to combat this pollution, whether it’s found on shallow reefs or great depths - the name might have changed, but the mission and core values of Ghost Diving stay the same. www.ghostdiving.org

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One of the most-popular dive sites in Aqaba – the artificial reef created by a C-130 Hercules aircraft – has been ripped to pieces by the fierce storms that swept the Gulf of Aqaba last week. The C-130, which had been on the seabed in some 1820m for a couple of years, was gaining a healthy coating of marine growth, particular under one of the wings, which was draped in vibrant soft corals.

Now the fuselage has been decimated, the wings have fallen on to the bottom, and it is a shadow of its former self, when it sat fully intact as if it was about to take off. However, many are now of the opinion that it looks like a ‘genuine’ wreck, and it will be interesting to see how marine life colonies the remnants of this airplane.

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VMS REDBARE CCR PRICE SLASHED VMS Rebreathers have announced a considerable cut in the retail price of its class-leading closed circuit rebreather, the RedBare CCR. The new price point makes the RedBare CCR not only one of the most-advanced rebreathers on the market, but also one of the most affordable. It is common knowledge that the initial purchase price of CCR is a common barrier for those who long to appreciate the benefits of silent, bubble-free diving, warm gas and, of course, the lower gas prices that are the hallmark of CCR diving. With the price of helium becoming increasingly high, more and more open circuit divers are starting to appreciate the many benefits that a CCR like the RedBare can deliver.

By moving its manufacturing in-house, VMS Rebreathers has been able to make considerable gains in quality control and has made cost savings that they are thrilled to be able to pass onto their customers. The headline price for a brand-new RedBare CCR is now just £6,500 including VAT - that’s a drop of almost £1,500. The only difference between this and previous version of the RedBare CCR is the removal of the TPM (stack temperature monitor) – after much testing, VMS concluded that more accurate, live calculation of remaining CO2 scrubber life is available from the unit’s live CO2 monitoring and its patented Metabolic Rate Counter. Let’s be clear – the RedBare CCR is a full, no-compromise 100m-capable unit with CO2 monitoring, back-up PO2 monitoring and deco calculation for £6,500, making it not only one of the most-capable and well-specified units on the market but also one of the safest! This price drop further cements the RedBare’s position as a class-leading product chosen by sport divers and cuttingedge dive explorers alike. For more information on the RedBare CCR, visit the VMS website: www.vmsrebreathers.com

ROBBER CRABS SUSPECTED OF STEALING $6,000 THERMAL-IMAGINING CAMERA

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So-called robber crabs are suspected of living up to their name after a $6,000 thermal-imaging camera was stolen from a researcher on Christmas Island.

Annabel Dorrestein, from the Western Sydney University, is studying the island’s flying fox population, and had set up a specialised camera system, complete with tripod and external battery. The next morning, when she returned, the camera was gone. However, she had clues to the culprits – there were claw marks on the tripod, and the cable that attached the camera to the battery was twisted and mangled. She said: “Basically, a big robber crab ripped the thermal camera off and crushed the cables so it came loose and just dragged it into the forest.”

Robber crabs, also known as coconut crabs, can measure up to a metre wide, weigh up to 4kg, and live up to 80 years. They are well known for their kleptomaniac tendencies – Christmas Island National Park chief ranger Rob Muller explained: “They are very inquisitive, and this combined with their exceptional sense of smell means they get into all sorts of places that arouse their curiosity – and if they find something that peaks their interest, they want to drag it away for a closer look.”

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BRITISH SUBMARINE FOUND DURING NINTH EXPEDITION SANTI ODNALEZC ORLA On 9 March, the expedition SANTI Odnalezc Orla 2020, which was conducted in cooperation with the Danish company JD Contractor and Sea War Museum Jutland, was completed.

This year’s team members checked 30 unidentified positions, indicated by JD Contractor during its daily works in the North Sea, when the company has developed a wide knowledge of the wrecks lying there. The five-day exploration resulted in the verification of 20 unmarked wrecks, two of them being submarines. The first one has been identified as the wreck of the British submarine HMS L10.

This year’s aim was to check British and German minefields.

The Odnalezc Orla team failed to locate the position of a legendary Polish submarine, ORP Orzel, but they found two other submarines. The wreck is destroyed and incomplete, but even in low, barely two-metre visibility at the bottom, divers confirmed that the sub found near the island of Terschelling is the British HMS L10, which was lost during World War One. The wreck was also explored with ROV. The second one, just 160 metres from HMS L10, ended up being a torpedo boat, which hasn’t been identified yet. There is a plan to identify it later this year.

It is the seventh year of searching for the Orzel, and it was a very unique ninth expedition, because of the 80th anniversary of the disappearance of the Polish submarine.

During all these expeditions, ORP Orzel team found 400 wrecks, in among them three submarines. In 2017, they also discovered the position of another British submarine, HMS Narwhal. This year’s exploration was carried out on M/S VINA, which is 77 metres long and 14 metres wide, belonging to a Danish partner. The vessel is used for working in the North Sea on a daily basis and is fully equipped and adapted to working with divers. This year has not given the expected results, however, the whole team is determined to find ORP Orzel, so another expedition will take place soon.

More about the project: https://www.facebook.com/SantiOdnalezcOrla/

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We have all seen images of turtles eating plastic bags, and it is easy to see why the animal could confuse the waste with a tasty jellyfish, but now scientists have uncovered new evidence that shows that floating plastic could give off a similar odour to their normal food.

In the findings, published in Current Biology, US researchers said that this ‘olfactory trap’ could explain why so many turtles end up eating plastic, or getting tangled up in discarded nets. The scientists worked with 15 young loggerhead turtles that were raised in captivity – they introduced odours into the air about a water tank and then recorded the turtles’ reactions with cameras. This showed the animals responding to smells from conditioned plastics the same as they did to food, like shrimps or fish.

Dr Joseph Pfaller, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, explained: “Plastics that have spent time in the ocean become colonised by microbes, algae, plants and tiny animals and thus develop smells that turtles are attracted to. This is an evolutionary adaptation for finding food, but it has now become a problem for turtles because they’re attracted to the smells from the plastics, along with fish and even seabirds.”

Dr Pfaller continued: “Marine predators like sea turtles, whales and seabirds forage over a vast area to find food, and it makes sense that they would use chemicals in the air or water to do so. It’s not just a visual thing - they’re being attracted from probably long distances away to these garbage patches out in the open ocean.”

While the danger of items like straws and plastic bags to sea turtles is well known - a video of a plastic straw stuck up a turtle’s nose went viral on social media in 2015 - Dr Pfaller said all types of plastic were a threat. “Anything out there can grow bacteria and animals on it that turtles want to eat and so it smells to them like something they should go check out and possibly consume, which can lead to their death,” he explained.

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Barefoot luxury in the heart of Indonesia

HOLIDAY IN HONDURAS

Cruising and diving throughout the diverse waters surrounding the island of Roatan from a luxury liveaboard

INTO THE LABYRINTH

Byron Conroy explores the dive sites around the Dhigali resort in the Maldives, and is smitten by the swim-through Labyrinth

Q&A: DAVID ALLEN

We talk to talented artist David Allen, who produces amazingly detailed black-andwhite pencil drawings of marine life

UPY 2020 - THE WINNERS

We reveal the winners of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, who were unveiled at the GO Diving Show

TECH: BIKINI ATOLL

Aron Arngrimsson delves into the history of the mighty Japanese battleship Nagato, and then takes you on a tour underwater

GEAR GUIDE - REGULATORS

Bunaken National Marine Park

As the water is cold, it’s the perfect time for the Test Team to head to Vivian to rate and review a selection of mid-price regulators

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Michele Westmorland had visited Grand Cayman once before, but she was excited to return and sample the diving on the sister islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman as well PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHELE WESTMORLAND

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sleepily opened my eyes to the sight of clear turquoise water and sandy beaches extending in every direction.

“Fabulous!” I exclaimed from my window seat on approach to Grand Cayman. Even though I was a little blurry-eyed, or should I say red-eyed, from my overnight flight from the Pacific Northwest, it was a lovely sight to wake up to. The Cayman Islands are one of the top diving destinations in the world and although I had been to Grand Cayman once before, I was excited to cover new ground this visit at the other two islands that make up the territory - Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

After decades of diving, friends are surprised when I reveal I have only dived in the Cayman Islands once. This is largely because the history of the country goes far back by diving standards, beginning in the late-1950s when the first dive shop appeared. More shops opened as news of the excellent diving spread. Liveaboard dive boats were not seen in the Caymans until 1984. The late-Wayne Hasson, along with his wife Anne, commissioned the first yacht to explore these islands and reefs in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. After partnering with Wayne Brown, an experienced businessman and avid diver, in 2007, the Aggressor fleet (www.aggressor.com) has grown remarkably. One of the newest members is the Cayman Aggressor V. All I could say as I boarded was ‘Wow, what a beauty!’

I could not wait to set my gear up on the spacious dive deck and get back in the water.

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Jumping into Randy’s Gazebo is deceiving. After dropping into about 1215m of water, we entered a wonderful chimney reef formation only to exit deeper to bright red rope sponges and black coral

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SOLITUDE ACACIA RESORT

WRECKS, REEFS AND RAINBOW COLOURS

The trip begins and ends around the biggest of the three islands – Grand Cayman. The first two locations are highly regarded and are a great warm up to what will come next.

The wreck of the Doc Poulson might be tiny in comparison to other artificial reefs, but it is quaint, colourful and a pure joy to photograph. The next site is an absolute must for anyone visiting Grand Cayman – Stingray City! You will not regret visiting this famous location when you bombarded in just 4m of water by a horde of southern stingrays while they search for their squid treat.

OFF TO THE SISTER ISLANDS

Vibrant vase sponge

Sitting in the wonderful separate dining salon at dinner, the Captain addressed the group. “We will be leaving the mooring right after our meal and heading to Little Cayman,” he announced. Everyone immediately broke into a wide smile.

The trip to Little Cayman is weather dependent but the winds were calm, so our nine-hour crossing would happen while we were all tucked into our staterooms drifting off to sleep. The smell of coffee the next morning lured all the divers out of their cabins to a glorious sight – a major lagoon with a variety of dive sites to explore within it. Bloody Bay Wall is the most-recognized name in Little Cayman, but the Captain had a wide grin on his face as he was drawing

A welcome drink in the salon

It is safe for divers to glide in and out of the different corridors, the mess, the bridge and even a hyperbaric chamber

The Cayman Aggressor V

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25

The Meadows has so much going on that it was hard to leave even after multiple dives. It has everything!

Healthy hard corals on the walls

investigation on the 900m wall. We covered a smaller area by entering around 30m and exiting through an amazing chimney at 12m. The number of grouper, reef crab, snapper, big-eye squirrelfish and angelfish were the perfect compliment to the variety of colourful sponges and coral structures.

Cayman Brac (a Gaelic word for bluff) is only nine miles from Little Cayman. Captain Manny pulled anchor and we did a quick crossing to one of the more-notable wrecks in the Cayman Islands. The 100-metre-long Russian destroyer MV Captain Keith Tibbets was sunk as an artificial reef and has then broken and twisted into several sections. Although it is not a wreck you can or want to infiltrate, the superstructure still has the signature twin gun barrels at the bow. It is a great photo op for photographers to shoot with their dive partner. I preferred the colourful sponge-covered steering wheel and could not help but imagine that, in its time, this destroyer was a proud warship.

We headed back to Little Cayman during our lunch break.

There we lingered at yet another Captain Manny’s Top Five – The Meadows. Located along the north shore of Little Cayman, The Meadows has just about everything. Dropping over the wall it can get deep quickly, but it is not uncommon to have reef sharks or eagle rays out in the blue. We stayed at around 25m enjoying all the sights and activity, then worked our way through The Maze at a slow pace to observe all the plethora of marine life. The Meadows has so much going on that it was hard to leave even after multiple dives. The highlight was a turtle munching on sponge with a few angelfish sidekicks hanging around to pick up the morsels. It was the cherry on top of a magical dive.

Turtle exploring a Cayman wreck

the first dive site on the board. Three of his ‘Favourite Five’ dive sites are located in this sprawling reef system, including The Meadows, Lea Lea’s Lookout and Three Fathoms Wall. I think he was saving those three for last as we started with Randy’s Gazebo and Bus Stop.

Jumping into Randy’s Gazebo is deceiving. After dropping into about 12-15m of water, we entered a wonderful chimney reef formation only to exit deeper to bright red rope sponges and black coral.

Turning away to look out into the blue was a reminder that this is just a small part of the famous Blood Bay Wall system. There was more to see as we wound in and out of crevices lined with a variety of sponges and noticed eyes peering out of the cracks. Plenty of crustaceans such as arrow crab, reef crab and shrimp could be seen, if you could take your eyes off the dramatic behaviour being displayed by the predator species. Grouper love the opportunity to be cleaned by the smaller shrimp, while cleaner wrasses darted in and out of mouths and gills of fish that could care less about our presence.

By day three we were ready to tackle a few of the ‘Fab Five’ dives. First up was Lea Lea’s Lookout, which turned out to be absolutely spectacular. The reef structure allows for endless

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The Keith Tibbetts

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Three Fathoms Wall has everything you could want in a dive site in Little Cayman - the vertical depths of a wall, sloping reefs and sandy flats. Decorated in a patchwork of colour, Three Fathoms Wall was one of the few times I had a macro lens on my camera. I was not disappointed as I discovered some beautiful detail in the reef system and the sandy top.

There, I spent time watching yellow-head jawfish pop in and out of their dens, cleaning behaviours, and tube worms swaying among a colourful sponge area. The star of the show was a seahorse that tucked into his little protected area made it clear he was not going to allow for a perfect shot.

It was time for us to leave and make the crossing back to Grand Cayman. It was sad knowing the trip was coming to a close. I knew there was one more signature wreck dive I have been on before and I was anxious to see it again. The USS Kittiwake is the newest artificial reef system in the area, having been created in 2011. There is a lot to love about the physical layout of the vessel and it will have you keen to know more of its history when you get home. When I saw her last, the Kittiwake was sitting upright. Tropical Storm Nate had Jawfish

made changes to her resting place when it broke the anchor chains and she fell onto her port side. Only a few metres away from the main reef, the Kittiwake still was beautiful and could be entered. It is safe for divers to glide in and out of the different corridors, the mess, the bridge and even a hyperbaric chamber. The wreck has been efficiently cleaned of dangerous lines and debris that could be a danger to divers.

Over the years, this iconic ship has become home to incredible numbers of marine species just as intended. From overhead, you can see barracuda, schools of jacks, turtles and grouper swim by. Shrimp, eels, and clusters of feather tube worms find perfect hiding spaces in the pipes and structures.

There were several other dive sites to be experienced when returning to Grand Cayman. At the right time of year, Devil’s Grotto contains an explosion of ailversides with monstersized tarpon coming in to feed off the schools of small silvery fish. Big Tunnel, Aquarium and one more wreck, the Oro Verde, round out the diving. This ex-drug-smuggling vessel serves a better purpose these days as a nursery to build the populations of many species all around the Cayman Islands. n

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

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CHANGING BEHAVIOURS,

NOT MINDSET

DAN Europe President and founder Alessandro Marroni addressed the current COVID-19 crisis in a message that went out to all DAN members

I

n these difficult days, our international diving community is facing big challenges. COVID-19 is forcing us to keep our underwater exploration instinct quiet, and to limit interactions with our fellow dive buddies.

It’s causing instability for all those who made diving their profession and source of income.

The epidemiological situation is constantly evolving.

Nobody can predict how long this will last in Europe and the rest of the world. However, we’ve always believed in the power of positive, pro-active behaviour. We hear many people say ‘there is nothing we can do’. Is it true?

We believe everybody can do their part to make things better. How? Strictly following local laws and expert recommendations, to start with, as well as taking good care of your health.

Here are some guidelines: • Wash your hands frequently • Maintain social distancing • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth • Practice respiratory hygiene • If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early • Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider As divers, we are very familiar with concepts like risk management and mitigation. Even more so, we can play an important role in fighting this common enemy. DAN members are true ambassadors of safety and good health habits. Now it’s time to practice what we’ve learned - manage risks, be prudent and attentive, respect life and the environment around us!

IMPORTANT UPDATES ABOUT OUR SERVICES

Here at DAN Europe, we implemented emergency measures to make sure we keep providing vital medical assistance services to all DAN members around the world, while ensuring a safe work environment for our staff, shifting most of them to smart-working.

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We remind you of a couple of important addresses: • For information regarding your membership plan and insurance benefits: mail@daneurope.org • For non-urgent medical advice: medical@daneurope.org • Should you experience any difficulty in reaching our Emergency Line or Medical Services via phone, please contact us 24/7 at: emergency@daneurope.org

REGARDING TRAVEL

If you decide to travel against the guidelines issued by your government, you are putting yourself at excessive risk and DAN Europe’s insurance may not cover claims caused by COVID-19.

Though we cannot ensure coverage of specialised medical care or repatriation expenses, we will always guarantee coverage of the first medical assessment to ensure the stabilisation of the patient.

On the other hand, if you have travelled abroad before your government issued restrictive measures, cover stays active unless your government provides early repatriation from the high-risk area, which you are expected to accept. In any case, we invite you to contact the relevant authorities and follow their advice on safety procedures. Please also remember that DAN provides medical insurance, and does not cover trip cancellation.

TIME TO REACT

Have more time at home? Focus on continuing education read, study and learn more. Dream about future adventures in beautiful dive spots around the world - check out our Why We Do It videos (wwdi.daneurope.org) to be inspired!

DAN is - and will always be - by your side. n

KEEP UP TO DATE!

This is a constantly evolving situation – all divers should check out the News page on www.daneurope.org for regular updates

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PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUR DIVING COMMUNITY In relation to the COVID-19 outbreak, questions have arisen in the dive community about disease transmission when using rental equipment.

With the threat of coronavirus on everyone’s minds, divers want to know what precautions are being taken against the spread of disease. Preliminary information suggests that the new coronavirus may survive a few hours on surfaces.

In any case, properly sanitising equipment is paramount, in particular: • Second stage / regulator mouthpiece • Snorkel • BCD oral inflator • The inside of your mask Keep the following in mind: • Household cleaners are as effective against COVID-19 as they are against the common cold and flu viruses.

In this regard, we recommend the use of a solution of one per cent aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) with an application time of > 15 minutes,

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taking care the solution reaches every part (total immersion). Be sure to use product following the manufacturer’s instructions and rinse with fresh water.

• For common surfaces (tables, handles, switches, chairs, etc.) we recommend using only products approved for surface disinfection, such as sprays, wipes or suitable disinfectants.

Watch out: • Products that are commonly used to clean dive gear but are ineffective against coronavirus include antibacterial and chlorhexidine mouthwashes or sprays.

• There is no evidence that application of hot soapy water is effective with regard to disinfection, except at temperatures > 40°C and for application times > 20 minutes (e.g. machine wash).

• The use of approved surface disinfection products, such as sprays, wipes, etc, with procedures other than total immersion in a sodium hypochlorite solution as indicated above, does not guarantee disinfection of diving equipment.

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The Maldives has increasingly become known for its luxury four- and five-star resorts, but Stuart Philpott was looking forward to visiting an altogether-more-laidback island aiming at providing value-for-money accommodation for divers PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUART PHILPOTT

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ot so long ago, the Maldives was known purely as a diver’s destination. Accommodation was no-frills, clean, basic and affordable, just somewhere to crash between dives. Sadly, over the last few decades, this quintessential ‘eat, sleep, dive’ existence seems to have been lost in the luxury four- and five-star tourist market.

But there’s some good news afoot! Crown and Champa have gone back to their roots and built a new more-affordable three-star resort just for divers. I spoke to Prodivers’ regional manager Ray van Eeden, who confirmed in March they opened ‘a state-of-the-art’ PADI five-star centre on an island called Innahura, which was supposedly bigger and better than their HQ on Kuredu. This included two shiny new compressors, row upon row of BCDs, regulators, shorties and fins, air-con shop, classrooms and free nitrox. As for the dive sites, all of the surrounding reefs and channels are very much unexplored.

Local marine life has rarely seen a diver, let alone a diver plus camera and scooter, although I had a strange feeling this would all be changing quite soon!

Long-haul flight times from the UK to Malé via Dubai are approximately 12-13 hours. And then from Malé it’s a short 40-minute seaplane hop to Innahura. Peering down at the lush palm-fringed islands surrounded by clear sparkling blue seas really did whet my appetite before arriving. The popular island of Kuredu is about an hour and a half boat ride from Innahura.

Ray said several of their repeat customers had already checked out the new resort, comparing the place to Kuredu 30 years ago.

Innahura is part of a chain of islands located in the northern Lhaviyani atoll. It’s a relatively small plot, measuring 600 metres by 180 metres, meaning I could stroll around the whole island in less than 20 minutes. There are 78 rooms in total, a reception area, main restaurant, two bars, swimming pool, watersports centre offering kite-surfing and sailing in the 32km-long shallow lagoon as well as the all-important dive centre. There seemed to be an interesting mix of guests.

I understood the resort was still ramping up and I was visiting during low season, but where were all the divers?

The rooms, aka beach bungalows, have been built to a good standard complete with sea views and open-air bathrooms.

All of the accommodation is basically the same apart from 33 face the sunrise and 45 the sunset. There is a walled garden area that backs onto the bathroom, where some palms and other plants are left to grow. My room had a banana tree complete with full bunches of ripe bananas which, at night, tended to attract the local fruit bat population. I found it a little disconcerting sitting on the toilet dodging flying bats!

Leopard shark

Innahura exceeded my expectations on so many levels. Some of my marine life encounters including the eagle rays, leopard shark, dolphins and turtles were definitely a ‘one off’ I had opted for the full-board option, which included three square meals a day. The daily spread of buffet-style food offered a variety of cuisines, including vegetarian. I got talking to the exec sous chef, Oshan, and mentioned I hadn’t seen any Goan fish curries on the menu and he actually went away and rustled one up for me. I couldn’t ask for a better service than that! The only slight downer was the restaurant opening times. Most days they didn’t start serving breakfast until 7.45am and with the dive boat departing at 8.30am this didn’t leave me much time for a leisurely feed. The same applied at dinner with a 7.30pm opening, which seemed quite late, especially for families.

Having experienced Prodivers’ quality of service in the past, I wasn’t surprised to find an extremely professionally run dive centre waiting for me on Innahura. Ludo Hofmann, the dive centre manager, had planned out a schedule taking in some One of the many turtles encountered

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A true island paradise

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Marbled ray

of the new dive sites (so far they have discovered 35 in the 10m-30m range). Assistant manager Lisa Brand would be my guide and double up as a model. These days Prodivers run a totally paperless system, everything is done electronically via a tablet or on the website, including bookings, daily dive logs, filling in and signing registration forms, etc, which is a much more eco-friendly option. Ludo said they offered two morning dives and one afternoon dive but can do two in the afternoon and night dives on request. The full range of PADI diving courses, including scooters and rebreathers, were also available in five different languages.

The star of the show has to be a dive site called Turtle Rock, and although the name is a complete giveaway, I only expected to find one or two turtles flying past. I ended up going back four times during my stay and the highest count was around 50 hawksbill turtles on a single dive. Yes, I said 50 turtles!

Seriously, this place is turtle soup! No sooner had I taken a shot of one turtle than another two or three more came into my viewfinder.

Some 99 per cent of the turtles are hawksbills, although I did see one huge green male on several occasions. For some reason unbeknown to the dive staff or the Olive Ridley Project based at Kuredu, mornings are the best time to visit.

The turtles don’t seem to be around in the same quantities during the afternoons. The only slight niggle for me, as a photographer, was that the turtles, not being used to diver interaction, were very wary and would usually let me approach to within two or three metres and then head off into the blue.

Using scooters didn’t seem to make much difference as the cheeky turtles would adopt an evasive zigzag manouvere. How dare they make it difficult for me to compose a shot!

The top of the fringing reef lies at around 15m-20m and this tapers off at a shallow angle until it breaks the surface.

Nurse sharks, various species of rays, puffers, morays and huge quantities of reef fish complimented the turtles. The edge drops off into the deep blue abyss and it’s often possible to spot passing pelagics, including sharks, tuna, dolphins and mantas. During my stay I had almost daily encounters with spinner and bottlenose dolphins riding the dive boat’s bow wave. I even saw a pod of spinners pass by me underwater and at Meyafushi Kandu, a bottlenose came down to the ledge at 30m just to check me out.

Dive boat approaching the jetty

Prodivers have a number of exciting channel crossings on their diving hit list, the most popular being Meyafushi Kandu, about 30 minute’s boat ride away. Every day encounters include sharks, barracuda, eagle rays and shoals of jacks as well as other smaller schooling fish. On one corner of the reef there are always shoals of snapper, triggers, sweetlips, damsels and fusiliers congregating. We would usually start our dives at the edge of the channel and then head across the opening. I had no idea what spontaneous marine life would turn up or how it would react. A shoal of around 50 inquisitive batfish did a fly by. I managed to get in the middle of them twisting and turning to get a picture with Lisa following closely in the background. Using the Apollo scooters we could easily go back and forth across the channel three or four times even with the current running.

Madi Faru South turned out to be one of my favourites.

Lisa said she had seen a mobula ray on previous dives, and as we made our descent it appeared like clockwork. We passed over several feathertail rays half-buried in the sand and then a squadron of eagle rays appeared out of the blue. I managed to get reasonably close to a number of individuals but frustratingly couldn’t get a decent group shot. My flash guns always scared them away.

Lisa pointed to a solitary leopard shark lying on the seabed.

We decided on a two-prong approach, Lisa moving in on the right and me on the left hopefully meeting up somewhere next to the subject for a close-up picture. But three metres away, the shark spooked and came directly for me at full speed. I had just enough time to raise my camera and take a ‘knee jerk’ shot which caused the shark to veer away sharply. If I hadn’t taken the picture I’m sure the shark would have hit me! We scootered up Scootering with sweetlips

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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!

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I ended up going back four times during my stay and the highest count was around 50 hawksbill turtles on a single dive

Time for scooter fun

the reef, stopping sporadically to look at turtles, mangrove whip rays, morays and puffers. At the safety stop I saw a number of eagle rays taunting me from below. For some strange reason they came straight up to the surface, circled us twice, and then shot back down to the reef. I have never seen anything so bizarre, but what a perfect end to yet another amazing dive.

There is a ‘house’ reef, but this isn’t accessible from the shore and can only be reached by a shuttle boat service. The dive staff didn’t seem to think it was worth a visit, so I kept focusing on the other sites. Ludo heard rumours there had been manta sightings in a shallow lagoon on a nearby island. I had visions of barrel rolling mantas putting on a show for me, but alas we couldn’t find any. Just to rub salt into the wound I missed a large solitary manta feeding in the shallows at Madi Faru South.

Innahura exceeded my expectations on so many levels.

Some of my marine life encounters including the eagle rays, leopard shark, dolphins and turtles were definitely a ‘one off’. Maybe it’s because they weren’t used to seeing divers, but I hadn’t experienced this unique behaviour anywhere Turtle time

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before. It’s worth noting that the neighbouring islands are presently in the state of construction and will be opening new resorts in the next year or two. I’m not sure if this will affect the dive sites, especially Turtle Rock, but there will undoubtedly be more divers about. During my stay there was only a handful of divers on the boat with me and there were no other dive centres operating in the area. Prodivers (www. prodivers.com) certainly ticked all the right boxes. The dive centre was massive and the staff couldn’t have been any more accommodating. The difference in standards between four-star Kuredu and three-star Innahura didn’t seem to be that noticeable. I actually preferred the simplistic ‘barefoot’ approach and the more-affordable prices are definitely worth considering. Looking at the resort today I wouldn’t say it was truly a ‘divers’-only retreat as there were plenty of families and couples just enjoying the sun, sea and sand. Maybe it just needs some time to get established and build up a following.

The resident GM, Rainer Steinhilber, summed up by saying ‘Innahura is nothing fancy, but we’ve got the basics right. It’s a three-star resort with spacious four-star facilities. There’s a healthy mix of guests, it’s not just a diver’s island’. n

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

SNOOT LIGHTING

Following his last article on getting motion blur into your images, Martyn Guess provides some insight into, and also tips on, snoot lighting PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTYN GUESS

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n general photography, a snoot is a tube or similar object that fits over a studio light or portable flash and allows the photographer to control the direction and radius of the light beam. These may be conical, cylindrical or rectangular in shape. They create a look which is also used in stage lighting, where an area of the stage or subject is lit with the rest of the area or subject out of the light.

The snoot in these situations allows the light to be adapted and a tightly focused beam of light, which has the full intensity of the light source behind it, to shine through to specifically where it is aimed. Snoots have been around for a very long-time above water.

I first encountered them underwater around ten years ago and at that time you couldn’t really purchase one off the shelf. You had to make one yourself. I recall seeing an image at that time, that an enterprising and creative underwater photographer named Kerri Wilk had taken, of a hairy frogfish that he had lit with a home-made snoot. It looked totally different to any macro image that I had seen. There was a perfect black background hiding the no doubt messy and distracting background habitat and somehow the actual subject really came to life, with beautiful skin texture and vibrant colours, and a subject that almost looked in 3D. I set out to make one myself!

I won’t go into the detail and frustrations and hundreds of totally black images which followed! However, I managed to get what I thought was a great picture on my first trip with a snoot (See Image 1). I have been a snooter ever since! The early home- made and then shop-bought models had one fallback – you couldn’t really see where the flashlight was going to hit the subject, and it was a nightmare setting the light up on the subject as a result. There have been quite a few snoots since with fibreoptic lights, and a type of laser aiming device attached. The former were difficult to use and the latter difficult in strong sunlight. For me, it wasn’t until Retra brought out their LSD Snoot (See image 2) which transformed the ease of using this type of lighting. More recently, Backscatter have designed and brought out their MF-1 Mini Flash and OS-1 Optical Snoot, which is opening up snooting

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Image 1. Hairy Frogfish lit with a home -made snoot in 2010

to a market which includes compact camera users, but also is great for DSLR and mirrorless camera users as it is so compact.

The ease of using both of these company’s snoots is that a strong light source via the strobe’s spotting light is condensed optically as it penetrates the snoot tube and then emerges as a bright but narrower beam of light which can be aimed at a subject. The light beam size can be controlled by differentsized holes in inserts that are pushed into the snoot. Mainly used by macro photographers, snoots can also be used for wide-angle images although a wider light beam is desirable.

I have used them to light smaller foreground subjects in a wide-angle shot.

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Image 3. Emperor shrimp on nudibranch sitting on the silty bottom - snoot lit Image 2. Retra Snoot mounted on an Inon 240 strobe and Nauticam Housing

It is therefore a fairly harsh light and as it is a concentrated light, it can be very directional.

This is great for texture!

This form of lighting is one which I teach on my macro workshops as it can transform pictures quickly and also a student can be taught the rudiments on the first dive. My students really see the difference in the impact their images have compared to images with more-traditional forms of strobe lighting, and from my experience are eager to experiment more with this type of lighting.

As underwater photographers, we spend our time looking for subjects semi-hidden in their bottom-dwelling environment. The subjects can be difficult to isolate from the background of weed, pebbles and general muck. By directing the light onto the subject or even part of the subject, we isolate the subject from the background making it stand out (See image 3).

The ‘textbook’ method of using a snoot is to have it attached to your housing and the strobe and to use longer arms than would be the case otherwise, and have the snoot pointing directly down towards the subject at first until you get more experienced. If you are waiting to get onto a subject that the guide has spotted, use the time to line up the snoot on a pebble or something else inanimate close by and which is of a similar size to the subject. When you have the spotting light lined up on the subject, tighten the arms down and turn

off the auto focus. When you move into position to take a picture of the subject, if you rock in and out with the housing until the subject comes into focus, the snoot spotting light should be directly onto it. At that point I turn the autofocus back on and shoot away. You will probably have to do some last-minute fine tuning of position, but you should be close to the perfect position with the snoot to subject distance/camera and angle.

I tend to set the strobe to ¾ power at first and then adjust exposure from the camera by moving the ISO up or down. This saves having to keep touching the strobe and risk knocking it out of position. Camera settings should otherwise be on manual with a closed aperture for maximum depth of field and a relatively fast speed to help the background stay dark or black.

It is important that you check your histogram for blown highlights. If they are blown, then adjust the ISO down.

Occasionally for very reflective or light subjects I will turn the strobe power down while being careful not to move the strobe position. Subjects such as the emperor shrimp in Image 4 have white bodies that are easy to over light (see image 4).

BIOGRAPHY: MARTYN GUESS

Martyn has been diving for over 30 years and taking underwater images for nearly as long. He has been very successful in National and International competitions and regularly makes presentations to camera and photography clubs and diving shows as well as The British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP) and other underwater photography groups. Today he shares his passion and knowledge - As well as teaching underwater photography courses he leads overseas workshop trips for Scuba Travel and his articles regularly appear in Scuba Diver magazine.

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UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Image 4. Emperor shrimp and nudibranch isolated by Snoot lighting

Image 5. By reducing the speed to 1/50th Sec the background has been lit by ambient light and the subject by Snoot light

Image 6. Snoot lighting is a harsh light and great for showing off texture

You don’t always Image 7. Careful have to have black aiming of snoot light to avoid lighting the backgrounds with foreground. Helps snooting. Simply turn image float the speed down to lighten the background (see Image 5). If you do this you will need to compensate by using a lower ISO or smaller aperture or strobe power, or a combination of some or all of these.

Snoot lighting is not diffused as the strobe’s diffusers are removed to fit the snoot. It is therefore a fairly harsh light and as it is a concentrated light, it can be very directional. This is great for texture! I love snooting frogfish with their bristles and rough skin for this reason (see image 6).

While lining up the snoot when mounted on a camera can be tricky, when it is set up properly, I recommend you don’t change the position if you can help it unless a new subject is bigger. Start with a lowish ISO and increase as you need to, and as I said earlier make sure you check your histogram regularly. Use the largest hole on the insert first on a new subject. When you have a few shots in the bag change inserts and try to light a part of the subject or show less foreground.

Work together with your buddy or guide – lighting technicians are free underwater! I will often hand over a spare strobe with snoot attached to my dive guide, having practiced with him on land and explained how it works and what you are after. You can have the strobe firing on slave with your other strobe pointing backwards and on low power, or attach a flash trigger – they both work well.

If firing your snoot pointing straight down, try not to light the bottom around what you are photographing and concentrate on just getting the light on the subject. This is achieved by moving the snoot into an angled position to the subject. Try moving the snoot a little bit at a time. This fine tuning of the snoot position is great for portraits (See image 7). Sometimes though it is good to have some foreground context, say for example if you are trying to show the viewer how big the subject is, so in this instance lighting part of the bottom is beneficial.

Next time you go diving with a macro set up, try snooting.

Borrow one from another photographer or buy one between a group of you! You will be amazed how easy it is and also how your pictures look. n

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osts Rica is known in diving circles mainly for Cocos Island. But is Cocos Island all that Costa Rica has to offer? Of course, they are what immediately springs to mind when we think of diving in Costa Rica, but in these times of austerity, they are possibly not within most divers’ budgets (around $5,000 not including flights for a ten-day trip).

Fortunately, Costa Rica has a lot more to offer than just Cocos Island, both under the water and on land. Costa Rica means ‘rich coast’, and Columbus gave it that name because he was struck by its lush vegetation and diverse wildlife. Sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama, this Central America country has several distinct regions, with greatly differing climates and vegetation, from rainforests that stretch down to the shores (very Jurassic Park) to cloud forests in the mountains and grass plains in the low lands. The country is littered with volcanoes – well over 100. There are two distinct seasons - the rainy season from May to November, and the dry season from December to April. The only months I would recommend avoiding are September and October, as it can literally rain for weeks on end without respite. On some occasions there is so much rain that you can kayak down the main street in Playa Del Coco!

The local currency is Colones, but most places accept US dollars.

The best diving is considered to be on the Pacific Coast, mainly from either Drakes Bay in the south, where you have access to Cano Island, or the Gulf of Papagayo in the north, with the majority of the dive centres located in Playa del Coco (not to be confused with Isla del Coco) and the adjacent bays of Hermosa and Ocotal.

PLAYA DEL COCO

Playa Del Coco is a small fishing village built around a large bay with one main street leading down to the beach and several bars, clubs and restaurants along the way. At certain times of the day you can go down to the beach and watch the fishing boats unload the day’s catch, usually large mahi mahi in the hundreds.

The easiest and quickest way to get to Playa del Coco is to get a flight into Liberia, the capital of the Guanacaste region, which is not to be confused with the African country of the same name. From Liberia airport, an hour-long taxi ride brings you to Playa del Coco. It is possible to fly into the capital city, San Jose, but then you will need to take a bus or taxi, which can take up to six hours. Accommodation ranges from backpacker low budget to five-star luxury. Most of the low- to mid-range accommodation can be found in the village, with the larger more-exclusive resorts to be found on the neighbouring beaches.

ABOVE THE WATER

Above the water, Costa Rica has plenty to offer. Surfers have been flocking here for years, enjoying the waves all down the Pacific coast. Close to Playa del Coco is the volcano Rincón de la Vieja, where you can go zip lining through the forest, tubing down the river and horse riding to the hot springs. Another popular volcano is Arenal. It is still active and at night you can see lava flowing down its slopes. The closest town is La Fortuna, and here you can arrange white-water rafting tours.

You can visit the cloud forests at Monteverde or visit the picturesque Manuel Antonio National Park. Huge leatherbacks use Playa Naranjo on the Pacific coast or Tortuguero Beach on the Caribbean coast to lay their eggs.

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Mentioned ‘Costa Rica’ and ‘diving’ and many people immediately think ‘Cocos Island’, but as Adrian Stacey explains, this country has much more to offer PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIAN STACEY

Monkey Head and Virador have very similar underwater topography and marine life - both of them shallower on one side, then dropping to a sandy bottom at around 30m on the other side

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THE DIVING

The diving can be spectacular - and it can also be pretty bad.

The water temperature can drop down to 18 degrees C and on rare occasions as low as 15 degrees C. Visibility can get down to three or four metres of very green pea soup, which is fine if your favourite colour is green, but otherwise it is not so good.

While the visibility is generally the best around June, July and August, it can vary greatly from week to week and, let’s face it, there are never any guarantees in diving. Even if you go to Cocos Island, you will not always see schools of hammerheads in the hundreds; in fact, unless you go in or around August, it is pretty unlikely. But enough negativity! Diving around the waters of Playa del Coco is generally excellent and its unpredictability means it is always interesting. Visibility can get up to 20 metres but is usually between ten and 15 metres.

Do not expect wonderfully coloured corals. There is very little coral to speak of. Instead, you have some stunning volcanic topography and abundant marine life, something to suit all tastes from macro to big stuff, to really big stuff!

There are three main areas for diving - the local dive sites which are ten to 30 minutes from shore; the Catalina Islands about an hour or so away; and Islas Murciélagos (Bat Islands), which are around one and a half to two hours journey. It could take a lot longer if the weather conditions are not favourable.

LOCAL DIVE SITES

The term ‘local dive sites’ is associated with easy dives with not so much to offer. To some extent, this holds true in Costa Rica but, that said, you can have some truly fantastic dives. Manta rays and whalesharks have been spotted here and on several occasions I have seen humpback whales on the surface while travelling between dive sites. On very rare occasions killer whales have also been known to pass through these waters. These are some of the sites: Punta Argentina is a rocky mound that just breaks the surface. One side drops down to around 25m, where it is met by a sandy bottom that gradually tapers off to deeper waters.

This is a popular spot for huge table-size whiptail stingrays to hang out. Occasionally you can observe a squadron of eagle rays flying past in formation. At any point on the dive you can expect to swim through huge schools of snapper. In the shallower areas it is worth taking your time to look in the small caves and crevasses that punctuate a shallow canyon running the length of the dive site, as juvenile whitetip reef

Manta ray flypast

sharks sometimes use it a as place to sleep. Macro lovers can be treated to critters like the gregarious harlequin clown shrimp and tiny nudibranchs.

Sorpresa is an underwater pinnacle which rests on the sand at around 30m, the top of which is around 15m below the surface. This is a more-advanced dive and can have reasonable strong currents and surge. Highlights can include schools of jacks and massive schools of the ever-present snapper, which can sometimes seem like they envelope the whole site. Large stingrays inhabit the sandy bottom, and turtles can be found grazing on the rocks, which are also often inhabited by scorpionfish.

Monkey Head and Virador have very similar underwater topography and marine life - both of them shallower on one side, then dropping to a sandy bottom at around 30m on the other side. While Virador just breaks the surface, Monkey Head derives its name from the rock that sits on top which, at a certain angle, looks a lot like the head of a gorilla. Underwater, divers are treated to a profusion of schooling fish – butterflyfish hug the rocks searching for food, while large schools of jacks swirl around closer to the surface in-between large schools of snapper intermingling with trevallies, grunts and fusiliers. Devils rays can sometimes be observed here as well as eagle rays, sometimes flying solo, sometimes in a school.

Seahorse

Bull shark

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CATALINA AND BAT ISLANDS

The Catalina and Bat Islands are more-advanced dive sites due to surge, stronger currents and rougher surface conditions that sometimes require the need for negative entries. These are non-anchored dives and most dive centres will only take divers that are advanced or higher and used to drift and deep dives.

The Catalina Islands are located a little way off the coast adjacent to Flamingo Bay near Tamarindo (a popular place for surfers) about an hour-long boat journey from Playa del Coco.

The journey takes you south along the stunning Guanacaste coast - pods of dolphins often join you for the journey as well as the occasional pod of pilot whales. These islands can be dived year round, but the best time of year is from November to April since this is when the manta rays can be seen.

While there are many dive sites in this area, the two most dived are the Wall and the Point since they are generally where most of the action takes place. If you like rays of every description and size, then this will be your idea of heaven even in the surface interval the action sometimes continues

with mobulas jumping out of the water. On one occasion when I was there, ten or so exited the water in a line one after the other in what seemed like a synchronized display.

The Point is at the tip of the island. Its faรงade tapers off to a sand and stone plateau that gradually descends into the deep. Large schools of jacks sometimes congregate here attracted by the strong currents and, of course, so are the mantas who glide along the point and up and down the wall (some large, some small) either feeding on the plankton swept in by the currents or taking advantage of one of the many cleaning stations the area has to offer.

The Wall actually runs into the point and stretches along the length of the island. It drops from the surface to around 15m-20m, where it is met by a rocky slope that gradually descends into the depths. At the right time of year, huge manta rays can be found here in abundance.

The Bat Islands are dived mainly from May to October. It is possible to dive here outside these months, but fierce winds streak across the Gulf of Papagayo, making it very difficult

You might also encounter several three-metre bull sharks beneath you, creating the need for a speedy descent Harlequin shrimp

Porcupine pufferfish

The topside scenery is equally diverse

Expect massive shoals of fish

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to reach the islands, which are located in the Santa Rosa National Park. Leaving from Playa del Coco, the boat travels north across the gulf; the journey takes in some fantastic scenery and you really feel as though you are travelling to remote, untouched destinations. The two main dive sites are Big Scare and Black Rock. Three dive days are available in which case people often do a second dive on Big Scare or try out Los Arcos, which does not seem to attract so much of the big stuff, but has some very interesting geological formations.

Big Scare is aptly named. It is famous for its bull sharks.

You can feel the anticipation and excitement emanating from the divers as you approach the site, a barren rock that juts out of the ocean forming a crescent-shaped bay. Waves crash against the jagged boulders that just break the surface, lending an almost-prehistoric feel to the site. Under the water, cleaning stations sit either side of a wall that drops about 15m to a stony bottom which slopes off into the deep. This is where the bull sharks lurk. Negative entries are usually required, due to strong surge which threatens to sweep the unwary onto the rocks. You might also encounter several three-metre bull sharks beneath you, creating the need for a speedy descent. Once down on the stony bottom, you lie down and wait for a few minutes. If no sharks appear you gradually make your way down the slope. All of a sudden you will hear a sharp bang on a tank, or a muffled scream of ‘ark’ through someone’s regulator. Suddenly the sharks are all around you, varying in size from one-and-a-half metres to chunky threemetre specimens. Sometimes they stay on the edge of your vision and at other times it seems as though they are playing chicken with you before veering off a couple of metres before impact.

Visibility can differ greatly from day to day and can even change drastically on a dive. One minute you can have 15-20 metres visibility and the next you can see a thermocline creeping up the slope from the deep, bringing with it murky green waters concealing the sharks apart from a vague outline or occasional tailfin. Huge schools of jacks and travelly hover-mid water and manta rays can be seen passing overhead on the way to one of the cleaning stations.

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Whaleshark

Black Rock is a pinnacle that just breaks the surface and drops down 40-50m. Starting at around 30m, divers spiral their way up the rock. Strong currents and surge attract a large variety of marine life.

I worked for a company called Rich Coast Diving, a five-star IDC centre. It is a Dutch-run dive centre with multi-lingual staff. Local dives cost around $80 for a two-tank dive trip.

A two-tank trip to the Catalinas is around $110 and the Bat Islands will set you back around $160 for two tanks (not including equipment). Usually a minimum of four divers is required for a Bat or Catalina Island trip.

I worked here for two years as an instructor and photographer and got to see it at its murky worst and at its glorious best. I have had some of the best dives of my life here, so my advice would be to go to Costa Rica. You might be unlucky but, on the other hand, you might hit the jackpot. n

Whitetip reef shark and moray eel

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any UK-based cave divers will be familiar with heading over the Channel to France to enjoy the delights of the large underwater caves and often excellent visibility which can be found in our nearest continental neighbour.

Most divers head to the well-renowned ‘Lot’ region (a department in the Occitanie region of France) and the caves there see a steady stream of visiting cave divers from all over Europe enjoying the world-class conditions. The Lot, however, is not the only part of France with fantastic underwater caves. A few hours further south, the caves in the Herault are equally spectacular, if logistically more demanding. For those that preservere, you will be rewarded by sites less frequented than in the Lot, although you need to be prepared to work a little harder for your diving.

In an early January trip, myself, Andy Torbet and Rich Stevenson headed to the Herault to see what the area had to offer. As we knew we’d be a long way from the nearest diving centre, we ensured we’d be self-sufficient with our own compressor and gas booster and, as we’d all be diving rebreathers, that would also ease the burden on needing fresh gas supplies. Handily, Rich’s VW Transporter swallowed the large mountain of equipment which three self-sufficient cave divers require.

After several days of reconnoitring various other sites, we decided to visit a cave called the Gourneyras. Despite the heavy winter rainfall plaguing some locations in France, when our trio arrived at the large sump pool below a tall cliff face, the water looked clear and extremely inviting.

The cave is part way along a rough track which contours along the side of a valley.

After 3km of steering the VW Transporter along the tricky road, a path down the short but very steep hillside led us to the valley bottom where the cave resurges into the river.

At the top of the path there was evidence of the tyrolean traverse which is normally rigged to lower gear to the cave entrance when large groups visit. However, with just three of us, and lacking the long section of rope required for the tyrolean, we decided to simply carry our kit down to the water’s edge for a short recon dive in order to check the cave’s conditions. Sturdy rucksacks, a pack frame, walking boots and several ropes fixed as ‘hand lines’ were essential to move the gear down the steep slope to the cave.

However, after several journeys up and down, we had sufficient equipment to allow Andy and I to enjoy a dive while Rich stayed topside to take some photos.

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Thai cave rescue hero Chris Jewell joined Andy Torbet and Rich Stevenson for an exploratory jaunt to the cave systems in the Herault region of France PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICH STEVENSON

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Some 45 minutes after leaving the surface and content with what we’d seen, we turned around and put the scooters on top speed for the run back to the entrance We knew from our research that the cave sloped steeply down below the entrance pool and that very quickly Andy and I would be down at 60m only a short distance inside the cave.

Swimming down the vast underwater tunnel, I was amazed at the dimensions of the passage. It is easily the largest underwater cave I’ve ever visited and, despite visibility in the cave being in excess of ten metres, it was frequently hard to see the walls in the huge submerged tunnel. After about half an hour of swimming, we reached a slightly shallower section of the cave at 40m, which we followed until the cave dipped back down again. Hovering at the precipice of the underwater shaft, I shone my light down into the enticing depths. I wanted to see what came next and I was already formulating a plan for a return the following day with more equipment.

We reached the bottom of the sloping entrance shaft after an hour in the 11 degree C water and looked up from 45m to see a blue glow created by sunlight hitting the large entrance pool. After another hour decompressing in sight of daylight, we surfaced to a sunny afternoon and an expectant Rich.

After such a great dive, I was excited by the prospect of going further into the cave, which would require some additional open circuit bailout and two of the scooters we’d brought with us. I had also brought with us a lightweight decompression habitat. We’d tested this at NDAC near Chepstow, but I’d never used it in anger in a cave and I was keen to see just how cosy we could make the 6m decompression stop. So, we hatched a plan for Andy and I to spend the next day rigging the habitat, while Rich had a quick dive to check out the cave for himself.

The habitat we were using is rather like a giant lift bag. Made of tough but flexible PVC, it can be secured to the floor and filled with air to create an underwater tent where you can sit out your decompression stops in relative comfort. Large enough for two de-kitted divers, it creates around 800kg of lift when full, so it’s critical to attach it to the floor of the cave very securely! In our case, we found two huge and very immobile boulders in the cave as reliable anchors. After assembling the habitat frame and bag, we attached each corner to a caving abseiling device (a Petzl Stop).

This allowed us to make adjustments to the bag as we inflated it, to ensure the bag was level.

We then filled the habitat to the rim with air

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Entering the habitat

and once we were happy it was secure, we left it overnight for the big dive the following day.

The plan was for Rich and I to go to the deepest part of the cave at 105m depth about 1,250 metres from the entrance. In order to do this, we each carried three open circuit cylinders in addition to our rebreathers and we each used a scooter (DPV) to tow us quickly through the flooded cave. Using the scooters, Rich and I quickly reached the point where we’d stopped on the previous dive and headed deeper after only a momentary pause to communicate that everything was okay.

We descended steeply back down to 60m again and marvelled at the size and beauty of the cave as we sped along, pulled by the small torpedo-shaped scooters clipped to our harnesses. With my hand-mounted light, I traced the course of the dive line as we zipped down the passage. The original explorers had installed this line when they first

The entrance to the cave

COMPUTERS • O2 CELLS • GAS ANALYSERS CABLES & CONNECTORS • REBREATHER PARTS PATHFINDER STROBES • SENSORS TOOLS • SOLENOIDS Chris prepping kit prior to the dive

visited this part of the cave, but over the course of many years it had suffered the ravages of multiple high-flow winter floods. Normally a cave line should be pulled taunt and well secured at frequent intervals, but here it was frequently hanging slack in large loops or spiralling off in odd directions only to zigzag back on itself. In several places, multiple lines ran forward where other teams had installed a new guide line but left the original in place. Sometimes we were following one line which would end abruptly, requiring us to search around and switch to an alternative parallel line.

With Rich in front we followed the sometimes chaotic dive line until abruptly it ended completely. Rich hung in the water ahead of me in a spacious chamber while below him the cave plummeted downwards to where our lights barely picked out the cave floor and walls. From the map of the cave I’d seen, I knew that below me was the deepest part of the cave at around 105m. We were at 65m depth and the floor was somewhere 40m below me, but there was no guideline in sight.

A rebreather mouthpiece allows you to talk with a little difficulty and so with the effects of helium making my voice squeaky and high pitched, I said: “Where’s the line?” By response Rich shrugged and it was clear that we’d need to install our own line if we wanted to go any further.

After unhooking my reel I found a suitable point to tie into and with the scooter on slow I began spooling out line as I slowly descended in mid water. I pointed my torch down trying to pick out the cave walls and floor as we headed into the abyss while keeping one eye on my rebreather PPo2 and

Large enough for two de-kitted divers, it creates around 800kg of lift when full, so it’s critical to attach it to the floor of the cave very securely!

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Heading into the system

feeling the ‘ADV’ injecting more helium to counter the effects of descending. Below me, the cave floor appeared and with it another section of the original dive line.

At 90m I was able to stop and tie the new line I was laying into this one and after a quick ‘okay’ to Rich, we carried on down. By scootering above the line in the deepest section we passed the elbow of the sump at 100m depth and began a steady climb up the far side. We let the scooters bring us slowly up the far side of the deepest part of the cave. At 80m depth, we were now about 1,300 metres from the cave entrance and approaching our agreed turn point. Rich held his thumb and index fingers out together to me to say ‘just a little further’ and another 50 metres later we reached the head of yet another shaft heading back down to over 90m, which signalled our turn point. Some 45 minutes after leaving the surface and content with what we’d seen, we turned around and put the scooters on top speed for the run back to the entrance. At 39m depth, the series of long and slow decompression stops began. At 21m we picked up the EANx50 bailout cylinders and moved them with us until at 12m, Andy appeared to relieve us of the extra cylinders and scooters we no longer required. Then at 6m, Andy was able to assist me out of my rebreather and into the decompression habitat.

Being a small lightweight habitat, it’s only possible to sit in it after removing all your equipment. This is a delicate operation and if anything goes wrong, you could end up on the surface rather too quickly. Once settled into my comfy capsule, it was noticeably warmer and I could eat and drink.

Rich stayed outside taking photos and then put his head inside the habitat so that we could talk about the dive. Like me, he was wishing we had one more day of our holiday left so that we could go back and see what happened next! n

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Whether you are looking for a weekend bag, something for a longer trip, or just a handy rucksack, Mares has you covered. www.mares.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

THERMOCLINE FRONT-ZIP JACKET AND FULL-SUITS, AND QUARTER-ZIP TOPS (SRP: £138.50-£257.50)

In response to popular demand, Fourth Element has added several front-zipped designs to its OceanPositive Thermocline range. Featuring the same breathable, machinewashable, neutrally buoyant alternative to 2mm neoprene, the new Thermocline garments are made with fabric using ECONYL(R) regenerated nylon from ghost fishing gear and other post-consumer waste. A zip-through jacket for men and women, front-zip full-suits and quarter-zip tops complement the range of existing styles and are available now from retailers. www.fourthelement.com

HOLLIS KATANA 2 (SRP: £529.95 / DUAL-BLADDER VERSION SRP: £659.95) According to Hollis, the Katana 2 harness sets a new standard in sidemount diving.

Designed in collaboration with Edd Sorenson from Cave Adventurers, Hollis developed a unique new ‘quick-fit system’, which allows users to easily tailor the one-size-fits-all harness to their specific size or adjustment preference in a matter of minutes (the design allows for an H- or Y-style harness configuration, depending on user preference).

Hollis has added more lift, more weight capacity, single and dual bladder options, and the best-quality materials the company is renowned for.

The Katana 2 is also the first sidemount harness in the world to be designed with closed-circuit sidemount capability, with integrated mounts for the popular KISS sidewinder. www.hollis.com

ATOMIC AQUATICS SCUBA HEAT (SRP: £359.95)

SCUBAPRO LEVEL (SRP: £389) The Level front-adjustable BCD, with its Super-Cinch tank band, brings together all the best performance and comfort features you’ll need for any recreational diving scenario.

It is lightweight yet extremely rugged – the bladder is made of EndurTex high-tenacity 420 nylon fabric – but what the Level BCD really delivers is comfort. Convenient swivel shoulder buckle straps, a sternum strap and adjustable cummerbund with double-pull over-strap enable you to dial in the perfect fit.

The bladder is designed to comfortably wrap around your body without squeeze, and the full-sized backpack, working together with the Super-Cinch tank band, holds the tank rock solid for maximum stability.

The integrated weight system loads easy and ditches even easier with its low-profile 40mm flat buckles. Also included are two large Velcro-closing cargo pockets, one of which offers metal grommets for attaching a knife, four D-rings for clipping on additional gear, and two Octo pockets for storing both a safe second and a console hose. www.scubapro.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

There are all manner of gadgets and equipment designed to keep you warm when diving in cold water, from advanced heat-retaining fabrics to heated undersuits and drygloves.

Now Atomic Aquatics has entered the fray with the Scuba Heat, which not only prevents your reg from freezing up and freeflowing, but warms up the air that you are breathing!

Described as ‘the personal thermal protection device for you and your regulator’, the Scuba Heat’s coil mounts on to your tank band and is routed between your first and second stage. As air from the first stage enters the coil, it is instantly warmed by the surrounding water, then exits the coil toward your second stage. There are no moving parts, batteries or heating elements. The heat-exchanging coil is made of a special thermally conductive and corrosionresistant copper nickel alloy that will not reduce air flow or otherwise degrade your regulator performance. www.atomicaquatics.com 55

Gear Guide

THIS ISSUE: AWARD WINNER ROUND-UP

Normally, 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.

AWARD WINNER ROUND-UP

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging around the world, and the UK - as with many other countries - on lockdown with only essential travel allowed, the Test Team has obviously not been able to get out and run the next group tests, which were due to be mid-price regulators and then top-ofthe-range regulators. These tests will be conducted as soon as we are permitted to travel.

In the meantime, we thought we’d bring you a round-up of our previous Group Test Choice and Best Value winners.

ON TEST THIS MONTH: • PRIMARY CUTTING TOOLS • BACK-UP CUTTING TOOLS • PRIMARY DIVE LIGHTS • BACK-UP DIVE LIGHTS • ENTRY-LEVEL REGULATORS

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Location: Tested at Vivian Dive Centre, Llanberis www.viviandivecentre.com Water temp: N/A Surface temp: N/A WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

AQUA LUNG SMALL SQUEEZE KNIFE | SRP: £30-£61 Aqua Lung have become experts at producing well-made and useable dive knives, and the Small Squeeze Knife range continue this tradition.

That name is used to signify the use of Aqua Lung’s patented ‘Squeeze Lock’ design, which securely holds the knife in its sheath, but when the diver needs it, a simple squeeze of the hand and the knife is deployed with a minimum of fuss.

The handle and sheath are nylon with fibreglass fill. There is a lanyard hole in the hilt, and the sheath has drainholes.

It comes with mounts to attach it to grommets in your BCD or wing.

The 304 stainless steel versions (£35) come in either blunt tip or sheep tip. The blunt tip has a screwdriver tip, sharp section, serrated section, line cutter and a bottle opener. The sheep tip has sharp section, serrated section, line cutter and bottle opener.

There is also a spear tip version in titanium (£68) which is supremely lightweight. This has all the features of the others just with an extremely sharp spear tip.

All three easily sliced through every test, and the handle was comfy and easy to use even with thick gloves on. All-round winner. www.aqualung.com/uk

CHOICE 2019 GROUP TEST

KNIVES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: titanium 72g / sheep 111g / blunt 103g VERDICT: The perfect BCD knife, whichever version you choose. Lots of features, and efficient locking/release system, and a very competitive price.

SCORE

••••••••••

MARES HAND LINE-CUTTER B TITANIUM | SRP: £49 The styling of the Trilobite is also evident in this line-cutter from Mares. However, Mares being Mares, they have elevated it to another level with this ‘B’ version.

The ‘B’ version features a ceramic cutting blade on one side, which is ultra-sharp and needs no apres-dive care as it won’t rust, and a military-grade titanium serrated blade on the other, which is safely behind a hinged protective shield. When you need to use it, you just flip up this shield and away you go.

There is also an ‘A’ version (£35), which more-closely resembles the Trilobite, and has a line-cutter on either side, but each of these blades is ceramic, so it will never rust and needs no after-dive care.

Both versions have a finger hole to aid deployment from its webbing sheath which can attach anywhere on your BCD or wing - and a webbing ‘hilt’, but they also have generous thumb and forefinger grips so you can firmly hold it in use.

Well designed and with two very useful sections, it proved a formidable tool, slicing through every test product with ease and being easy to handle even with thick gloves on. Great as a primary or back-up cutting tool. www.mares.com

WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

CHOICE 2019 GROUP TEST

KNIVES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 36g VERDICT: The Trilobite influence is easy to see, but Mares have lifted it to another level. We like the blend of cutting blade and serrated edge, and the use of ceramic/titanium.

SCORE

••••••••••

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AQUA LUNG MICRO SQUEEZE KNIFE | SRP: £25 Aqua Lung totally nailed it with the Squeeze Knife range, making a compact knife that attached to your BCD and was useable whether you were in this country or in warmer waters. However, they also noted the rise of cutting tools like the Trilobite, which could be mounted pretty much anyway on your BCD or wing, and were even small enough to go on your dive computer strap. Hence, the launch of the Micro Squeeze Knife range.

Unlike the big brother, there is no titanium version here, just two 304 stainless versions - blunt tip and sheep tip. The sheep tip has a serrated section and a line cutter, while the blunt tip manages to cram a screwdriver tip, sharp section, serrated section, line cutter and a bottle opener into a 5.1cm blade. It is undeniably cute. The knives use the same squeeze technology as the bigger knives, but as you only have a dinky hilt that fits between thumb and forefinger, they have added a length of webbing - a la Trilobite style - which sits in your hand and provides a rudimentary ‘hilt’ Not as easy to handle with gloved hands as the bigger versions, as you’d expect, but just as efficient at cutting. I’d be tempted to have one of these as a back-up to a full-size Squeeze. www.aqualung.com/uk

BEST VALUE 2019 GROUP TEST

KNIVES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: blunt 64g / sheep 68g VERDICT: Not as easy to use with thick gloves on, but equipped with efficient blades, a quality locking mechanism and a keen price. A great little back-up unit.

SCORE

••••••••

EEZYCUT TRILOBITE | SRP: £31.95 The Eezycut Trilobite turned the diving world on its head when it showed up, being an efficient cutting tool for line, thinner ropes (up to 8mm diameter) and webbing, but also being compact and durable. Since then there have been various pretenders to the throne, and while some have built on its basic design (like the Mares unit), there is no getting away from the simplicity and ease of use of the Trilobite.

The business end of the Trilobite incorporates two razor blades, one on either side, and in use you slot a forefinger through the hole and use the webbing as a ‘hilt’.

Trilobites are available in a wide range of colours, including glow-in-the-dark, highvis and phosphoresence.

The Trilobite comes with two spare blades and a sheath, of which there are various versions - a flexi pouch, a harness mount and a wrist mount.

In the test, it easily sliced through all of the test lines, ropes and webbing. The compact size of the Trilobite means it is the perfect back-up cutting tool, and so small you could mount a couple on your BCD/dive computer to be ultra-safe. Easy to use with bare hands and wearing gloves. www.nautilusdiving.co.uk

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BEST VALUE 2019 GROUP TEST

KNIVES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 26g VERDICT: The Eezycut Trilobite turned the diving world on its head when it was released, and it is still a great bit of kit.

Very efficient, keenly priced - a must-have product.

SCORE

••••••••••

WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

BIGBLUE TL3500 | SRP: £299 BigBlue have successfully carved out a niche for themselves in the competitive world of underwater lighting, and I am seeing many videographers utilising their products now, as well as divers for general lighting purposes.

The TL3500 delivers - as the name suggests - 3,500 lumens at full power for oneand-a-half hours via its three ultra-highintensity LEDs, and while much of this is concentrated in a ten-degree spot, there is also a wide peripherary beam as well.

This makes it great for penetrating through floating detritus - as often encountered in UK waters - and also for signalling. The halo of peripheral light is also enough to illuminate wider surroundings without burning everything out.

There are four power settings - 100 percent, 50 percent, 25 percent and 10 percent, with the latter giving an awesome burntime of 15 hours! There is also an SOS setting. The push button is easy to operate even wearing thick gloves, and the colour indicator - blue at full charge, green as the power drops, and red when nearing re-charge time - is handy too.

It is quite comfortable just held in your hand, but also comes with a lantern-style handle, and a soft Goodman handle. www.liquidsports.co.uk

CHOICE 2019 GROUP TEST

TORCHES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 447g RECHARGEABLE: Yes VERDICT: The BigBlue TL3500 is a compact unit, but it sure pumps out some light, and we like the design of the push-button on/off with indicator light.

SCORE

••••••••••

MARES EOS 20RZ | SRP: £266 Mares have produced a strong line-up of torches with the EOS RZ range, and the 20RZ is the top of the line, but it doesn’t have a ridiculous price point, coming in at £266.

It is one of the larger units in this review, and it weighs in at 594g, but even then, it is no beast, comfortably sitting in your hand. Part of the reason for the weight is the enlarged front of the light, which offers a nifty zoom function - twist that chunky head and you can alter the beam from a tight, bright 11 degree spot to a wide 75 degree flood, which still retains an even spread. A narrower beam penetrates well in lower vis, and the wider beam can light up a wide area when things are clearer.

The three CREE XP-L LEDs put out 2,300 lumens at full power, and it has three settings - high (100 minute burntime), low (three-hour burntime) and SOS mode.

It is depth-rated to 120m, and recharges by simply unscrewing the end cap and then plugging in a cable to your laptop or a wall socket (via a mains/USB plug).

To turn the 20RZ on and off is easy - you just slide the locking mechanism across and thumb the slide switch forward. Ever push forward cycles through the settings. www.mares.com

WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

BEST VALUE 2019 GROUP TEST

TORCHES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 594g RECHARGEABLE: Yes VERDICT: Great torch for use as a primary dive light. The zoom beam is a neat feature, and the on/off is simple to use even with gloves on. Great unit.

SCORE

••••••••••

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ANCHOR DIVE LIGHTS SERIES 1K SPOT AND WIDE | SRP: €175-€225 Anchor Dive Lights are an Ireland-based company that is earning high acclaim in the world of underwater lighting. The Series 1K is one of their staple products, and there are two versions - the Spot and the Wide. Both are made from aviationgrade anodised aluminium - with a nifty, distinctive blue head - depth-rated to 100m, and come with battery and charger. They have three power settings, and burn times of around 70-80 minutes on full, two and a half hours at 50 percent, and five hours at 25 percent. It is simple to cycle through the different power settings by pressing the on/off button, which also features illumination to let you know the charge level of the battery.

The Spot, with its CREE XM-L T6 LED, produces a tightly focused, bright ten degree beam which still has some peripheral light that illuminates around the main beam.

The Wide, with its CREE XM-L U2 LED, puts out a 72 degree wide beam, which literally illuminates a huge area with a bright, even flood light.

The Spot and the Wide are powerful enough to be used as a primary in UK waters, and are so small - and well-priced - that you could buy both and be able to switch between a spot light and a wide beam as conditions dictate. You also have a builtin redundancy then too! Either of these would also be great for a tropical night dive, but knock it down to 50 percent power. www.anchordivelights.com

CHOICE 2019 GROUP TEST

TORCHES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 156g RECHARGEABLE: Yes VERDICT: Compact back-up lights that produce a hell of a beam for their size. Easy to use, durably built - all-round quality package.

SCORE

••••••••••

DIVEPRO D5-3 | SRP: £79.95 The DivePro D5-3 is made from aircraftgrade anodised aluminium and boasts a single CREE XP-L LED pushing out an impressive 1,380 lumens into a bright spot, with a light peripheral halo around it.

The D5-3 is turned on and off with a twist of the head, which is easy to do even wearing gloves. However, by turning it on and off within two seconds, you can cycle through high, medium and low power settings, and a strobe and an SOS mode, which is pretty neat. You get a burntime of one-and-a-half hours on full power, and eight hours on low power.

The small nature of the D5-3, along with its relatively low weight (for a metal torch) and good burntime means it is a good option as a primary torch for use abroad, as it won’t eat up too much luggage allowance, and as it comes with a battery and charger, you don’t have to haul packs of batteries with you.

It is depth-rated to 100m, so will even suit most techies wanting a compact but bright redundant torch.

Finally, let’s touch on that stunning price point. Under £80 for a metal-bodied rechargeable torch of this quality is fantastic value for money. www.nautilusdiving.co.uk

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BEST VALUE 2019 GROUP TEST

TORCHES

TECH SPECS & VERDICT WEIGHT: 135g RECHARGEABLE: Yes VERDICT: Extremely compact dive torch, with a bright beam. Easy twist on/off, great burntime and an astonishing price. Great for a powerful UK back-up or tropical primary.

SCORE

•••••••••

WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Long Term Test TO BE ANNOUNCED

BEUCHAT AQUABIONIC

ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19

INFORMATION Arrival date: N/A Suggested retail price: £0 Number of dives: 0 Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins

XDEEP FRAMELESS MASK

Mark Evans: COVID-19 put paid to me getting in the water with the xDeep mask, as all diving I had planned was immediately curtailed. In the meantime, let’s just have a look at the mask itself. I like the large nose pocket, which is easy to grab wearing gloves, and the silicone INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2020 skirt, which is stiff where Suggested retail price: £60 it needs to be, but soft Number of dives: 0 against your face.

Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins www.xdeep.eu 62

Mark Evans: We were awaiting delivery of the Aquabionic fins when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, so obviously their arrival was delayed. However, since we put the fins in as the New Arrival in the last issue, there has been a switch - the brand-new Aquabionic II fin, a fresh redesign of this innovative product, is now ready to ship (once this pandemic has passed), so we will be reviewing INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2020 the Aquabionic II as soon Suggested retail price: £135 as we are able to get a Number of dives: 0 test pair.

Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins www.beuchat-diving.com

MARES GENIUS

Mark Evans: The Genius has not got wet recently due to global events, but over the 30-odd dives we have done so far, one thing particularly stood out. There is nothing worse than wrist-mounted computers sliding around on your arm as you dive, but the Genius has an antiINFORMATION Arrival date: August 2019 slip pad on the back which Suggested retail price: £711 holds it firm against your Number of dives: 32 wetsuit or drysuit.

Time in water: 30hrs 50 mins www.mares.com WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

SCUBAPRO G2

Mark Evans: The G2 comes in a neat zippered storage case with a little carry handle, which contains the computer itself, the download cable, heart-rate chest monitor INFORMATION Arrival date: December 2019 and elasticated strap, and Suggested retail price: £759 wireless transmitter for Number of dives: 4 hoseless air-integration.

Time in water: 3 hrs 55 mins www.scubapro.com

BEST DIVERS ALDEBARAN TORCH SET

APEKS VX1

Mark Evans: No diving with the Apeks VX1 for a while, but everyone who has tried it over the test period has been mightily impressed. It is just so comfortable. It is one of those masks that when you wear it, it instantly feels familiar - it is currently my go-to mask. I like the Stormtrooper white, but the black version is also cool, and the brand-new gunmetal grey version that is INFORMATION Arrival date: September 2019 due shortly - along with Suggested retail price: £69 matching RK3 HD fins - is Number of dives: 68 also very eye-catching.

Time in water: 66 hrs 55 mins www.apeksdiving.com/uk

ROHO X-FLEX SOLO

Mark Evans: No diving for the Aldebaran torch set, so let’s have a look at what you get for your £300. This is a wellspecced set-up from Best Divers for the money, and the torch itself comes with the lantern-style handle, a charging dock for the batteries, all neatly packaged up in a INFORMATION Arrival date: March 2020 zippered, padded case to Suggested retail price: £300 keep it safe when stored Number of dives: 3 or in transport.

Time in water: 2 hrs 20 mins www.bestdivers.co.uk WWW.SCUBADIVERMAG.COM

Mark Evans: We look forward to doing a Test Extra on the RoHo X-Flex Solo when the COVID-19 pandemic has run its course and we are able to get a test product in the water. www.roho.co.uk INFORMATION Arrival date: July 2019 Suggested retail price: £829 Number of dives: 0 Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins 63

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ANTHONY’S KEY RESORT STUART PHILPOTT VISITS THE AMERICAN DIVING FAVOURITE OF ROATAN

E INDONESIA ADVENTUR 1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD VOYAGE FROM KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

DIVING ON A BUDGET

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

BERMUDA BLAST

WHAT’S YOUR WATCH?

INDONESIAN EXPEDITION

WE EXPLORE THE SHIPWRECK CAPITAL OF THE ATLANTIC

THE TEST TEAM RATES AND REVIEWS WRISTWATCH-STYLE DIVE COMPUTERS

ADRIAN STACEY FINISHES HIS 1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD ADVENTURE IN RAJA AMPAT

INDONESIA ADVENTUR E

THE SCUBA DIVER CREW GOES CAMPING ‘N’ DIVING IN DORSET

1,300-MILE LIVEABOARD VOYAGE FROM KOMODO TO RAJA AMPAT

TECHNICAL: DEEP DIVING NEIL BENNETT EXPLORES THE MINDSET NEEDED TO SAFELY MASTER TECHNICAL DIVING

DIVE LIKE A PRO: BCDS HANDY HINTS ON HOW TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE HUMBLE BCD

ALEX MUSTARD

SHOOT TO WIN

THE MAESTRO OFFERS SAGE ADVICE ON CREATING COMPETITION-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS

ALL AT SEA

Entry and exit techniques when boat diving

Stunning SHORT FILM showcases cave diving – and GIRL POWER!

INSPIRATIONAL GEMMA SMITH TALKS ABOUT EPIC TECHN ICAL DIVES, BEING A STRON G ROLE FIGHTING BACK TO FITNESMODEL, AND S A SERIOUS ACCIDENTAFTER

Something for EVERYONE ARE GREAT FOR WHY MALTA AND GOZO AND LEVELS DIVERS OF ALL AGES OF CERTIFICATION

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TECH: Truk Lagoon

‣ Shoot Like a Pro ‣ Regulator

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#31 | £3.25 9

AG.COM WWW.SCUBADIVERM

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Deeply

UNEXPLORED

BALI

‣ OUR-WORLD UNDERWATER SCHOLAR ‣ LEMBEH STRAIT

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ISSUE 30 | AUG 19 | £3.25

#33 | £3.25

8

11

Aussie roadtrip, part two

‣ Scholar ‣ Red Sea overview

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SCHOLARSHIP DIARY

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

EXPLORING THE DARK AND THE ICY PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF KIM HILDEBRANDT

I

n February and March 2020, two of my wildest dreams became true - first, I got to dive my first-ever caves, and successfully passed my GUE Cave Diver 1 certification under the brilliant instruction of Kelvin Davidson of Third Dimension Diving in Tulum – thank you so much, Kelvin!

I had been very curious about cave diving for a long time, and enjoyed this unique underwater environment with its impressive stalagtites and stalagmites just as much as I expected – even having to deal with a variety of challenging simulated situations, such as simulated failures on the dive equipment, searching for a lost line or a lost dive buddy, turned out to be very fun and rewarding as a team effort.

And secondly, I got the true once-in-a-lifetime chance to join a diving expedition to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctica with Oceanwide Expeditions, whom I will forever be grateful to!

I crossed the Antarctic Circle, dived below the 68th Latitude South, did my first ever dive in 0 degree Celsius water temperature, and became one of the first divers to have ever dived the famous Point Wild on Elephant Island, where in 1914 a big part of Shackleton´s Endurance

expedition team had stranded and survived for four months, awaiting their rescue. In this particular place, we witnessed an incredible moment - a leopard seal, one of the Antarctic´s top predators, slashed his meal of a chinstrap penguin tender on the water´s surface, after we had already seen the remains of such a penguin´s body on the ocean floor during our dive.

While on our 12 dives on this three-week long trip, we encountered many fascinating species of marine life perfectly adapted for these cold waters, predominantly macro life such as isopods, amphipods, sea spiders, nudibranchs, sea stars, brittle stars, urchins, to name but a few. My very favourite part, though, was to dive with the playful Antarctic fur seal pups who, as much as they loved chasing us humans above the water on our landing sites for fun, were very friendly underwater. n Next month: Kim encounters no less then seven different penguin species, and sees firsthand the effects of climate change.

Kim Hildebrandt

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EXPLORE MORE SUUNTO EON CORE

The compact Suunto EON Core is a great dive companion whether you are just beginning diving or an active diver exploring new depths. The key details of your dive are easy to read from the clear colour display with large, prominent digits and intuitive menu logic. This fully-featured and customisable dive computer is your reliable partner no matter if you’re exploring shipwrecks or admiring the colourful marine life. www.suunto.com

Suunto Diving UK

@suuntodivinguk