Scuba Diver #59

ENTER TREEBEARD

MARK EVANS SEARCHES FOR MYTHICAL CREATURES IN LANCASHIRE

Q&A: BLUE HORIZON DIVING WE CHAT TO MARK WYNNE AND HOLLY WAKELY ABOUT THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

INTO THE BIG BLUE INAUGURAL VOYAGE OF NEW RED SEA LIVEABOARD

SEE ALL THE WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP IN OUR SIX-PAGE SPECIAL REPORT KEFALONIA CAVE

SCHOLAR

FOURTH ELEMENT SCOUT ISSUE #59

DESIGN AND FUNCTION AT OUR BEST SANTI FLEX 190

R E A D M O R E O N W W W. S A N T I D I V I N G . C O M

UNDERSUITS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mark Evans Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 700 Email: mark@scubadivermag.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matt Griffiths Email: matt@scubadivermag.com CONTRIBUTORS Mark Wynne, Holly Wakely, Marcus Greatwood, Richard Stevens PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Ross Arnold Tel: 0800 0 69 81 40 ext 701 Email: ross@scubadivermag.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Penney Evans Email: penney@scubadivermag.com

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PUBLISHERS Rork Media Limited 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers. Copyright for material published remains with Rork Media Limited. Use of material from Scuba Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Rork Media Limited remain the copyright of Rork Media Limited.

is a registered trademark of Rork Media. ISSN 2514-2054

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Showcasing the world’s underwater wonders

February is always an exciting time of the year, as it is the month that the winners and runner-ups in the highly-acclaimed Underwater Photographer of the Year competition are unveiled. And whole the COVID-19 pandemic might have severely curtailed travel for much of the last 12 months, the stunning array of images on display in the UPY 2022 show just what is possible with a bit of creativity and, in some cases, serious patience and resilience against the cold!

Turn to page 34 and delve into our lavishly illustrated spread of some of the amazing category winners, as well as Rafael Fernandez Caballero’s jaw-dropping overall winning shot of no less than five whalesharks. And taken at night! I am a bit of a whaleshark Jonah, and despite logging literally thousands of dives in nearly four decades of diving all over the world, I have only ever seen one juvenile once - and then only fleetingly in pretty lousy vis - off Mafia Island, Tanzania. So to say I was a little more than mildly jealous is putting it politely!

Elsewhere this issue, we have part two of our Q&A with Mark Wynne and Holly Wakely, two young divers who are determined to inspire divers around the globe via their YouTube Channel; a report on the inaugural Deep South voyage of the Big Blue liveaboard in Egypt; an epic freediving expedition to explore inside a cave system in Kefalonia; and a trip up to deepest, darkest Lancashire in search of mythical, magical beasts that dwell in the depths of Capernwray.

Mark Evans, Editorial Director

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Aggressor liveaboards, safari lodges and river cruises are independently owned and operated.

ENTER TREEBEARD

MARK EVANS SEARCHES FOR MYTHICAL CREATURES IN LANCASHIRE

Q&A: BLUE HORIZON DIVING WE CHAT TO MARK WYNNE AND HOLLY WAKELY ABOUT THEIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

INTO THE BIG BLUE INAUGURAL VOYAGE OF NEW RED SEA LIVEABOARD

SEE ALL THE WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP IN OUR SIX-PAGE SPECIAL REPORT KEFALONIA CAVE

SCHOLAR

FOURTH ELEMENT SCOUT ISSUE #59

Cover.indd 1

18/02/2022 14:46

PHOTOGRAPH © RAFAEL FERNANDEZ CABALLERO

Regular columns

Monthly features...

10 News round-up

18 England

New protection for seals on the cards, grants from SeaChangers, a new course from BSAC, NDAC closes its doors, a tragic diver death, and a new campaign from Shark Trust.

16 DAN Europe Medical Q&A

Diver Alert Network’s medical experts answer your diverelated queries, including ‘Little Ear’ and atrial fibrillation.

42 Divers Alert Network

The DAN Europe team explain why Divers Alert Network does not share chamber locations or availability.

66 Our-World Underwater Scholarship Arzucan rounds out her overview of her year as the OurWorld Underwater Scholar so far.

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Scuba Diver’s Editorial Director Mark Evans heads into Lancashire in search of mystical creatures – and finds something eerily reminiscent of a Lord of the Rings character….

24 Q&A with Blue Horizon Diving, pt II We chat to Mark Wynne and Holly Wakely about their growing YouTube Channel, their most-memorable diving moments – and dives they’d rather forget!.

30 Mustard’s Masterclass

First in a new underwater photography series, in which world-renowned, multi-award-winning shooter Alex Mustard will be passing on hints and advice to help you improve your underwater photography techniques.

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...continued

Gear & testing

34 UPY 2022

56 What’s New

An astounding photo of five whalesharks feeding together at night in the waters of the Maldives sees Rafael Fernandez Caballero from Spain named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022.

44 Egypt

Richard Cullen and Richard Stevens embark on an epic diving safari into the Egyptian Deep South aboard the brandnew liveaboard vessel Big Blue.

50 TECH: Kefalonia

Marcus Greatwood specialises in freediving in remote, inaccessible areas, and on Kefalonia, he discovered a wondrous site that he affectionately refers to as ‘Muddy Hole’.

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We look at a range of new products coming to the market now or in the new future, including the Tecline Frameless Super View mask, Scubapro MK2 or MK11 with S270 regulator, the Mares EOS line of dive lights, and three new backplate-and-wings from Hollis.

58 Test Extra

Scuba Diver’s Editorial Director Mark Evans heads up to Capernwray to rate and review a couple of Seiko Prospex dive watches, the Save the Ocean ‘King Turtle’ limitededition, and the PADI Chronograph, and the innovative Fourth Element Scout mask.

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

FIRST STEP TAKEN TO CRIMINALISE SEAL DISTURBERS Human disturbance of Britain’s seal population will become a criminal offence if a Bill put before Parliament in early February passes into law. Proposed by Tracey Crouch, Conservative MP for Chatham & Aylesford, it had its first reading on 9 February.

T

he Seals (Protection) Bill would amend the existing Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. It is already an offence to ‘take, injure or kill’ a seal within 12 nautical miles of the British coast, but the amendment would also make anyone who intentionally or recklessly disturbs or harasses a seal guilty of an offence.

This would put seal protection on the same basis in British law as whales and dolphins, and it would not be a valid defence to claim that it was a person’s dog, vessel or drone that had disturbed the animals. Britain is home to more than a third of the world’s grey seal population, Crouch told the House of Commons, explaining that as a globally rare species it was the equivalent of the African elephant. The UK also hosts 30% of European common seals, which she described as in ‘alarming decline’.

“I was thrilled to hear from the Zoological Society of London that the latest population survey estimated that 700 harbour seals and 3,000 grey seals live in the Thames estuary,” said Crouch.

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“As a Medway MP, I was pleased to discover how many seals are drawn to the Medway and Swale estuaries to rest and pup on the excellent mudflats and salt-marsh habitat, due to the abundance of prey, including smelt and sea bass.” As the largest no-take fish zone in the UK, she said, the Medway was ‘the perfect restaurant for seals’.

Seals as top predators helped to maintain a balanced marine ecosystem, and could also contribute to coastal economies as tourist attractions, said Crouch, though they faced issues such as habitat loss and chemical and plastic pollution. While such elemental threats required global solutions, tackling the human disturbance of seals – defined as any action that disrupts a seal from a settled state in response to a perceived threat – was something Parliament could achieve ‘with a minor tweak to existing legislation’.

Citing a dog attack on a popular seal near Hammersmith Bridge on the River Thames last year, Crouch said: “I know

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through my work with Mary Tester, a British Divers Marine Life Rescue medic who was in charge of Freddie, how he brought joy to the local community and visitors alike, especially during lockdown.

“The injuries that Freddie suffered, sadly, resulted in the decision being made to put him down.” The dog’s owner was barrister Rebecca SabbenClare QC. Although dogs are not required to be kept on leads in open spaces, it is illegal if they are deemed to be ‘dangerously out of control’, but the Metropolitan Police took no action.

In January this year an unnamed jogger in the north-east of England ignored the advice of seal stewards and approached a group of more than 100 seals resting on rocks, causing a stampede. The Yorkshire Seal Group later confirmed that his reckless behaviour would have caused numerous injuries and might have led to the deaths of some of the pups.

Whether intentional, reckless or negligent, disturbance causes stress and wastes seals’ vital energy reserves, often resulting in injury, said Crouch, while broken ribs or jaws could prove fatal.

Last spring the Government had worked with the Seal Alliance to launch the ‘Give Seals Space’ awareness campaign, advising the public to stay well away from seals, never feed them, keep dogs on a lead and take all litter home. In response to a parliamentary petition it had also confirmed that it would fund related signage on the banks of the Thames, which Crouch hoped would be extended to other locations such as Medway where seals could be endangered.

Thirty conservation organisations had previously signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for urgent action on seal disturbance. With cross-party support for Crouch’s proposal, the Bill is expected to pass through its second reading on Friday, 18 March.

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SEA-CHANGERS BACKS ‘WIN-WIN’ SOCIAL PROJECTS UK conservation charity Sea-Changers has announced the six recipients of grants from its new Marine Conservation Social Fund – cash intended for use on environmental projects in which sometimes disadvantaged participants can derive their own social, health and well-being benefits.

“Engagement with blue spaces can have a hugely positive impact on well-being,” says the voluntary body. “It is also the case that volunteering has both individual and community cohesion benefits.”

Describing the successful applicants’ projects as ‘innovative, thoughtful and important’, it reckons the work will make a significant impact over the next 12 months, if not beyond.

Made possible by a single donation of £23,000, the 2021 Marine Conservation Social Fund is to be shared between The Dee Estuary Well-Being with Nature Project (Cheshire Wildlife Trust); The Ocean Well-Being Project (Clean Ocean Sailing); Reusable Period Education to our Schools (GRAB); Ocean Pathways (Ocean Conservation Trust); Trash & Treasure (Penparcau Wildlife Group); and Blue Youth: Kickstarting the Connection with Marine Conservation (Whale & Dolphin Conservation).

Sea-Changers was founded by scuba divers Helen Webb and Rachel Lopata and began its grant-giving programme ten years ago, with the active participation of the UK diving community. R ​ aising funds through corporate partnerships (which now number 18), online giving and auctions, sponsored events and individual donations, it distributes the money to UK marine charities and non-profit organisations, including schools, as one-off grants for conservation and research projects.

There are two regular funds, Main Grants and Small Grants, and Sea-Changers says that the former has now expanded, with applications for grants of between £500 and £2,500 on offer. There are two annual rounds of applications for the Main Grants Fund, with deadlines of 31 March and 30 September.

The Small Grants Fund, for awards of up to £500, is now open for applications year-round: “You can apply any time and get a quick decision,” promises Sea-Changers. www.sea-changers.org.uk

INTRODUCING AQUA ACTIVE Aqua Active was created in 2020 to introduce, distribute and market innovative scuba-diving brands to the UK. The company aim is to be distributors of well-designed quality equipment that meets scuba divers’ needs in both UK and foreign holiday settings. Aqua Active will manage each brand and its distribution, reselling through a growing dealer network, as well as also promoting the products through their close relationship with the diving press. The first brand to launch in the UK was the Tecline range of diving equipment. With fully modular configurations and attractive ergonomic designs, Tecline answers the demands of the recreational diver as well as exacting technical divers.

Aqua Active is a joint venture between Wojciech Bernady and Diederik Kohnhorst. Both have ten years diving experience, having progressed from recreational to technical diving in the UK and abroad. Wojciech has run a dive shop in northwest London for the last five years, he is qualified to test cylinders and service a large range of dive equipment. Diederik has had a long career in IT systems and brings a wealth of process and workflow experience to Aqua Active. www.teclinediving.eu

MONTY HALLS RESCUES STRANDED DOLPHIN GO Diving Show Main Stage speaker Monty Halls was in full hero mode when he helped rescue a common dolphin that was stranded on mud flats in the Dart Estuary. Monty, who lives near Old Mill Creek in Dartmouth, Devon, was out walking his dog late-January when he saw a pod of dolphins in the estuary. As he is not used to seeing them that far inland, he knew it was ‘an indicator that something wasn’t quite right’, and sure enough, closer inspection revealed that one of the pod was stranded on the flats. Volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) attended the scene, along with the RNLI, and Monty helped them free the mammal from the mud flats, get it into a specially constructed floatation device, and move it out to deeper water. The entire operation took nearly three hours of hard slog, but as Monty said: “It was really life-affirming to know that there are all these good people out there just standing by to help out if things get a bit tough.

“Everyone did a phenomenal job and there was that lovely final moment of just watching the animal disappear down the estuary and towards the horizon.”

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Komodo National Park is well known for the ferocious-looking dragons, but the unique ecology of the area, formed by volcanic activity, has shaped a diver’s paradise underwater with muck dives, walls and more marine life than you could ever see in a single holiday. Dive after dive reveals the immense biodiversity, from vast pelagics to microscopic macro and vibrant reefs that are so characteristic of this corner of Indonesia.

The Komodo National Park itinerary is filled with exotic and far-flung dives that will make your logbook the envy of others. Sangeang, Banta, Satonda and Komodo are the focal points of the trip and each has a distinctive flavour.

Emperor Harmoni is Emperor Divers Indonesia’s brand-new liveaboard, the second for Emperor Indonesia, and is one of only a select few liveaboards in this region to have two engines – at 48 metres, she happily welcomes 20 guests in spacious surroundings.

Scuba Diver Editorial Director Mark Evans will be on this epic adventure, writing a feature or two about the incredible underwater and topside scenery and action – and you will be involved! We want to make the guests on this trip an integral part of what appears in the magazine!

We are also working on a number of other ‘special features’ which will mark this trip out as ‘out of the ordinary’ compared with a normal itinerary – watch this space!

The trip runs from 23 September to 2 October and is £3,950 per person, based on two people sharing. This includes nine nights full board on Emperor Harmoni (incl tea/coffee, juices, soft drinks and local beers), transfers between liveaboard and local airport or hotel on days of embarkation and disembarkation, all diving on air, nitrox if certified, 12-litre cylinder, weights and weightbelt, and equipment hire Contact Scuba Dive Adventures on 0113 4681100 or: enquiries@ scubadiveadventures.co.uk for more information or to book.

ICELAND WHALING TO END IN 2024

Iceland’s fisheries minister had said that whaling is no longer profitable and that commercial whaling could end in as little as two years – much to the delight of marine conservation groups.

In an article in the Morgunbladid newspaper, Svandis Svavarsdottir said that the fact only one whale had been killed in the past three years showed that whaling had little economic benefit for Iceland, and that this would be a crucial factor in any decision regarding extending whale hunting beyond 2023. “Why should Iceland take the risk of keeping up whaling, which has not brought any economic gain, in order to sell a product for which there is hardly any demand?” she said.

She pointed out that Iceland’s whale-killing activities can have a genuinely negative impact on the country, as witnessed by the US chain Whole Food stopping marketing any Icelandic products when the country resumed commercial hunting in 2006. There are far more lucrative whale-related industries in Iceland. Hundreds of thousands of tourists descend on the island to go whale watching every year.

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

Emp2022_thirds.indd 2

15/01/2022 07:54

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SHARK TRUST ANNOUNCES GREAT SHARK SNAPSHOT As part of their 25th anniversary celebrations, the Shark Trust has launched a brandnew community science initiative aimed at divers and snorkellers – the Great Shark Snapshot – which will take place during the last week of July.

Divers from all over the world will be invited to record all the shark, ray and skate species that they see during that week. The information of what they find over the week will be added to the Shark Trust’s Shark Log. This will, over time, allow shark scientists to build a picture of species distribution and any changes that occur.

Sharks are threatened by destructive fishing, climate change and habitat loss.

The data collected during the Great Shark Snapshot will help scientists put effective conservation plans in place. Dive clubs, centres, and boats can sign up to show their support for this exciting new event and advertise their planned dives on the Great Shark Snapshot registration page. Divers looking to join an event will be able to use the map to find Great Shark Snapshot dives taking place near them.

As well as gathering vital data, the event will provide a chance to celebrate the incredible shark and ray species that live close to you. The Great Shark Snapshot is a way for divers to get together, go diving, and do something to help shark conservation. Non-divers can get involved too. Shore-based events can be organised so groups can explore their local beaches and search for egg-cases and record these over the week too. Every record can be added to the Shark Trust’s Great Eggcase Hunt.

Get involved in the Great Shark Snapshot

It is easy to join in. Just go diving between 24 and 31 July (inclusive) and record every shark, ray and skate that your dive group sees. If possible, take photos and some video footage too. The Shark Trust really want to see what species you encounter on your dives. Then make sure that you record your sightings on the Shark Trust Shark Log recordings website or on the new app (which is coming soon).

If you need help identifying a species of shark or eggcase, head over to the Shark Trust website where you will find ID guides to help you. Join the shark and dive communities online and let other divers know what you saw during your dives.

Remember to use the hashtag #GreatSharkSnapshot and the Shark Trust will share sightings over the week. It will be incredible to see what divers around the world see on their Great Shark Snapshot dives. www.sharktrust.org

TRAGIC DIVER DEATH AT ST BRIDES BAY The 2022 diving year got off to a tragic start on Saturday 5 February, with the news that a scuba diver died after slipping off rocks while exiting the water in St Brides Bay in Wales. The as-yet-unnamed man, who is believed to be from Cardiff, was shore diving with two other men at the popular Pembrokeshire site. According to Dfyed-Powys Police, at around 11.35am, as the divers were exiting the water, the man slipped, fell and disappeared under the water.

A 999 call was made to the police, who contact Milford Haven Coastguard shortly afterwards, and a search-and-rescue operation involving RNLI lifeboats from Little Haven and Broad Haven, and St David’s, a Coastguard helicopter from Newquay in Cornwall, Wales Air Ambulance and rescue teams from Dale and Broad Haven was launched. The missing diver was located and brought to the beach at St Brides, but was declared dead after failed attempts to resuscitate him.

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KONA AGGRESSOR II CEASES OPERATION

Aggressor Adventures is saying goodbye to the Kona Aggressor II, which has been part of its extensive fleet of worldwide liveaboards for 33 years. In a statement released on social media, Aggressor Adventures’ CEO Wayne Brown explained that after extensive topside remodeling on the Kona Aggressor II, the remaining work was to be done in a shipyard to complete any hull repairs before putting the yacht back into service.

In early February, the yacht duly travelled to a shipyard in Honolulu, which is where it is now. The aluminum inspection revealed the repairs would require removing the entire superstructure to repair the pontoons at an estimated cost in excess of $500,000.

Due to the excessive costs to repair the vessel to Aggressor’s safety standards, the Kona Aggressor II yacht owner has made the decision to cease operations in Kona, Hawaii, effective 14 February 2022. www.aggressor.com

THE NATIONAL DIVING AND ACTIVITY CENTRE (NDAC) CLOSES PERMANENTLY

The National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) has closed down permanently, to the dismay of divers and dive centre owners across the country. In a brief message on the company’s Facebook page and website, it said: ‘The National Diving & Activity Centre is permanently closed. We are not taking bookings for leisure activities or public diving.We’d like to thank all our customers for their support over the years.’

NDAC had become one of the most-popular inland dive sites in the UK over the last few years, and had a plethora of sunken attractions at depths to suit all levels of diver. And talking of depth, that was one of the main selling points of NDAC – it had technical-level depths and so provided a great location for tech training that was not susceptible to the weather.

It was the site of the inaugural GO Diving Roadshow in September last year, and as well as all of the diving facilities, also boasted an inflatable Aqua Park, zip line, paddleboards and flyboarding.

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Ask DAN

DAN medical specialists and researchers answer your dive medicine questions

Little Ear

Q: Can someone be certified to dive if they were born with ‘little ear’ — where the ear wasn’t fully formed in the womb and the canal didn’t open?

A: It seems like you are referencing both microtia and aural atresia. Microtia ranges from minor changes in the outer-ear shape to a very small external ear, possibly with no external canal or eardrum. Anotia is the complete lack of any ear structure, and aural atresia is the absence of an ear canal.

Your physician may not necessarily restrict diving.

The concern would be making sure your anatomy allows for proper equalisation of your Eustachian tube and any potentially remaining gas in a vestigial middle ear. If equalisation is impaired with gas still in the ear, you could risk barotrauma (a pressure injury) on your functional internal ear. If this is not an issue, then the risk would be severe barotrauma on the other fully functional ear, which could cause deafness in rare cases.

A physician might suggest you avoid diving if your hearing is already unilateral, since a dive injury to the functional ear could result in bilateral hearing loss. Consult with your ear, nose and throat specialist to discuss your ear anatomy and determine if diving is possible.

Atrial fibrillation

Q: I have a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and had a cardiac ablation to restore my heart’s normal rhythm.

My recovery went well with no complications, and I have returned to normal activity. Is it safe for me to dive now?

A: Opinions vary in the dive medicine community about AFib and medical fitness for diving. Some physicians completely recommend against diving, while others are more permissive. Respected dive medicine cardiologist Dr Douglas Ebersole believes that AFib alone, with an otherwise structurally sound heart (confirmed through treadmill stress testing and an echocardiogram), should not prevent diving. As long as you control your AFib with medication and have proper exercise tolerance, you should be able to dive.

Your successful ablation has resolved the dysrhythmia issue of AFib, but it raises another concern. The ablation procedure may have required a transseptal puncture to get the catheter from the right atrium into the left atrium.

This puncture results in an atrial septal defect, which will generally heal without any intervention over time.

Unfortunately, there is no clinical definition of how long that time is. Although the hole is typically small, depending on

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the exact procedure (some catheters are larger than others), you would be at risk for bubbles shunting from the right to left atrium until the hole has completely closed.

The best recommendation is to wait for confirmation from your cardiologist that the hole is closed before you return to diving. An echocardiogram with a bubble study is usually the procedure to determine the hole closure. www.daneurope.org

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Fantastical AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Mark Evans heads into Lancashire in search of mystical creatures – and finds something eerily reminiscent of a Lord of the Rings character…

Photographs by Mark Evans, Garry Dallas and Tony Gilbert

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Capernway has sunk more attractions into the depths of its waters than many other inland sites, and the ‘fleet’ will be expanded yet again sometime in 2022 when a large pilot boat is sent to the bottom.

This odd assortment has now been joined by the impressive Treebeard, a friendly-looking fibreglass creation that reminds me of an Ent from Lord of the Rings.

This large structure is normally seen in playgrounds and the like, but after languishing in a storage unit for years, he was rescued from oblivion and found a new home at Capernwray

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Luke and Dylan before the creature hunt commenced

Treebeard in all his glory

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nland dive sites around the UK have sunk all sorts of oddities over the years as attractions for visiting divers.

Boats are an obvious candidate, along with cars, military vehicles, airplanes and helicopters. But then there are the more-bizarre additions, such as Vobster’s scary Jesters, the Loch Ness Monster in Stoney Cove, and the theme park animals in the depths of NDAC. Lancashire’s Capernwray has more than its fair share of weird-and-wonderful attractions, including two horses, Shergar and Lord Lucan (from Blackpool Pleasure Beach), Sandy the She Devil (from Blackpool Illuminations), a herd of plastic pigs currently residing near a veritable town of garden gnomes, and even a flying saucer, plus an alien who keeps popping up in various places.

This odd assortment has now been joined by the impressive Treebeard, a friendly-looking fibreglass creation that reminds me of an Ent from Lord of the Rings. This large structure is normally seen in playgrounds and the like, but after languishing in a storage unit for years, he was rescued from oblivion and found a new home at Capernwray.

When he arrived, he was a stark white, and looked a little sorry for himself without his impressive outstretched branches in place. However, by the time he was ready to be sunk in his new forever-home, he had been given a lick of carefully applied paint, which makes him much more striking.

He now lies out in the relative shallows beyond the Apeks van and Thunderbird 4, and just before you get to the vintage Orca motor cruiser. It can be a fair old swim over to Treebeard, but my son Luke made short work of it by liberating our friend Dean Martin’s scooter!

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Luke inside the Dragonfly helicopter

Capers’ top attractions

Podsnap – this 15-metre Dickens-class harbour minesweeper was built in 1944 and designed specifically for clearing mines in and around harbour entrances during World War Two. She was scuttled at Capernwray in December 1995.

Wessex helicopter – resplendent in her bright-yellow paint scheme, this fully intact rescue helicopter sits atop a container to keep it clear of any silt build-up on the bottom of the quarry.

Hawker Siddeley HS148 airplane – this impressive aircraft is the flagship of Capernwray’s sunken fleet of attractions. It has a wingspan of 30 metres and is almost intact – with the interior cleared out, you can swim through the fuselage and poke your head in the cockpit.

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Luke uses a DPV for quicker exploration

Capernwray is home to a wide array of fish life, including perch, trout, roach, monster sturgeon and even the odd chunky Koi carp.

Throw in a few of the monster sturgeon swimming around him, and you do start to feel like you are in some strange other-world Help, he ate me!

Aliens dwell in the depths of Capers

One of Capernwray’s famous sturgeon

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Luke near the Oil Rig

Capernwray Diving Centre

Inside one of the cabin cruisers

Sitting in such shallow water means on a nice sunny day, Treebeard is bathed in light, and he looks very eye-catching with his branches reaching up towards the surface.

Treebeard is a great prop for photography. Shooting upwards towards the surface gives a pleasing effect, especially with ripples on the water, and as he is hollow, you can get your buddy inside to either peek through his gaping mouth, or act as torch holder to send beams of light out of his eyes.

The longer he is in the water, the more growth is taking hold on his body and branches, which gives it an even-more eerie, fantasy atmosphere. Throw in a few of the monster sturgeon swimming around him, and you do start to feel like you are in some strange other-world. If you are lucky, you might even see the little albino sturgeon cruising around, although his current haunt tends to be under the wing of the airplane. n

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Capernwray is one of the most-popular inland dive sites in the UK, and for various reasons. It is extremely picturesque, sitting right on the edge of the Lake District, boasts more sunken attractions than virtually any other similar facility, has a massive stock of fish life, including sturgeon, roach, perch and trout, plus the odd Koi carp, and has a fabulous clubhouse with the Porthole Restaurant for grabbing a pre- or post-dive bite to eat and a warm drink – you are even welcome to head inside wearing your drysuit! Throw in a warm Lancashire welcome from all of the team, and you have all the ingredients for a great day of diving.

Capers, as it is known by its legions of fans, is also a popular location for open-water swimming, so don’t be surprised to see people wandering past in swimming costumes and towels while you are bedecked in drysuits and thermal undersuits! www.dive-site.co.uk There is even a little albino sturgeon

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BLUE HORIZON DIVING

MARK WYNNE AND HOLLY WAKELY (PART TWO) We chat to Mark Wynne and Holly Wakely about their growing YouTube Channel, their mostmemorable diving moments – and dives they’d rather forget!

Photographs courtesy of Mark Wynne, Holly Wakely and Margo Peyton/Kids Sea Camp

Q: How did your globe-trotting YouTube Channel come into being?

A (MW): Surprisingly, it never was the intention to turn out to be what it is today. After travelling for a year around the world in 2016, I was back in Glasgow wondering what to do next. I started Blue Horizon Diving (BHD) as a freelance dive school and partnered with Scubapro as an education partner. Only three to four months into the venture, BHD was really taking off but life through a curve ball at me. Before I knew it I was on a plane to Bermuda to start working in the offshore finance sector on a three-year contract. I didn’t want the brand we were building to just disappear as I always intended to return back to Glasgow. When I arrived in Bermuda I also started working for Dive Bermuda on the weekends as an instructor. The owner of Dive Bermuda, Mark Diel, allowed me to carry my GoPro or Paralenz on dives I was guiding to film. I started to put clips together of the dive sites to put on YouTube.

Fast forward a few years and we are in lockdown. I was bored in Bermuda’s first lockdown watching different YouTube channels and noticing different travel vlog styles.

I started searching scuba diving channels and didn’t really see a scuba diving travel channel. It made me think, is there a niche here for us scuba divers? I bumped into Teddy Gosling, of the famous Gosling’s Rum family at Horseshoe Bay Beach one afternoon. Teddy and I started talking and he recommended we needed to take our viewers on a journey from start to finish in vlog style episodes. Make the viewer feel that they are there exploring with you too, instead of random diving clips put together. We started this new style with our first episode at Church Bay in Bermuda. You can see my hands and voice shaking as this felt so unnatural being in front of the camera, it still does. We didn’t know how to edit or film or really do anything to be honest. We just went out with an idea and learnt along the way. It was a huge learning curve for us. Before we knew it our channel had grown from 100 subscribers and few hundred views a month to 1,500 subscribers and 8,000 views a month from all over the world, and continues to grow.

We do everything in our videos from film, produce, edit and try to promote at all our own expenses and costs. But we are okay with that as the YouTube channel is fun for us and allows us to meet and speak to amazing people from all over the world. Plus we get to share our love for the ocean to thousands around the world. When Holly joined the channel the adventure became exciting and added a new dimension, which I can’t thank her enough for. Holly has been unreal and I’m lucky to have her next to me on this adventure.

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Mark demonstrating his hand signals

Holly snorkelling with inland jellies Holly is at her happiest underwater

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A (HW): This is something I became a part of by chance, appearing in one of the videos in the middle of last year. It turned out to be a lot of fun being part of the videos and I slowly became a permanent part of the channel. As an instructor couple, Mark and I love to showcase the diving around the world, with a specific focus on Bermuda as a lesser-known dive location. Originally I was just on camera and did none of the background work, the filming and editing, though as the channel progresses I’m learning how to edit the videos and make further content to keep the channel interesting. Alongside conveying the diving in Bermuda, we do showcase the life of a dive instructor and plan to make skill demonstration videos in the future, helping out divers looking to further their knowledge or non divers wanting to start. What’s really cool about the channel is that it’s also a way to save our memories and look back at the incredible opportunities we’ve has and different locations we’ve been able to explore.

So really, how it all started for me was when the dive staff didn’t know what to do with me in 2020. I had been helping at the east end location in 2019 but with fewer customers and only one location open in 2020, they didn’t need quite so many hands. What they did was tell me that I could come diving whenever I pleased and be a spare set of eyes on the back of whichever group I was assigned to that given day.

This almost always turned out to be Mark’s group, hence my initial diving into the channel, starting with the episode ‘Narcosis is back’.

Holly has grown up with diving in her blood

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Mark and Holly, the perfect buddy team

Q: What is your most-memorable diving experience?

A (MW): I am not as lucky to have been to the Galapagos like Holly. But the first diving with a whaleshark in the Red Sea has to be right up there. We were diving a dive site called Fiddle Garden and within ten minutes of the dive, the Divemaster signals ‘shark’. I remember thinking this will be another reef shark or oceanic whiteteip, not expecting to turn around and see a bus-sized fish right next to me. I was in awe of this 12-13-metre fully grown whaleshark. This dive always sticks with me as your first whaleshark is unforgettable.

Another incredible diving memory would be at Fish Factory in the Maldives. This dive site was spectacular with the abundance of marine life. Holly and I hovered at the back of the group and were just watching this one pink whiptail ray cruising along. Unknowing to us this ray was the lead ray in a fever. Before we knew it we had 21 stingrays swimming inches above our head. It was insane and we were lucky enough to catch that moment on camera. You can check it out on our YouTube channel, the video is called ‘most insane scuba dive at Fish Factory’. You can see we were absolutely mind blown!

A (HW): Waiting at 5m for three minutes can often be the most boring part of dive, especially if there is nothing to see. This particular dive in the Galapagos, the safety stop very quickly became the best part of the dive, the day and the whole trip. Over the three minutes we had an enormous pregnant whaleshark cruise by for a viewing of the little tiny divers in the water, we had a pod of dolphins not just swimming by us but interacting with us, playing with our bubbles and doing tricks in the water. Behind the dolphins

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was one of the Galapagos’ famous schools of hammerhead sharks, which were on almost every dive but never got boring, and to finish off the three minutes, we had a curious Galapagos shark hanging around. I was actually upset to hear my computer beep at end of the safety stop, knowing I had to go up and get back on the boat. From this day forward, anytime anyone asks me about the Galapagos, this is the story I tell first, some people say if I didn’t get it on video then it didn’t happen, which makes it so much better that I got each and every one of these interactions on video and can look back on them whenever I please.

Q: On the flipside, what is your worst diving memory?

A (MW): My worst diving memory has always stayed with me since it happened in May 2009. During a staff dive trip to the Falls of Lora in Oban, Scotland, a simple mistake resulted in a very interesting dive. The Falls of Lora is meant to be dived at slack water, which still provides a nice drift dive.

Unfortunately, the organizer of the trip read the tide tables wrong. We dived the Falls at incoming high tide, resulting in a wicked drift dive with down currents. I remember seeing the kelp bent fully over at the shoreline under the bridge, thinking this seems a bit quick.

When we dropped under the surface, I was ripped down to 22m in seconds, bursting my left eardrum and perforating my right. The pressure squeeze on my drysuit made my back look like I had been whipped a thousand times - the drysuit squeeze had burst multiple blood capillaries in my back. I was holding onto a rock in 7mm Waterproof mitts with two divers on my other hand. Both slipped off as the water pounded my mask and regulators, fighting to keep them both on me. I slipped further down the rock, ripping through my 7mm gloves and off the rock to depth. In this moment I thought ‘this really could be it’. I fully inflated my BCD to try to ascend (I know you shouldn’t) but still kept going down into the darkness. I then fully inflated my drysuit but was still going down. I was ready to drop my weights when I got caught in an upwards current like a washing machine.

Holly and Mark love a good wreck dive

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Holly taking the boat roster on a Kids Sea Camp trip

I dumped all my air in my BCD and drysuit as fast as I could, controlling my ascent. I managed to get in an eddy between two rocks. Composing myself, checking my air and current situation. I started to make my ascent slowly, wondering where my dive buddies were and did an extended safety stop. I came up to carnage of every diver having been separated - everyone in the group was a dive professional being PADI, BSAC and SSI instructors.

Everyone made it out safely, thankfully and it was a huge learning curve. After six weeks I was given the all clear to dive again once my ears healed, just in time for my trip to Egypt. These are the dives I find make you a better diver as you clearly made the correct decisions in a difficult situation or learn what decisions would be better next time if the unexpected happens again.

A (HW): Though the majority of my diving memories are very cool and happy, there are a few which stand out among the crowd as not being great. At all. One of these was right after a dive with marine iguanas; we were in the area and there were not many more dive sites to explore. We had the option to either do another marine iguana dive or to go on a search for mola molas, and it was a unanimous decision to go and find mola molas. After backrolling in and descending down, I started to get a bit confused.

27

The water we had jumped into was a deep dark green, one that you weren’t even able to see your dive buddy through.

At about 5m, it was pitch black and we all turned our lights on. While descending we went at a 45-degree angle down, that aspect mixed with the total darkness made both my dive buddy and myself firmly believe we were in a cave. The next five minutes we didn’t do much, hooked into a rock with an absolutely ripping current and waited for a mola mola.

Apparently the group saw one, though with the number of bubbles around me at the time, I did not see anything.

Everything was really hectic, with people all over the place and noise everywhere. We got the sound signal from our Divemaster to unhook and start our ascent. The current increased on the way up and we were briefed that if this happened we should grab a rock (not a coral!) on the wall and wait for further instruction. My brother had a camera in one hand and a reef hook in the other hand, and instinctively let go of his camera to grab an area of the wall.

Once he noticed, he went to reach for the camera and grabbed my mask off my face in the process, which ended somewhere in the water column and not on my face. Now with no mask, a ripping current and blurry vision, I made my way, with my buddy towards the surface, getting separated from the rest of the group. Everything remained safe it wasn’t all that bad, just a bit hectic but when the Divemaster asked if we wanted to go and look for mola molas again, we all decided the marine iguanas would be the best way to end the day.

Holly is a natural with younger students

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Holly loves bringing kids into diving

Over the next six months, we will be travelling all over the Caribbean for Kids Sea Camp hosting weeks in Roatan, Dominica, Bonaire and Cayman Islands, to name a few Q: What does the future hold for Blue Horizon Diving?

A (MW): 2022 is going to be a big year for Blue Horizon Diving. We have left Bermuda after five incredible years for the next adventures. Over the next six months, we will be travelling all over the Caribbean for Kids Sea Camp hosting weeks in Roatan, Dominica, Bonaire and Cayman Islands, to name a few. In July we will be relocating to Australia to work as dive instructors and hopefully develop a PADI Instructor Development Programme at one of the dive centres there.

For the YouTube channel we hope to continue growing the channel and improve the quality for our amazing subscribers to join in on our adventures. To also dive around the world with our subscribers and supporters. But most importantly showcase the amazing underwater world to others and hopefully see new scuba divers, freedivers or snorkellers take up the sport to explore this amazing blue world we have!

A (HW): I don’t have much to add on that expect for a personal aspect. In 2022 I hope to actually be helpful for Blue Horizon Diving, from the editing and planning aspect. I have a few video series I will be planning and editing to help take the work load off of Mark just a little bit! I know were both very excited to do lots of travel this year and hope you will all come along for the crazy journey with us. n

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Mustard’s MASTERCLASS First in a brand-new column by underwater photography guru Alex Mustard.

This issue, Alex outlines who he is, and what he aims to achieve in the coming months Photographs courtesy of Alex Mustard / www.amustard.com

H

ello! I’m Alex. I’m new to the magazine as a ‘regular’, but not new to underwater photography. I’m a diver and occasional freediver, although you won’t find me doing either of those without a camera.

My passion for the sea has been lifelong. I took my first underwater photos when I was nine years old and gained my first dive qualifications a few years later. Since then, my life has always been connected to water. I have a Ph.D. in marine ecology, and after a further four years working as a marine biologist, I turned my underwater photography hobby into my job.

I have logged 4,870 dives with a camera - I have kept logging my photo dives, so I can trace all my photos back to exactly where they were taken.

it. This is my motivation to help others take better pictures underwater. I’ve been sharing my ideas and techniques through workshops, talks, articles and books for more than 25 years.

Many of my photos have enjoyed a life of their own, becoming well known in prominent books and magazines, in the mainstream media or in highprofile photography awards. They have won multiple categories in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and British Wildlife Photography Awards. I was named European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2013, and remain the only underwater winner of that title. My coffee-table book on coral and climate change, Reefs Revealed, was named the best book of underwater pictures for 2007. The obvious gap in my contest

I’m proud to have been awarded the ADEX Award for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography’ and to have received the rare Golden Trident award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences.

And it was very special to be awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to underwater photography’ People correctly assume a marine biologist has a tremendous advantage for underwater photography.

It means you know what you are looking at, where to find interesting species and gives you a sixth sense for capturing natural behaviour. I’d encourage any diver learn a bit more about underwater life, whether you take photos or not. It is not about knowing dry Latin names or tongue-twisting technical words, but real-world experience of how underwater animals live their lives. Knowledge is always faster than reflexes for a photographer.

My scientific background has shaped my photographic career as well as my pictures. As a scientist you learn knowledge isn’t to be hoarded - there is no point in earning it if you don’t share

CV is not having any awards from the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. My excuse is that I am a founder and chair of the judges for that one, which prohibits me from entering.

I’m proud to have been awarded the ADEX Award for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography’ and to have received the rare Golden Trident award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences. And it was very special to be awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for ‘services to underwater photography’.

So as an underwater photographer who has been around the block, it makes sense for me to aim this column at you enthusiastic shooters. I hope to pass on valuable insights, gleaned from being out there in the

TOP LEFT Photographing a dugong in Egypt

© Sarah O’Gorman

TOP RIGHT Alex and his wife Eleo at the Wildlife Photographer awards 2021 BOTTOM LEFT Alex with his MBE at Buckingham Palace BOTTOM RIGHT Alex and Kay Burn Lim photograph and film, respectively, a blue whale in the Indian Ocean (taken under licence)

© Eric Goh

Finishing a house reef dive in Laamu, Maldives.

November 2021

It is a tough life in the field, Indonesia

Climbing back on a diveboat in the Cayman Islands.

January 2022

Diving in Plymouth.

June 2021

ocean shooting. I won’t be covering the very first steps of underwater imaging here, but I know the magazine will regularly run standalone features on getting started in underwater photography. And I am sure I will contribute to them. I also want this new column to romp widely, and I hope to share my experience on all aspects of underwater photography. We’ll talk techniques, lighting, composition and equipment, naturally. But I plan to cast my net wider and cover detailed photographic tips for destinations and popular species, as well as other topics of interest, like advice about photo contests and getting published.

To continue my introduction in photo-speak, I currently shoot with Nikon SLR cameras (Nikon D850 and D5 to be specific) in Subal housings. I also own a Mirrorless Olympus system in a Nauticam housing, but I am yet to take the Mirrorless plunge for my primary system. But it is clear it is the future. I am regularly asked to review new cameras and get the chance to get to know most systems intimately through my workshops, which also account for most of my diving.

I have an unhealthy fascination with light underwater

and think that most other underwater photographers are too obsessed with cameras and not enough with their flashes. My strobes are from Retra and Seacam.

I also enjoy available light photography and more than 15 years ago now, invented the Magic Filter for working without strobes, which I still use.

My other obsession is underwater optics, which I think is the most-exciting current frontier of progress in underwater photography equipment. It has always been possible to design lenses to work specifically in water, but very few bothered. The advances in computer-aided optical design, capitalised on by intelligent engineers like Edward Lai and motivated companies like Nauticam, have been rewriting the rules over the last decade. For underwater photographers, the digital revolution has been followed by the optical revolution. Today we’re blessed with an ability to shoot types of images, and with a quality that has never been possible before. When it comes to making images underwater, this is a time of ever-expanding possibilities. In short, we’ve never had it so good, and I look forward to helping you make the most of it. n

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‘Giants Of The Night’ triumphs over 4,200 underwater entries

An astounding photo of five whalesharks feeding together at night in the waters of the Maldives sees Rafael Fernandez Caballero from Spain named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 Photographs as credited

F

ernandez’s photograph triumphed over 4,200 underwater pictures entered into UPY 2022 by underwater photographers from 71 countries.

The photo captures a unique ocean event, taken in demanding photographic conditions.

‘Giants Of The Night’ features five whalesharks, the biggest fish in the world, feeding together on nocturnal plankton that have been concentrated in the lights of a boat. “It was already incredible when one whaleshark came to our boat,” explains Fernandez.

“But more and more kept arriving. I was diving with Gador Muntaner, a shark researcher, who couldn’t believe it as their numbers grew. He counted 11 sharks that night – a once-in-a-lifetime encounter that nobody thought was possible.”

Competition judge Peter Rowlands commented: “This image took my breath away from the first viewing and I never tired coming back to it. Scale, light and the sheer numbers of big subjects, this was, by some distance, our winning image.”

Judge Alex Mustard added: “Photography needs light and simply recording these giants in a dark ocean is a massive achievement. To do this with such beautiful light and careful composition of the five sharks is outstanding.”

“Restriction on travel over the last year may have stopped many photographers visiting their favourite waters, but it hasn’t stifled their creativity,” commented judge Mustard. “The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest aims to celebrate underwater photography in all its forms and we are delighted that many of this year’s awarded images come from home countries and some are even taken in swimming pools.”

The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Matty Smith, an Englishman now living in Australia, was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 for a portrait of a great white shark taken in the Neptune Islands, South Australia.

To produce ‘Great White Split’, Smith built a special supersize dome port for his camera, as well as a

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2022 © Rafael Fernandez Caballero

This image took my breath away from the first viewing and I never tired coming back to it. Scale, light and the sheer numbers of big subjects, this was, by some distance, our winning image PETER ROWLANDS

This split shot of the most famous fish in the sea truly captures its character.

An excellent reward for the perseverance of the photographer, experimenting with different techniques until he got the result he wanted TOBIAS FRIEDRICH

BRITISH UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2022 © Matthew Smith

carbon pole and remote trigger to allow him to get this revealing perspective. “I had wanted to shoot a charismatic over/under portrait for years,” explained Smith. “Some techniques I had previously tried failed terribly, so this time I designed and constructed my own equipment to get the camera exactly where I wanted.

Surprisingly, the sharks were instantly attracted to the camera, in fact it was a battle to stop them biting it!”

UPY 2022 competition judge Tobias Friedrich commented: “This split shot of the most famous fish in the sea truly captures its character. An excellent reward for the perseverance of the photographer, experimenting with different techniques until he got the result he wanted.”

In the same contest, Thien Nguyen Ngoc from the Vietnam was named ‘The Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2022 for his aerial photo ‘Big Appetite’. The photo shows boats straining the waters for anchovies in the Phu Yen province of Vietnam.

“Salted anchovy is the most-important raw material in traditional Vietnamese fish sauce,” said Nguyen Ngoc, “but these little fish are a keystone of the ecosystem. The reserves and catches of anchovies have decreased by 20-30% in the past ten years. When they are overfished, the whales, tunas, sea birds and other marine predators face starvation and critical population declines.”

Competition judge Rowlands commented: “A stark visual reminder of man’s reach and control over the surrounding habitat and its devastating effect on the

MARINE CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2022 © Thien Nguyen Ngoc

natural balance.” Mustard added: “The mouths of these nets dwarf the people casting them, and the tight composition speaks about our squeeze on nature.”

The Underwater Photographer of the Year competition also aims to promote new photographic talent. Quico Abadal, from Spain, was named as Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 for a creative image ‘Supernova In Paradise’.

Adabal’s photo was taken at sunset off Sairee Beach, Koh Tao, Thailand and is purposely shown upside down.

“This photo features Jeniya, who moves so poetically in the water,” explained Abadal. “What I like about this photograph is the imperfection of backscatter in the

In this category we are always looking for exciting new talent bringing fresh visions to underwater photography.

This image is a fabulous example ALEX MUSTARD

UP & COMING UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2022 © Quico Abadal

MY BACKYARD AND BEHAVIOUR CATEGORY © Pekka Tuuri

BLACK & WHITE CATEGORY © Kerrie Burow

dark water, creating the feeling of outer space and making it perfect to me.” Judge Mustard explains the reasons for the photo’s success: “In this category we are always looking for exciting new talent bringing fresh visions to underwater photography. This image is a fabulous example. Simple subject matter, elevated into an artistic image by the imagination, ideas and talent of the photographer and model.”

Pekka Tuuri was the My Backyard and Behaviour category winner, with a striking photo taken in the city of Vantaa in Finland. He said: “This love pond is in my backyard, a 20-minute drive from home. And it has rewarded me plentifully over the past ten years. The common frogs come first, then toads, and finally newts.

I floated and stayed put among the frogs and quite soon they accepted me and my camera as a part of the scenery. What an experience, with lots of photo ops!”

Judge Tobias Friedrich commented: “This image truly made me laugh, when I saw it first time. What an iconic moment and excellent reaction by the excellent Pekka Tuuri. He is truly one of the underwater photographers in the world who always comes up with different ideas and outstanding different images from places just around his corner in Finland. Excellent composition and light, very well done.”

The Black and White category was won by Australian Kerrie Burow, for the shot Sarah’s Underwater World.

Kerrie explained: “This shot was taken a year into the Coronavirus pandemic - my seven-year-old niece Sarah stares with wonder into my housing dome while on one breath underwater.

“The scene portrays the therapeutic power of water, which so many of us experienced during the pandemic.

The underwater world offered peace, comfort and hope - for the anxious, the depressed and the grieving.

It gave us a chance to feel joy and adventure again as well as freedom from the heavy weight of the pandemic - even if just for a moment while on one breath.

“The portrait was taken using an unobtrusive photojournalist technique. I minimalised my presence, gave no instructions to Sarah and, instead, allowed the scene to evolve naturally.”

Peter Rowlands said: “Haunting yet compelling, this very striking portrait uses the simplicity of black and white to great effect. Colour would have been so distracting.”

The Wrecks category was won by Swedish shooter Alex Dawson for his eye-catching image of the Tyrifjord shipwreck in Norway. “The wreck of Tyrifjord is one of the favourite wrecks in the Gulen Dive Resort area of Norway. She sits in approximately 40m and is very sheltered from most winds,” explained Alex. “The highlight of the wreck is always the huge extra steering wheel in the aft.”

Judge Tobias Friedrich said: “Excellent composed image of a truly not-easy subject. With poor visibility and lighting conditions, wrecks in those depths are not easy to photograph. Alex did a great job by a minimalistic, but also intense and dramatic lighting of the steering wheel, maybe one of the most recognizable parts of

WRECK CATEGORY © Alex Dawson

COMPACT CATEGORY © Enrico Somogyi

The Compact Category is subjectless, which makes it hard to shoot for and even harder to judge, but this well-lit, unambiguous image created an appeal that was unanimous with the judges

PORTRAIT CATEGORY © Thomas Heckmann

a ship, which drags the viewer straight into it. I knew immediately when I saw the image for the first time that it would go far in the competition.”

Showing that you don’t need expensive equipment to capture striking images, Germany’s Enrico Somogyi took first and third place in the Compact category.

His winning image, titled Peace, was taken at a pond

in Leipzig, Germany. He said: “ Once a year at the end of March, it is mating time for the toads. It last only a few days and only at this time is it possible to get very close to them. Normally they are very shy. I was trying to get a split shot with this toad, when he started to crawl on my small dome port. I got some pictures from this action and this was my favourite pic.”

Judge Peter Rowlands commented: “The Compact Category is subjectless, which makes it hard to shoot for and even harder to judge, but this welllit, unambiguous image created an appeal that was unanimous with the judges.”

Germany’s Thomas Heckmann took the win in the Portrait category for his shot Rapunzel on Fire, which was taken in his own underwater photo studio.

Thomas said: “Our image idea was to create a completely black silhouette in the foreground, but at the same time make eye contact with the viewer.

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To make the hair glow, the camera settings were for the silhouette and three powerful strobes were needed hidden in the background. These background strobes were triggered by long cables and an additional RSU. For the face I used a combination of video light/strobe with snoot for the front.”

Peter Rowlands said: “This highly unusual image using strong colours and contrasts had a winning appeal which endured every time.”

Most Promising British Underwater Photographer – and third place in the British Waters Macro category - went to Paul Pettitt, for his shot Diamonds and Rust, which was taken at Swanage Pier. Paul said: “This picture was taken on a bright afternoon when I knew the sun would be on the west side of the pier. The sea gooseberries had been around for a while, and on this particular day, the water was like glass. I floated in the spot I wanted and waited for them to slowly drift by.

The background colours represent the rust and weed growth on a metal cross beam.”

“Images like this leap out despite being subtle. The colours are celebratory and the subject perfectly placed to produce a stand-out image in this category,” said judge Peter Rowlands.

You can see all of the UPY 2022 winners on the Underwater Photographer of the Year website: www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com

This highly unusual image using strong colours and contrasts had a winning appeal which endured every time About UPY 2022

Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools. British photographer Phil Smith was the first underwater Photographer of the Year, named in 1965. Today’s competition attracts entries from all around the world, has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. This year’s UPY 2022 judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.

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Snorkel in pristine waters, go for a dive, or relax with a drink and enjoy the sailing. The best memories on the reef, no filter required. www.passions.com.au +61 7 4041 1600 email: reservations@passions.com.au Departing from Cairns, Queensland

DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: EUROPE

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

WWW.DANEUROPE.ORG

WHY DAN DOESN’T SHARE CHAMBER LOCATIONS OR AVAILABILITY

D

AN frequently consults on the care, transportation and hyperbaric treatment of injured divers. However, DAN does not generally provide information about the location or availability of chambers. This is because injured divers with suspected decompression illness (DCI) need to be evaluated at a hospital or emergency clinic first.

Divers have driven past healthcare facilities to get to a recompression chamber, believing a chamber was the solution for just about any malady or injury. Even when divers surface with symptoms of an apparent arterial gas embolism, the best course of action is to have the diver assessed at the closest medical facility. An urgent care clinic or a hospital’s emergency department is better than a dedicated chamber facility.

• The closest recompression chamber might not be the most appropriate.

• A chamber’s operational status can change.

• Chambers may close for scheduled maintenance or staff holiday’s or may have limited staff available because of a high daytime patient load.

• The chamber you are driving to may not be available.

• Prior notification from an evaluating facility is usually necessary to begin the call-in procedure to staff a hyperbaric treatment.

• Most hyperbaric facilities have regular daytime business hours and are not staffed in the evenings or on weekends.

Some chamber facilities choose not to staff their unit after hours. Others simply do not treat divers.

Recompression treatment

• Unlike most freestanding hyperbaric facilities, hospital settings have advanced diagnostic capabilities.

• A multidisciplinary setting ensures proper diagnosis and a stable patient before recompression therapy.

• Hospitals and urgent-care facilities have a virtually unlimited supply of oxygen, intravenous fluids and medications.

The best option for an injured diver is always to use the best locally available medical services.

• A differential diagnosis comes first. Not everything that can happen to a diver warrants hyperbaric treatment.

• A physician needs to rule out illnesses such as heart attack and other neurological and musculoskeletal injuries that could be confused with decompression illness.

• Advanced diagnostic procedures will rule out complications (such as a collapsed lung) and other additional factors that could make recompression therapy inappropriate or dangerous.

• A physician needs to make sure the patient can withstand recompression therapy.

Chamber capabilities

• Not all hyperbaric facilities can deal with all cases.

DAN Membership

Before taking the plunge make sure your DAN membership is still active. If it isn’t, join DAN or renew your membership at: www.daneurope.org Your DAN membership ensures the services of the biggest international network for assisting divers anywhere, during any emergency.

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Hospital capabilities

Transportation

• A critically ill patient needs to be stabilised before and during transport to a chamber and should be transferred under medical supervision.

• Transporting a diver without a proper evaluation may adversely affect the diver’s health and treatment outcome.

When in doubt, call DAN

DAN maintains a database of hyperbaric facilities willing to and capable of treating divers. It is challenging to ensure this database is current, as most chambers do not routinely report their status to DAN. Once you have begun administering first aid and activated local emergency medical services (EMS), DAN can help you and EMS determine the best course of action for the case as reported. If the need for recompression therapy seems obvious, DAN can confirm chamber availability with the closest facility. The nearest medical facility will not necessarily have hyperbaric medicine but is still the

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Divers have driven past healthcare facilities to get to a recompression chamber, believing a chamber was the solution for just about any malady or injury preferred option. Once the diver becomes a patient, transportation will move quickly and efficiently.

DAN is not the only resource for chamber information for travel abroad. Your dive operator should be able to give you this information before arrival.

Dive-related injuries

If you suspect a diver has a dive-related injury and needs evaluation, you should: • Monitor their airway, breathing and circulation.

• Provide 100 percent oxygen if you are a trained oxygen provider.

• Call local EMS for transportation or assistance with the transportation of the injured diver to medical care.

• Call the DAN Emergency Hotline: +1 (919) 684-9111 (International).

Did You Know?

All divers can call the DAN Hotline for advice; however DAN can only arrange an emergency medical evacuation and pay for associated transport and medical costs for current DAN Members, within the limits of their coverage option. If you travel overseas to dive this year, ensure your DAN coverage is up-to-date: Visit www.daneurope.org

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INTO THE

Deep S R

ichard Cullen: It had been 30 months, mainly due to COVID, since my wife Christine and I had travelled together to the Red Sea. The ending of many COVID restrictions and the opportunity for a week’s safari on Pharoah Dive Club’s new liveaboard Big Blue (www. mybigblue.com) was too tempting to refuse.

Wearing my Deptherapy hat, our relationship with Roots Red Sea and Pharoah Dive Club has existed for many years and I was fortunate enough, with the rest of the Deptherapy team, to visit Big Blue when she was being fitted out in Hurghada. What was striking then, and was brought back to me on this safari, was the size of the boat - it really matches its name ‘Big’. Oh, and by the way, it is blue! When Deptherapy chose Roots to be our base in Egypt, manager Steve Rattle built four fully accessible bedrooms for use by those in wheelchairs or using prosthetics. In the design of Big Blue, the same thinking was applied - the boat has two fully accessible cabins that are on the same deck as the restaurant and dive deck.

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Big Blue was completed towards the end of 2019 and although undertaking a few safaris, COVID restrictions meant she was confined to a dock - until now.

The safari was based out of Port Ghalib (Marsa Alam), as there are no direct flights from the UK to Marsa at the moment. We travelled from Luton with EasyJet and it was good to see that the flight to Hurghada had only a couple of empty seats. We were met at the airport and travelled down to Roots, which is midway between Hurghada and Port Ghalib. There we had dinner and met with Steve and the other guests before making our way to the port, arriving at 1am on 21 November.

Steve was joining us on the safari, his first time on the liveaboard during a safari. He wanted to see how the team on the boat worked, whether clients were being given the ‘ultimate’ experience, checking on standards and looking at what work needed to be carried out on the boat when she goes into dry dock for a service and refurb.

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South Big Blue looked magnificent, but I must admit, tiredness and a couple of Sakaras meant I was ready for bed!

The following day, after a late breakfast, it was time to check out Big Blue. It looked very different now that it was fitted out, with furniture and fittings installed, Big Blue presently has four set itineraries - Ultimate Wrecks, Pelagic Encounter, Ultimate Brothers, and Wall to Wall. If you book the whole boat, then a tailor-made itinerary can be put together for you. For instance, from 31 July to 6 August, Deptherapy has booked the boat for a week’s bio-mass survey on the wrecks of the SS Turkia in the Gulf of Suez and the iconic wreck of the SS Thistlegorm.

The research will be led by Dr Deborah McNeill, a marine biologist from the Open Oceans project.

Big Blue has cabins to accommodate 28, but they prefer to entertain a maximum of 24 clients on the boat. We had a mixed bunch of divers on the boat, some like Richard Stevens, Ryby Stonehouse and Guy Henderson I have known for years. For others, it was the first time of meeting.

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Richard Cullen and Richard Stevens embark on an epic diving safari into the Egyptian Deep South aboard the brand-new liveaboard vessel Big Blue Photographs by Richard Stevens/Black Manta Photography and Steve Rattle There were some who were doing technical diving, some on sidemount and conventional recreational scuba divers. Oh, and there were lots of cameras!

On Big Blue, there is a more-relaxed atmosphere than that which you find on most liveaboards. No crack of dawn reveille to be first on the dive site, only to find all the other boats have done the same. On Big Blue, it was a case of ‘let the others do their first dive, then we dive’. This worked tremendously well.

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The Red Sea is home to over 1,200 species of fish and 250 species of coral. Of these, 17% of the fish species and 8% of the coral species are endemic. Some 40% of the Red Sea is shallower than 100m and 25% of the Red Sea is less than 50m deep.

I have dived the South Red Sea many times and although we visited a few dive sites I had visited before, we went to several I had never dived.

Day one saw as at Abu Dabbab, for our orientation dive, with obligatory SMB deployment at the end of the dive.

Just a brief note - never let Richard Stevens lead a dive when he has his camera with him! The afternoon saw us at Elphinstone, and as expected there was plenty of aquatic life, including a turtle happily sitting in a cave. An oceanic whitetip paid us a visit when we were all back on the boat.

Day two saw us completing three dives around Zabargad’s reefs, including the wreck of the Russian Spy Trawler. Lots of excellent coral, both hard and soft, with a good deal of aquatic life. Day three we had one final dive on the Zabargad reefs then made our way to Rocky Island.

A couple of excellent RIB dives and on the second one, we entered off the RIB into a pod of dolphins.

Day four and overnight, we had moved to St John’s. At Habili Ghafir we watched as two dolphins chased off an oceanic whitetip that was swimming close to us, and on Umm Arouk, we saw some very pretty and vibrant pinnacles.

Day five saw us diving Sha’ab Maksur and Claudia reefs.

On the first dive we had a large Napoleon wrasse join us.

Lots of aquatic life, and amazing corals.

Our final day saw us back to another reef in the Abu Dabbab system, with more stunning hard corals, anemonefish, pufferfish and all manner of other reef life, before our last dive of our safari took place on Elphinstone – a perfect way to finish off a week of excellent diving.

We docked at Port Ghalib, late-afternoon Friday, and after packing our bags and saying our goodbyes, we travelled to Roots for dinner and a chilled-out evening. Late Saturday evening saw most of us homeward bound, with a couple staying on at Roots. I doubt you can ever get enough of the Red Sea, but our diving appetites were sated. A great itinerary on a first-class liveaboard - we will be back for more!

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One of the spacious sun decks The bedrooms have plenty of room too

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Ready to go diving

Big Blue in the marina

Vibrant Red Sea reef

The dive deck is absolutely huge

The larger fish and sharks are often the draw for diving further south in the Red Sea, but this dive alone was worth the journey, and one I will definitely want to do again Richard Stevens: It had been three weeks since my last visit to Roots Red Sea, yet here I was back again sat having dinner - a quick stop-gap as the actual reason for being back in Egypt was to head out on the maiden voyage of Big Blue, the latest Egyptian liveaboard to enter the market, and owned by the team at Pharaoh Dive Club. Big Blue was actually completed in 2019 and ready for the 2020 season - alas, the global pandemic put a stop to that meaning she sat idle in the relentless heat and sun for almost two years before we got to play.

The itinerary for the week was the Deep South, an area of the Red Sea that has eluded me thus far in my diving life despite over 30 trips to Egyptian waters in the past 15 or so years. I’d heard many stories about Zabargad, Rocky Island, St John’s, Fury Shoals, and the stunning reefs that could be found, so the excitement levels were high as we headed south from Port Ghalib.

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Big Blue is an impressive boat - large spacious cabins totalling 14 number across three floors, with the main deck housing fully accessible rooms. At 38 metres long and seven metres wide, she’s one of the larger boats to be cruising the Red Sea and as the total capacity is only 24 divers, you really do sense the space that is available.

The first dive of the trip was a simple check dive at Abu Dabab followed by a gorgeous drift along Elphinstone Reef.

We then settled in for the evening for the long overnight journey down to Zabargad Island.

The most-striking thing about Zabargad is the rich azure-blue waters that line the shore in the lagoon. We were the only boat moored up, so it very much felt like our own paradise island - in fact, most of the week seemed to follow suit. We always seemed to be where the other boats weren’t, such is the clever planning of the Big Blue crew.

‘Heaven on Earth’ is a term loosely bandied around

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when describing something nice, but it wasn’t until I got in for the first dive at Zabargad did I realise the true definition.

I mean - wow! I’ve been fortunate to dive in some utterly stunning places across the globe, but the reef at Zabargad is possibly the prettiest and most stunning I’ve seen anywhere underwater.

The visibility was endless, and the anthias - I’ve never seen so many fish in hues of orange and purple in my life!

Huge coral mounds, caverns and cracks in the reef wall that were drenched in dancing rays of dappled light, and more marine life you could point a camera at. It was so good I did all five possible dives available to me before we moved on to Rocky Island the following morning. Rocky Island was more reminiscent of the Red Sea islands I’m more familiar with. Small and roundish, Rocky Island is a bit like small Brother Island further north.

A little more current here than at the neighbouring Zabargad, but with it the sharks and dolphins came aplenty.

In fact, the second dive at Rocky we were followed for the RIB journey out, only to literally trip over them as we entered the water. Such was the commotion, I failed to get anything on camera and there was the classic case of my mask filling with water as I laughed my head off.

The next stop was St Johns - with the reef Habili Gefar providing one of the most-exhilarating dives. Fleeting glimpses of a thresher shark were matched with two oceanics closer to the surface that were chased the entire dive by dolphins. I had a sore neck by the end of the dive as I was constantly turning left and right with every dolphin call I could hear trying to see what was going on. If that wasn’t enough, we were joined by one of the largest shoals of barracuda - cautiously keeping their distance away from the reef, but impressive nonetheless. However, it was the dive at Umm Arouk which provided the most-atmospheric dive. An afternoon dive with the winter sun low in the sky gave the most-beautiful scene as we traversed dozens and dozens of pinnacles, large and small.

But despite all of these amazing dives at stunning reefs, it was the dive at Claudia located at Fury Shoal that was the absolute highlight of the trip - I mean, what a dive! The most-stunning cavern swim-throughs full of jumping light and gorgeous colours. The larger fish and sharks are often the draw for diving further south in the Red Sea, but this dive alone was worth the journey, and one I will definitely want to do again. Heading back north with the last dive on Elphinstone was the icing on the cake - I could dive here over and over and never get bored.

The trip was a true delight - the diving was utterly mind-blowing, the crew were fantastic, and Big Blue did not disappoint. I’d estimate I’ve been on 40 liveaboards over the years all varying in different levels of luxury and accommodation. But the stand-out thing that was consistent across the whole week was the quality of the food for each meal - most definitely up there as the best food I’ve had on a boat. An array of high-grade meals freshly prepared every meal time.

Add all of this into the mix - the quality of accommodation, the space on board, the quality of food, and the executive diving experience makes diving from Big Blue one of the very reasons you need to head to Egypt as soon as you can.

I promise you won’t be disappointed! n

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Richard returning from a dive

Exploring a Deep South reef

Huge coral mounds, caverns and cracks in the reef wall that were drenched in dancing rays of dappled light, and more marine life you could point a camera at Attentive crew await the RIB

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beyond technical

www.narkedat90.com

MUDDY HOLE AN EXTREME LOCATION FREEDIVING DISCOVERY Marcus Greatwood specialises in freediving in remote, inaccessible areas, and on Kefalonia, he discovered a wondrous site affectionately referred to as ‘Muddy Hole’ Photographs by Marcus Greatwood

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Entry into the cavern is extremely atmospheric

Every inch of the ceiling is covered in thousands of razorsharp limestone daggers, some stopping only inches from the water Cave freediving is not for the fainthearted

Training in freediving can bring huge gains and improvements in many other activities, from triathlons and scuba diving to martial arts and golf.

I

started freediving in 1999 and, although I’ve held records, competed in World Championships and coached hundreds of international-level athletes, exploration has always been my true reason to freedive.

This passion to interact with the subaquatic environment has led me to breath-hold photography in order to share the beauty of the oceans that we can enjoy on a single breath.

Freediving in hard-to-access locations has moved on in the past 20 years, and is now known as Extreme Location Freediving, with dedicated courses, clubs and regular expeditions. Since the early 2000s, the NoTanx team have explored beautiful locations overlooked by most freedivers.

We’ve developed safety techniques specific to this type of diving, as well as studying caving itself to extend our skills and catalogue of dive sites. Underground lakes have now become some of our favourite spots; their amazing clear waters created by the lack of light and living organisms.

We began by exploring the cenotes on the Ionian Island of Kefalonia in 2016, returning twice a year since then - but nothing prepared us for the discovery at the affectionately named ‘Muddy Hole’ on the island in 2020.

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Finding Muddy Hole

While researching the caves of Kefalonia, I had found an article in an Italian caving journal from 1990 with a tiny, detail-less map. Overlaying this onto Google maps, we had located several caves, including our Muddy Hole. We had ignored this pretty uninteresting vertical shaft for a few years now, having only venturing into its entrance to practice some vertical caving at the end of another trip in 2020.

Abseiling into an unknown cave is quite a technical undertaking. It requires a lot of preparation – worst-case scenarios need to be anticipated. Even the first trip, which wasn’t a freediving expedition, required a lot of specific equipment to be carried through the dense woodland and down a steep slope to the entrance.

The entrance leads to a 15-metre drop requiring an abseil, at the bottom of which a steep decline continues almost vertically to a dead end – a choke. It was at this choke point where I sat for a few minutes waiting for the next person to finish using the rope when I noticed a small hole. Mat joined me shortly afterwards and he, not one to be shy of such things, squeezed through the hole as soon as he saw it.

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Computers • O2 Cells • Gas Analysers Cables & Connectors • Rebreather Parts PathFinder Strobes • Sensors Tools • Solenoids As we pushed through this tiny gap into the main chamber, we knew the 1990 cave survey had been misleading, if not outright wrong. We had emerged into a huge chamber at ceiling height, quite literally covered in huge white speleothems (stalactites and curtaining) hanging down from the ceiling and walls up to eight metres high.

This truly was an amazing cave, visited by only a handful of cavers since 1970 but even more surprising was the lake of crystal-clear water at the bottom of the scree slope 25 metres below. It shone azure blue in our headtorches, leading off in both directions through heavily decorated tunnels and alcoves.

Our flight was booked for the next day, leaving us only the morning to attempt a dive. Not set up for extensive darkwater expedition, the preliminary dive was always going to be short, our summer wetsuits in the chilly 15°C water limiting our time in the water even further. Even so, this initial trip was truly awe-inspiring. We managed to identify four separate chambers, each more breath-taking and pristine than the last. A return trip was clearly necessary.

2021 expedition to explore Muddy Hole

In August 2021, a team of four divers and I to travelled to Kefalonia with the aim to not only explore but photograph Muddy Hole. Rigging the access ropes is a complex process. The first rope runs continuously from outside the cave, to the top of the Main Chamber, followed by a second rope through the squeeze to the water’s edge. All the kit (freediving, photography and lighting) has to be meticulously packed before lowering to the first person waiting at the bottom. It takes a full two hours to get from the entrance to the water’s edge. Wet-suiting up before the abseil, Mat and I knew what to expect, but the three girls experiencing it for the first time were truly stunned by the view that met them past the squeeze.

The Main Chamber is absolutely spectacular. I had shown several cavers our grainy photo from the first trip and they audibly gasped, definitely earning it the title of ‘worth a visit in its own right’. Despite the water looking inviting alone, the side channels that can’t be seen

Freediver gliding through the crystalclear water

until you arrive at the water’s edge are even more enticing.

The huge stalactites hang down into the water, guarding the entrances like a portcullis. Our anticipation was palpable as we ditched our caving kit, donned our darkwater freediving apparel and slipped into the water. We knew these chambers could only be accessed with specialist training and although cave divers may have been able to enter through an underwater tunnel, each chamber has anti-scuba surprises of their own - we’re pretty sure we were the first people ever to enter.

The Amazing Chamber beyond the Portcullis is nothing less than jaw-dropping. Every inch of the ceiling is covered in thousands of razor-sharp limestone daggers, some stopping only inches from the water. Picking our way through, we had to be delicate and careful of our movements and we realised there is no way a scuba diver could surface in here - the crystal-clear water made it look like there is no head-sized gap between these intricate decorations.

The formations are simply mindblowing

Freedivers looking ethereal in the cave system

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view all products online

www.narkedat90.com Exploring into the system

Time was running out and we had to leave, but not before Muddy Hole gave us a tantalising glimpse of another huge chamber, fully submerged at the far end of The White Room Cave formation and calcite decorations

Speleothems (stalactites, stalagmites and curtains) form when ground water dissolves limestone rock when travelling through it by infiltration. As the water enters the air inside a cave, these dissolved minerals get deposited on the ceilings, walls or the floor. This process is gradual, taking countless water droplets to redeposit enough calcite to form just a single centimetre of rock.

Speleothems cannot form underwater as the ground water needs to become a droplet in air to deposit its mineral load. Thus we can deduce that although vast quantities of water formed these tunnels, the sea levels must have dropped, draining these caves for many thousands of years to allow the calcite formations to grow before the sea level rose again to flood the chambers as we find them today.

Inside the Main Chamber, the drapery (hanging speleothems) are metres high, which will have taken thousands of years to form. It is interesting that there are not many stalagmites (floor-standing formations) as this makes it evident that there must have been many ceiling collapses to break any formations here. A ceiling collapse like this is what will have opened up the entrance to allow us access to these deep caverns. Calcite is pure white, only turning brown when contaminated with mud or when humans touch them, leaving an oily residue that cannot grow or regain its majestic colouring.

Happy freediving explorers

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The White Room

The water level in these caves varies due to rainfall on the island, but not by much. The first time we entered, we saw a huge air-filled cavern beyond the initial chambers. At the time we had no way of knowing if the air was toxic or not, nor did we have time/equipment to dive along the flooded tunnel to investigate it. On our returning visit, the water level was about 30cm lower, revealing an air gap leading to The White Room. Although it was not big enough to breathe along its length, we knew the air on the other side was good. This allowed us to freedive into the next chamber we had only glimpsed the first time we were here.

We were genuinely shocked by the size of this cavern, lined with white decorations that almost glowed pure white (thus the name). This chamber was definitely not on the original cave survey. However, the air gap was only visible to keen-eyed freedivers when the water level was particularly low, so no sensible scuba diver would have surfaced here.

This was another first entry to a new chamber.

Let’s get one thing straight - The White Room is huge. At least 30 metres long, eight metres high at points and 10m deep underwater. Freediving in the gin-clear water here was a unique experience. The beams from our powerful torches (thank you, Anchor Dive Lights!) peered off into the dark recesses beyond our vision. No light had entered this cave for thousands of years, yet we were able to see as clear as in a swimming pool.

Although the whole purpose of the expedition was to explore this one cave, we had only been able to penetrate this deep once during the week. Time was running out and we had to leave, but not before Muddy Hole gave us a tantalising glimpse of another huge chamber, fully submerged at the far end of The White Room. It was a huge white chamber 10m deep, a perfectly flat white roof and sheer white walls. Let’s be clear - we use huge 5K lumen cave diving torches, designed specifically for this situation, yet as their beams faded into the epic darkness, there was no end in sight… The underwater camera had been packed away, and so the unnamed chamber remains unphotographed… until our next expedition. n

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

HOLLIS ST, ST ELITE AND DT BUOYANCY SYSTEMS | SRP: £599.95-£689.95 Hollis is introducing three new buoyancy systems during Q1 2022, each designed to meet the needs of discerning recreational and technical divers.

At Hollis, the design team knows that the needs of each diver are a little different, so when it came to designing new buoyancy systems, they sought to create gear that would meet its user where they’re at as a diver. Whether the user is a single-tank diver, a twin-cylinder diver - diving in the Caribbean or locally in cold water – Hollis has tailored these systems to the type of diving they’ll be doing. There are three systems available: the ST System, ST Elite System, and DT System, with customisation options for each.

ST System (£649.95)

The ST System is designed for minimalist-minded divers who prioritise streamlining their kit, for the ultimate in traditional simplicity. So if the diver is concerned about unnecessary bulk and pieces of equipment failing, the ST eliminates those factors. The foundation for the ST System starts with the new Hollis backplate 2.0 with geometry and material choices tailored to an individual’s style of diving.

The ST features a continuous-weave solo harness. It has no buckles that can fail, and no extra parts that aren’t needed. An ultra-streamlined single-tank ST wing rounds out the system with a perfect balance of horizontal trim and surface floatation. It’s all one simple, ultra-rugged design made for technical dive utility.

The ST comes pre-assembled from the factory and includes unique components depending on the user’s desired configuration. For warm water and travel destinations customers can choose the ST Travel System (£599.95), which includes the Aluminium backplate 2.0, Delrin cam bands and the Backplate backpad 2.0.

Two wing sizes are available. The ST22 provides 10kg of lift while the ST35 has 16kg. Those diving in colder waters may prefer the standard ST System, which includes the ST35 wing, Stainless Steel Backplate 2.0, Stainless Steel cam bands and the Backplate backpad 2.0. An optional weight system is sold separately.

ST Elite System (£689.95)

Similar to the baseline ST, the ST Elite brings together the most popular Hollis single tank components into a single system. However, instead of the solo harness, Hollis has added the luxurious and adjustable Elite 2 harness, yielding a result similar to what you’d expect from a full-featured BCD. For divers coming from the recreational world of single tank diving using a traditional BCD, this gives the same

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harness style, but on a backplate for added stability. The ST Elite System also gives its owner a ton of options for customisation depending on their diving style, in case it changes over time. For warm water and travel destinations, an ST Elite Travel System (£649.95) is available which includes the ultra-streamlined ST22 wing, Aluminium backplate 2.0, Delrin cam bands and Backplate backpad 2.0. Those diving in colder waters can choose the standard ST Elite, which includes a go-anywhere ST35 wing, Stainless backplate 2.0, Stainless cam bands and a Backplate backpad 2.0.

DT System (£649.95)

For twinset diving, the Hollis DT System is minimal and simple, and designed for the rigorous demands of the discerning doubles diver. Made tough, it comes with all of the components for a backplate and wing kit in one, preassembled from the factory. The foundation for the DT system starts with Hollis’ new Stainless Steel Backplate 2.0, with geometry and material choices tailored to the user’s style of diving. The design team then added the continuousweave solo harness. This harness has no buckles that can fail, and no extra parts that the user won’t need.

Rounding out the DT system is the new DT50 doubles wing with 23kg of lift and, with a radical redesign, it’s ideal for various sized double cylinders and colder waters. The DT50 also promotes greater lift towards the diver’s hips for better horizontal trim. Alternatively, users can opt for the DT45 Dual wing offering 20kg of lift via its double bladder.

Lastly, the DT includes the new Backplate backpad 2.0, which is designed to pivot out of the way when installing kit on a set of doubles. Owners can add a set of cam bands to the DT for the occasional single tank dive. www.hollis.com

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MARES EOS TORCH RANGE | SRP: £134-359

Mares have always had a decent line-up of torches, and the new EOS range definitely ticks all the boxes regardless of whether you wanted a compact back-up torch or a morepowerful primary unit. The range runs from the EOS 10lr and EOS 10lrw back-up lights through the EOS 5, 10 and 15lrz units, to the range-topping EOS 32lrz. The EOS 10lr and 10lrw (both £134) feature a 1,000 lumen CREE LED, a visual battery charge indicator, a rechargeable battery, four options (on, low, SOS, off) and come in a padded case. The lrw has a wider beam than the lr, making it particularly useful as a video light.

The EOS 5lrz (£162), 10lrz (£242) and 15lrz (£269) all have a magnetic adjustable focus, which takes the beam from narrow to wide light. The 5lrz has a 520 lumen XP-G2 CREE LED, the 10lrz has a 1,100 lumen XML-2 CREE LED, and the 15lrz has three 1,580 lumen XP-G2 CREE LEDs. The top-ofthe-line EOS 32lrz (£359) has an XHP50 LED and like its lrz brethren, it has a magnetic adjustable focus for the light beam. It has a max burntime of 135 minutes on full power. www.mares.com

TECLINE FRAMELESS SUPER VIEW MASK SRP: £54.75-£59.25 Tecline offer a range of frameless masks, but one of their latest is the Super View, which comes in a selection of colours, including black (and the all-black Military variant at £57.98), white, pink and a vibrant orange.

The Super View has a striking design, and looks especially good in the orange colourway. The silicone used for the skirt is soft and flexible, giving a comfortable fit on the face.

The strap is a straightforward tried-and-tested design, and Tecline opted for simple but effective stainless-steel buckles rather than some button-operated system. It is basic, but it works well. You can also choose to get the Super View in black with a yellow-tinted lens (£59.25) to add colour back into your dive. The Frameless Super View comes in a sturdy plastic storage box and is very keenly priced. www.teclinediving.eu

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SCUBAPRO MK2/S270 AND MK11/S270 SRP: £245-£265

Scubapro has introduced two new regulator systems targeted at recreational divers who are ready to step up from their entry-level regulator systems and are looking for a reliable upgrade that’s durable while delivering smooth breathing performance. These new regulator systems are built around a new second stage – the S270.

The S270’s air-balanced design smoothes out the inhalation effort when diving at varying depths and supply pressures for effortless air delivery, regardless of position in the water.

The techno polymer plastic barrel with metal thread helps save weight and provides a surface that ice crystals can’t grab onto when diving in cold water. This contributes to why S270 regulator systems are CE certified to the latest EN250A European Standards for all diving conditions, including extreme cold water.

The S270’s sturdy yet lightweight casing, made of a fibreglass-reinforced nylon core with a special anti-scratch PU outer layer, is able to handle years of hard use while reducing jaw fatigue and improving diving comfort. The S270 comes with a dive/predive switch that is easy to use, even when wearing thick gloves, and a compact exhaust tee that is very efficient in minimizing exhalation effort. The Hi-Flow mouthpiece, made with FDA-approved silicone, is comfortable and features a large cross-section to maximize airflow. It is teamed with a super-flow hose with an oversized bore that allows more air to flow on each inhalation.

The S270 is paired with MK11 and MK2 EVO first stages.

The MK11/S270 features a balanced diaphragm first stage with sealed internal parts. This prevents water and pollutants from fouling the inner mechanism while enhancing cold water performance. The MK2 EVO/S270 features the only downstream piston-style first stage with internal components specifically designed to resist freezing in extreme cold-water conditions. Both systems are affordable, durable and deliver smooth and reliable breathing performance. This makes them ideal choices not only for recreational divers but for training and rental agencies seeking solid performance from regulator systems that will last. www.scubapro.com

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

SEIKO PROSPEX DIVE WATCHES | SRP OF WATCHES REVIEWED: £349-£550

Mark Evans: Seiko has a rich heritage when it comes to dive watches. The company launched its first dive watch way back in 1965, and also devised the expansion strap, to keep it tight on the wrist through pressure changes, and an L-shaped gasket that achieved world-class impermeability.

Ever the innovators, the brand released the world’s first computerized dive watch in the form of the Scuba Master in 1990, which was equipped with water and depth sensors so it could show dive time and depth, and this was followed up in 2000 with the Diving Computer Watch, which as the name suggests was a real precursor to many of the wristwatchstyle dive computers on the market today. Over 55 years later, Seiko is still producing dependable and desirable dive watches. Head over to the Seiko website and click on their Prospex range and you will be literally spoilt for choice.

I took a selection for test dive just to whet your appetite.

The Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean ‘King Turtle’ SRPF77K1 (SRP: £550) is particularly noteworthy. At first glance it looks like a traditional, old-school dive watch. Water-resistant to 200m, it has a screw-case back and screw-down crown (in the 4pm position, rather than 3pm, which I prefer, both for looks and practicality – it doesn’t snag on things as much), a chunky uni-directional bezel which is easy to adjust

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even wearing thick neoprene gloves, a durable sapphire crystal with magnifier for the date, LumiBrite on the hands, indices and bezel to make it easy to see regardless of light conditions, and a comfortable silicone band, which will fit around a wetsuited arm, or the wrist of your glove if you are wearing a drysuit. So far, so good – and with automatic movement with manual winding, you’ll never have to worry about missing the dive boat ‘ropes off’ again!

It is when you take a closer look at the dial that you understand why this is a special edition. Manta rays can be seen gliding across the face. The image is extremely subtle, and you really have to look at the watch closely to see the rays – from a distance, the dial just looks to have a blue-fade colour scheme. I like little details like this – it really makes the watch stand out from the crowd.

Seiko is also the only watch company working with PADI, and is the official partner of the PADI AWARE Foundation’s marine debris programme, helping to fund local oceanprotection initiatives hosted by PADI dive centres. They also offer a range of Prospex watches adorned with the PADI

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logo and adopting the blue/red PADI colour scheme, and donate a portion of the proceeds from the Save the Ocean collection. One of the most eye-catching is the Prospex PADI Chronograph SSC785P1, with its stainless-steel case, redand-blue uni-directional bezel and durable blue rubber strap.

Solar-powered, the PADI Chronograph has a slick black wave-print dial that contrasts strikingly with the LumiBrite hour markers and hands, which are given additional ‘pop’ with vivid red accents at 12, 3, 6 and 9, and on the minute hand. This bright red ties in nicely with the red on the unidirectional bezel, and the red detailing on the screw-down crown. As with the aforementioned King Turtle, it will fit around a wetsuited arm, or the wrist of your glove if you are wearing a drysuit, and the bright colouration certainly stands out against black neoprene. If the vibrant PADI colour scheme is a little in-your-face for your liking, Seiko also offers a solar-powered Prospex Chronograph in more-subtle tones, the SSC759J1 (SRP: £550).

This has a blue dial with a deep blue uni-directional bezel, sapphire crystal, LumiBrite on the hands and indices, and a black silicone strap.

In this modern-era, many divers choose to dive with a computer of some shape or form. Some may opt to wear a dive watch as a secondary timer back-up – and any of the Seiko Prospex series are capable in that respect - but by and large, you’ll find keen divers wearing their dive watches when they are out of the water. A dive watch signifies to others, especially other divers, that is what you are – a diver.

And of course, there are those ‘wannabes’ who don’t dive but want to wear a dive watch to look like a diver – and there is nothing wrong with that! www.seikoboutique.co.uk

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

FOURTH ELEMENT SCOUT | SRP: £79.95

Mark Evans: Fourth Element have been a bit of a phenomenon over the last 20 years. From humble beginnings when the company was seen as ‘a dive T-shirt business’, it has steadily expanded its influence through swimwear, rash guards, wetsuits, thermal undergarments and drysuits, plus ancillaries like hoods, gloves, boots, etc.

Add in its OceanPositive range of products, and Fourth Element is a true powerhouse in the industry – you can’t go to any UK dive site these days and not see the distinctive Fourth Element logo everywhere.

Now the company is moving into diving hardware, and its first release is the Scout mask, soon to be followed up by recreational and technical diving fins. Being Fourth Element, you know that this isn’t just going to be a run-of-the-mill dive mask – oh no, it is going to have some innovative elements that fit with the company’s ethos and style. Thus, the Scout comes in myriad variants. First, the basics. It is a single-lens frameless mask, available in black or white, with a steeply angled profile to maximise its field of view, and a super-soft silicon skirt for optimal comfort and fit. I was a devotee of my Hollis M3 mask until it had an unfortunate encounter with a cylinder, and found a great replacement in the Apeks VX1. This was the only single-lens mask that fit my face – others I found pressed on to my forehead. The VX1 is a fantastic mask, and extremely comfortable. However, I have to say, now I have dived the Scout, I think it just edges the VX1 on the comfort front thanks to its soft skirt, and it is definitely more low-profile, which means it offers a wider field of view, but is also easier to clear.

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So far, so normal. However, it all changes when it comes to the lens. The Scout can be fitted with a choice of four different lens types, so when the buyer is purchasing it, they can opt for the lens that will work best for their diving style and conditions. Shield is classed as Anti-UV and Anti-Glare, and was inspired by the gold visors of NASA astronauts.

The Shield lens provides UV protection and reduces glare, making it fully suited to tropical and warmer water environments for shallower diving and snorkelling in bright conditions. UVA and UVB radiation is reflected by the lens, reducing the exposure of the eye to potentially harmful rays.

Luke opted for a black mask with this lens, as he thought the gold ‘looked cool’, however, as you can see from the photographs, at the right angle, it appears blue.

Clarity is a pure clear lens, and the one I opted for after trialling all four options. It is designed to maximise the amount of transmitted light, without any tint from impurities in the glass, and thus is described as the ideal lens for night divers and photographers. It is also the perfect lens for teaching, allowing students and instructors to clearly see each other’s eyes. The Clarity lens is manufactured with the highest level of purity to deliver maximum visual acuity during a dive.

Contrast is Anti-UV, and as it filters out some of the mid-range wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum, has a green appearance. When diving in temperate (green) waters, images seen through this lens show an increase in contrast, accentuating brighter and darker areas, increasing the perception of visual acuity. The Contrast lens provides full UVA and UVB protection from harmful ultraviolet.

Finally, there is Enhance, which is Anti-UV and Anti-HEV. Filtering ultraviolet and HEV (High Energy Visible) radiation, the Enhance lens is designed to protect the eye and enhance the visual experience. It is well known that UV has a damaging effect on the eye, but it has also been shown

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

FOURTH ELEMENT SCOUT | SRP: £79.95

that HEV light can interfere with the lutein proteins in the eye and alter them, so filtering out this high energy radiation can help to preserve optical health. Once you have selected your lens type, you then need to choose your mask strap colour (four options are available – white, grey, black and teal). The Scout comes with an elasticated strap that is made using rubber and recycled nylon, with clips made using recycled waste ABS plastic from the automotive industry.

The clips have also been designed so that they will fit most mask buckles, so you could retro-fit one of these straps to most other brands. This elastic strap is so comfortable and easy to use - even wearing thick neoprene gloves, I had no problems putting my mask on and off.

Last but not least, there is the box. The Scout comes in a mask ‘box’ that is designed to replace the plastic boxes that are supplied with so many masks. Low profile and protective, this case will protect the lens thanks to its cushioned half shell, without creating bulk, meaning it can fit in the foot pocket of most fins for convenient transport. I really like this innovation – it is actually a mask-protecting solution that you can really use, both in storage and when you are out diving.

At £79.95, the Fourth Element Scout is keenly priced against its rivals, and I think it has put the company on the diving hardware map in a big way. www.fourthelement.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book a lesson. www.dive.academy

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

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

Exclusive lake in Surrey. www.oysterdiving.com

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

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

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

DIVEWORLD

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

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

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SHORE-DIVING SCOTLAND

Lawson Wood explores the picturesque shore dive at Dunbar in East Lothian.

Q&A: PAUL NAYLOR

We chat to the acclaimed author about the latest, much-expanded version of his award-winning Great British Marine Animals book.

BIG ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

Scuba Diver’s Senior Travel Editor Don Silcock takes us around the globe for the ten best biganimal diving encounters.

TECH: TULSAMERICAN PROJECT

Phil Short takes us behind the scenes of the emotive project to recover human remains from downed bombers from World War Two.

GEAR GUIDE: TEST EXTRA

Editor-in-Chief Mark Evans dives the Scubapro Hydros X BCD and Tecline Lightjet fins.

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

FROM CHILLY BRITAIN TO THE WARM MALDIVES

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rzu enjoyed her commercial diving course and the challenge of diving in difficult conditions so much, she decided to take her first steps into the world of cold-water technical diving with Mark Powell from Dive-Tech UK. After an introduction to decompression theory and her first dives in a twin cylinder configuration, taking her GUE Fundamentals course was an inevitable next step. Through rigourous training Richard Walker from Wreck and Cave pushed Arzu to fine-tune her dive skills and ability to maintain perfect buoyancy and trim during both simple and complex tasks underwater. Aside from the benefits of streamlining equipment and learning the art of the backwards finning technique, it was the GUE philosophy (Education. Exploration. Conservation.) that deeply resonated with her.

Applying those values in the field, she subsequently headed to the Maldives to study whalesharks in the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area with the Maldives Whaleshark Research Programme (MWSRP). Onboard a wooden sailing boat which was coincidentally built only 30 minutes away from her family’s village in Turkey, her time in the atoll consisted of three things she loves most - scientific research in the water, sharks and diving. Following the reef edge along the atoll the MWSRP crew and volunteers collected vital data on whaleshark encounters, such as the presence of tourist vessels and the number of people in the water with each shark, photographs of the sharks’ gills, underside and topside for ID purposes, close-up shots of any injuries caused from collision with vessels, as well as environmental variables like visibility, wind speed and currents. Having dedicated her thesis to untangling the complex human shark relationships in the atoll and assessing the impact of tourism on the behaviour of whale sharks, this experience was very close to her heart. She aims to return to the MWSRP after her Scholarship year to build on her thesis research before publishing it in a scientific journal.

Inspired to further investigate the many ways humans and different shark species meet in the Maldives, Arzu then continued onwards to the island of Fuvahmulah in the South of the Maldives. Based at Pelagic Divers directed by Ahmed Inah and armed with her camera equipment she entered the new year in the presence of majestic tiger sharks.

Working so closely with these beautiful predators and examining human-animal relationships through a holistic

Arzucan

lens that takes into account both last and present, she decided it was time for an equally all-encompassing approach to diving. What better way to put this to practice than by taking on a new challenge? Freediving with the amazing team behind Deep Dive Dubai, the world’s deepest indoor and dive pool!

Trading her heavy dive equipment for the freedom provided by only a dive suit, a low-volume mask and long fins, over the next few weeks Arzu will be learning breathhold techniques from world champion freedivers and aim to dive as deep as she possibly can using only her own lungs.

So far Arzucan’s journey around the (underwater) world has been an invaluable opportunity to work with some of the dive industry’s leading individuals and learn as much as possible. The next months ahead will be filled with equally rewarding experiences and the development of skills in the water. Arzucan hopes to use the remaining months of the Scholarship to embark on a few more scientific field expeditions and start her rebreather training.

You can read more about Arzu’s diving experiences and the opportunities enabled by the OWUSS EU Rolex Scholarship on www.owusseurope.org and get to know her on www.arzucan-askin.com

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“...a durable, well-made and robust drysuit which most certainly does not blend in with the endless line up of black suits.”

SCUBA DIVER Magazine August 2020

PHOTO: Silvano Barboni

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