Scubashooters net e mag issue n11 jan 2016

ISSUE

N째11 J A N 2016

IN THE SEA OF THE SIRENS

by Sergio Riccardo

PORTFOLIO Janez Kranic MACRO SHOOTING Hint and tips by Brent Durand

SHEIKH COAST: UWP FRIENDLY

by Fabio Strazzi

THE SEA OF POLYPHEMUS

by F. Turano

CONTEST AND FESTIVAL 6째 Diving Days Kikinda

REVIEW Isotta-Canon G7X

by D. Tripodi

ICON HD BLACK EDITION

CENTER OF iNTElligENCE. EDGE OF PERFORMANCE. • New display lay-out for maximum readability • Night mode option • Underwater menu allows to configure certain settings during the dive • Decompression dive planner Be intelligent. Take the edge of performance.

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Dear scubashooters, happy new year and may 2016 fulfill all your wishes and overcome them also. 2015 has been a very interesting year for scubashooters network. We managed to start so many things and this month I want to bring to your attention our international photo contest.

We have been managing 19 monthly contests before “Deep Visions” UWP contest launch in september 2015. Due to high demand entries have been extended to the 20th of december and as I’m writing the jury is completing its duty choosing the winners of our seven categories among more than 130 participants and more than 600 photos.

We are very satisfied about the result of this first contest and the winners will enjoy amazing prizes from our sponsors, one week full board @ Dabirahe Lembeh, one strobe from easydive, one from Inon Japan and one regulator from Oceanic just to name some among the others.

Our international jury will finish voting by the end of January and so we will be able to please our eyes with eye catching images I predict have been uploaded to our contest platform.

One thing I want to point out and underline is that we managed to setup a blind judging system, our judges have no way to know the name of the author of the photos unless they carried a watermark with the name on it.

Unfortunately this is against the published rules of the contest so we had to disqualify many winning shots, just because the name of the author was overimposed on the shot.

So please stay tuned on our channels early days of february and enjoy and support our winners and our network.

Marino Palla Owner and Founder Scubashooters Network

Cover image “Mermaid”

By: Janez Kranic

C O N T E N T S 3

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EDITORIAL

by Marino Palla

SHEIKH COAST A diving center UWP friendly

by Fabio Strazzi

IN THE SEA OF THE SIRENS

by Sergio Riccardo

MACRO SHOOTING Tips and Hints

by Brent Durand

MILAZZO CAPE In the sea of Polyphemus

by Francesco Turano

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PORTFOLIO Janez Kranic

6째 DIVING DAYS - KIKINDA - SERBIA International contest of UWP

ISOTTA HOUSING FOR CANON G7X

by Domy Tripodi

Editor: FABIO STRAZZI Verein Scubashooters, 8952 Schlieren - Switzerland

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SHEIKH COAST

A DIVING CENTER UWP FRIENDLY

TRAVELS Words and Pictures: Fabio

Strazzi

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In recent years, I have visited Sharm several times. It has always been my favorite Its proximity and abundance of underwater life have always made it, to my eyes price ratio.

My approach to underwater photography has started in 2011 and since then I rea my needs have progressively changed.

Comparing with friends sharing the same passion, the emerging common thou hardly find the ideal conditions to meet the needs of the “annoying� category re graphers.

e destination since 1993. s, a place of incomparable quality/

alized that, talking about logistics,

ught was that in Sharm you could epresented by underwater photo-

The organization of the diving centers, the “traffic� of boats at the diving sites and the sites themselves, were not the best for photography.

Then I learned from some friends that recently, at the Sheikh Coast Diving Center (inside the Domina Coral Bay of Sharm El Sheikh), is growing a pole increasingly attentive to the needs of fans of underwater photography, under the influence of Pierpaolo Peluso, the diving center responsible for sales and marketing, as well as guide and underwater photographer.

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Hence, after that in recent years my diving and photographic destinations have been especially Maldives, Bali and the Mediterranean Sea, I decided to go back to my “first love� driven by the curiosity that a series of contacts with Pierpaolo made grow.

Upon arriving at the diving center, the enormous logistical and structural advantages of this structure struck me.

Sheikh Coast has its own pier, a marina from where up to seven boats leave daily, representing a remarkable fleet in quantity and quality.

Unique in Sharm el Sheikh, the diving center offers its customers to avoid annoying transfers and long waiting times at the two ports of the Egyptian locality: an exclusive and significant advantage, which results in greater comfort and relaxation, given the total absence of stress and time losses.

Another major advantage of the diving center is the special attention offered to underwater photographers.

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Within the technical area, two workstations have been equipped to assemble, with care and without risks, its own camera equipment.

In this place, the photographer may choose one of the twenty roomy lockers available, each one provided with personal padlock, where to place parts of its own equipment with confidence, to recharge batteries and flashlights, and thus returning to its own room bringing only the memory card to download pictures.

The comfort and safety of having available a building of this type (with an adjacent rinsing tank), allows the photographers to avoid carrying their own equipment daily.

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The policy of the diving, thanks to the management of Massimo Mazzolini, director of Sheikh Coast, and to the ideas of Pierpaolo Peluso, is to provide to every photographer a personal guide at no extra cost.

The dives are scheduled based on the comparison between the photographer and his guide, depending on the dive site where to dive and the sea’s stream conditions.

Many of the guides at Sheikh Coast were born as local video operators, having years of experience (such as Pierpaolo himself and Massimiliano D’Accampo, a.k.a. Dag), resulting in the clear benefit as to the knowledge, within each dive site, of the best spot for high interest pictures.

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Sheikh Coast is capable of meeting every need both diving and photography related, at all levels, thanks to its constant growth and attention.

It is also able to plan your holiday by booking the best possible stay solution.

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IN THE SEA

OF THE SIRENS

TRAVELS Words and Pictures: Sergio

Riccardo

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The Sorrento Coast, already discovered by Ulysses in his pilgrimage through the waters of the Mediterranean, is for its historical and natural aspects, one of the most beautiful coastlines of Italy, offering scenarios so fascinating that even Homer sang it in his Odyssey.

In fact, the legend tells that just a short distance from this coast, the sirens tempting voices tried to enchant Ulysses, who resisted their sweet call by tying himself to the mainmast of the ship.

Indeed, even without the singing of these creatures, the coastline of Sorrento can bewitch with its natural beauty everyone who comes.

The approximately 40 kilometers of beautiful coasts forming the Sorrento Peninsula, are a sweet succession of green promontories and welcoming inlets, whose the Ieranto Bay is one of the most famous.

This bay, that opens onto the southern coast of the Sorrento Peninsula, just across the Capri’s sea stacks, is a place of untouched beauty, donated to the FAI (Italian Environmental Fund) in 1986, to be kept and preserved in its total integrity. The calcareous nature of the area also favors the presence of numerous caves, crevices and cavities.

Moreover, in this beautiful scenery there are even the shoals rising offshore, where the constant presence of small bluefish favors the passage of pelagic species such as tuna and amberjacks.

A seabed therefore suitable for any underwater interest either photographic, naturalistic, or even caving.

These are just some of the aspects that the depths of the entire Sorrento Peninsula offer to divers in their rich itineraries of over 25 spots, perfect for diving.

Let us briefly remember the most significant: PUNTA CAMPANELLA The bottom falls steeply on the side facing the Gulf of Naples, while slopes more gently towards the Gulf of Salerno.

Due to the currents that often hit the promontory, an amazing variety of wildlife develops here, filling with color every smallest space of the cliff.

Near the cape, a big rock off the coast provides, even at little depth, spectacular walls covered with colonies of Astroides, but if we go down to the bathymetry of 40 meters, we find the seabed entirely wrapped by big fans of Paramuricea.

SCOGLIO PENNA closes southward the Ieranto Bay. Here we can explore steep walls opened by suggestive passages.

Once over the depth of 30 meters, ample walls wrapped in red Paramuricea appears, offering interesting angles for photographic images.

Many sedentary fishes frequent this seabed, which also represents an important area for the passage of schools of yellowtail and other species of pelagic fish.

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On the other hand, MONTALTO is an impressing wall that plunges into the sea, easily recognizable by the remains of an ancient, dominating Saracen tower.

The cliffs plunging into the blue are rich in a very live coral substratum, where the different shades of sponges, anemones, spirographs and many other animals stand out.

Here the Paramuricea, encountered starting from thirty meters deep, acquire unique and spectacular colors, ranging from deep red to yellow.

Thanks to the clearness of the water and the brightness of the underwater surrounding, the wall, which drops until over 50 meters, it is very spectacular even at considerable depths.

At around 40 meters depth there is a large branch of Savalia savaglia, the false black coral.

In the middle between the islet of Vetara and that of the Gaul’s, we can dive on a shoal with the top only 6 meters deep, known by divers as the Shoal of the Gaul’s (SECCA DEI GALLI).

The seabed, with a series of rocky crags, drops deep down and shape a suitable environment for the development of beautiful sea fans, where often some big lobster antennas show up.

Who is rather fond of caves should not miss the opportunity to dive the ISCA CAVE (grotta dell’Isca), which opens with a vertical entrance only 8 meters from the bottom. The vault and the walls of the cavity immediately appear covered by Parazoanthus and sponges of all colors, while the sun’s rays that penetrate inside the cave create evocative lighting effects.

Another cave is the one of the Sapphire (GROTTA DELLO ZAFFIRO), which opens only 3 meters deep with a wide main entrance, and a second tighter opening at about 12 meters.

Inside, you can reach a large air chamber surrounded by several limestone formations, which give additional beauty and mystery to the cave.

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SCOGLIO DEL VERVECE (Vervece Rock) The Vervece Rock is part of “A” Zone of the Marine Reserve.

At 12 meters depth, on a rocky plateau facing the marina and sloping gently down to the bottom, there is a statue of the Madonna of Vervece.

A bronze statue placed here in memory of persons missing at sea and, today, the subject of an important popular event that renews since almost 30 years.

A wide vertical wall completely covered with the yellow Parazoanthus characterizes the outer side of the islet while the luxuriance of sea fans typify the two opposite sides. The red sea fans, on the eastern side, start from around 28 meters depth and continue up to 50, while the presence of yellow sea fans characterizes the diametrically opposite cape. Thanks to the rocky bottom morphology, the presence of the yellow sea fans forms a real underwater canyon, later baptized by divers the “Gorgonians Avenue” ISLAND OF CAPRI: PUNTA CARENA (Hull cape) Probably the most beautiful and spectacular dive that can be done in the depths of the island but at the same time, due to the strong currents often present and the uninterrupted coming and going of local vessels used for the island tour, reserved exclusively for experienced divers. As the name suggests, the morphology of this dive remembers exactly the capsized hull of a ship.

It is in fact a rocky ridge jutting out for several hundred meters towards the open sea, immediately reaching prohibitive depths.

Thanks to the dominant currents, the wall of the southern slope explodes suddenly in all its colors and shapes. The sea fans, both yellow and red, reign supreme. Dense shoals of Anthias swim alongside the rock face forming real living walls.

The wall is becoming more beautiful and rich as we move away from the main-

land along the ridge, until we come to the splits: two vertical cracks covered with sea fans on both sides and enormous sponges in the middle.

The meeting with pelagic fish is nearly always a certainty.

We are already far away from the cape and could be better to return on top of the ridge and go back toward the coast, to emerge inside the bay under the Lighthouse.

IL TRALICCIO (The Trellis) Diving at the Trellis is exclusively reserved to technical divers.

In fact, the wall rich of corals and gorgonians falls abruptly towards great and challenging depths.

At the base of the wall, already over 50 meters depth, lying on the sand, a large trellis juts out into the open sea reaching the depth of 62 meters.

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Covered with sponges, tunicates, red and bicolor sea fans, the Trellis is always surrounded by thousands of Anthias. Accomplice the water transparency, the show is truly breathtaking.

The return takes place strictly along the wall to perform the necessary decompression stops within a single small coastline inlet, where the floor degrades less vertiginously.

The BANCO DI SANTA CROCE (Holy Cross Shoal), for which it is advisable to base in Castellammare di Stabia, deserves a separate mention.

From a depth of about fifty meters, in fact, a series of spectacular pinnacles rise to the surface.

They seem to have the characteristic of being all-different from each other and accommodate various biocenosis, different for each wall portion.

The minimum depth of the pinnacles are in the range of 15 meters, making possible for everyone to enjoy these beautiful seabeds.

Beautiful the morphology of the pinnacles, that rise from the bottom and that together form a series of canyons, rifts and saddles where the fish gathers.

Lovely the forms of life populating the rocks.

Along one side, you can see a large amount of fluorescent cerianthus.

Along another, a few meters from the surface, a colony of Parazoanthus covers dozens of square meters of rock, but leaving the possibility for sea fans, sponges and bryozoans to grow and stand out from that soft, bright colored rug.

Deep down the red gorgonians rule, sometimes spaced out by the bright yellow of some branches of Savalia savaglia of remarkable size.

However, it is the amount and variety of fish, thanks to the ban on fishing, to make this dive extraordinary: sea breams, snappers, scorpion fishes, groupers welcome the divers since the early meters. In the summer, the sardines come and, with their synchronized movements, make this dive even more amazing.

Moreover, with a little luck, eagle rays twirl among these schools.

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USEFUL INFORMATION HOW TO GET THERE Coming from Rome, follow the Roma-Napoli highway, then the slip road to Naples-Salerno.

Take the highway towards Salerno, exit at Castellammare di Stabia and then continue to Sorrento.

Once in Sorrento, go to Massa Lubrense and then towards Marina Del Cantone.

WHERE TO STAY Villaggio Diving Nettuno at Massa Lubrense, Marina del Cantone Hotel Montil at Castellammare di Stabia SUGGESTED DIVE CENTERS Diving Nettuno: Tel. +39-081-8081051 info@villaggionettuno.it Mr. Michele Mauro Bikini Diving: Tel. +39-338-9449567 info@bikinidiving.com Mr. Pasquale Manzi

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MACRO SHOOTING TIPS AND HINTS Words and Pictures

BRENT DURAND

Presented by:

TECNIQUE We all see many excellent macro photos every day, but what does it take to stand out from the crowd? It’s simple - add some rarely seen marine life behavior to your trip portfolio. A good behavior shot will take some time and will probably not impress your non-diving friends any more than a regular shot, but divers and photographers will respect the planning, skill and luck involved in getting the shot. This nod from more seasoned photographers makes the effort well worth it.

Here are a few of my thoughts on capturing unique and rare behavior shots, whether you are camping out waiting for a precise moment or randomly notice something in the corner of your eye.

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1. Do Your Homework

Yes, this tip is in every article, but it’s especially important for macro marine life behavior. I have seen lucky photographers shoot hatching eggs without even knowing it. Imagine if they knew what was happening and had spent more time getting the shot, or even calling over their dive buddy. Recognizing behavior like feeding, hunting, cleaning, mating, aggression and protection can help you decide when a photo opportunity is unique enough to spend the rest of your dive with.

2. Work Quickly and Methodically

Some marine life behavior is fairly common and doesn’t require quick action – like shooting a mouthbrooding cardinalfish. But some behavior happens for just a few seconds, and may have started before you noticed it. This is when you need to work very quickly.

The first order of business is to get a shot of the action. If you know your housing controls, camera settings, strobe lighting and strobe positioning well, it will be simple to set up and fire the first frame.

The next step is when you need to make a decision. Do you keep shooting to make sure you capture the peak moment regardless of image properties, or do you have a little time to review the LCD and start making adjustments to improve your image? Each situation will be different depending on the animal behavior (and your knowledge of it), so there is no right or wrong answer.

Sometimes I will fire a few “adequate” frames to document the behavior before realizing that the action is lasting longer than anticipated, and then start making adjustments in composition, settings and strobes to create a nicer image.

Sometimes behavior can also be anticipated. In this case, it’s best to get your settings and lighting dialed in the way you want them, and then wait for the precise moment to push the shutter. A yawning fish is a great example, but in this case be sure to pre-plan your composition for the extending fish lips!

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3. Tell a Story

In photojournalism the goal is for each image to tell a story. Shooting macro animal behavior follows the same rule – you want the viewer to know exactly what is happening. A good behavior shot will clearly show the action that is taking place, and there are a number of ways to achieve this.

Try shifting the composition so that you can clearly see the behavior. Try focusing on the behavior instead of the critter’s eye. Try using shallow depth of field to highlight an area or help a subject pop from a cluttered background. On the opposite side, try increasing depth of field to show more of the scene.

The right combination of photo techniques will emphasize the behavior and tell a great story, even for your non-diving friends.

4. Be Lucky

Logging your hours underwater will drastically improve your odds of finding unique macro behavior, but no matter what, there is still an element of luck. You just never know when you’ll cross those mating blueringed octopus!

Photographing macro behavior is a lot of fun and results in some truly unique photos. It’s important to share subjects with your dive buddies, but when you’re on the hunt for behavior you can often wait for everyone to get their fill and then spend all the time you like with a subject. To learn more about macro behavior and shooting techniques, you can join one of my u/w photo trips or visit the Underwater Photography Guide.

Bio

Brent Durand is a weekend wanderer, story teller and image maker from California. He is editor and manager of the Underwater Photography Guide and leads several small group u/w photo trips and workshops each year.

A journey in and around Capodacqua - Pictures and text by David Salvatori Publisher Punta Campanella Diving

Available from December 2015 “Reflections from the Past” is a photographic journey in the heart of Tirino valley in Italy, ending in the crystal clear waters of the Capodacqua lake, at the culmination of a journey in which the places visited by the author stimulated fascination and personal reflections.

“Reflections from the Past” is an obvious line that connects all the photographic work, those of reflections of the images on the separate surfaces of water and air.

In the end, Reflection is an instrument “of reflection”, a mirror to past fears and troubles, for which the exploration of Capodacqua and its surrounding areas is a “journey” whose powers of suggestion become encapsulated and processed in a symbolic way to represent an experience of personal growth of the author.

The final goal is the achievement of a positive thought, peaceful, calm and as clear as the lake’s water; the communion with water being the road to rescue, the map to discovery of what is true and real in life.

www.reflectionsfromthepast.com

www.facebook.com/ReflectionsFromThePastTheBook

Crédit photo : Franco Banfi / Graphic design : Rouge de Mars

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M I L A Z Z O CAPE

In the sea of Polyphemus

I travelled the Sicily far and wide, including several islands, the Aeolian, Egadi, Pelagie, Pantelleria and Ustica, finding an always different and interesting sea. Along these coastlines, in my wanderings, a place I missed, never considering it of being a seabed that important and rich in life such as I got to find out: my attention had never fallen on the sea of Capo Milazzo. Very different from others and from the one of neighboring and far better known of Aeolian Islands. After thirty years of exciting photographic and naturalistic research in the Mediterranean, I remained involved and pleasantly surprised by the charm of this balcony on the Tyrrhenian Sea. I never thought to find similar landscapes and, above all, such and so many underwater wonders. The first impact was with the emerged landscape.

Walking on foot on the ridge of the peninsula, I found myself surprisingly surrounded on two sides by the blue sea: the protrusion of a strip of land toward the Aeolian archipelago splits the Tyrrhenian Sea into two. Since ancient times men chose the promontory of Capo Milazzo for its worthy position, as the story and the presence of the largest castle in Europe tell.

However, nature is the real star, with a limestone ground changing shapes,

Portella’s rock (Artichoke)

beautiful in every detail. With a short walk, I reach the building of the lighthouse, on the Cape, overlooking the Western Shoal (Secca di Ponente), about half a mile offshore. At sunset, under the white light of the lighthouse, I get lost with the look to the horizon burned by the hot colors of the sky,

Francesco Turano

where the dark shapes of Vulcano, Lipari and the other islands stand out. I think about what I will find diving in this Mediterranean still little known and unknown to me, but candidate to protection because of its high biodiversity. Polyphemus, whose cave is located between these craggy coasts, must have thrown giant stones toward the legendary Odysseus’ ship on the run, not knowing that his act would have triggered a mechanism of landslides that created various and jagged landscapes at the bottom of the sea.

After the last houses of Milazzo City, going north, the coast changes its appearance. In coincidence with Punta Rugno the sea bottom, from shallow and sedimentary, raises with its first significant rocks.

There, a landslide of rocks marks the beginning of a rugged and wild coastline. I follow the road that runs along the perimeter of the Cape, often stopping for looking out to watch the sea. Right away, someone told me that there are two major shoals in the sea of Capo Milazzo. We dive together with Blunauta Diving to understand the state of conservation of sites, Artichoke’s Caves

TRAVELS

Words and Pictures

60 learn more about the morphology of the seabed and get ideas for drawing the profiles of the rocks most important for touristic purposes, with the focus on the main biological and ecological characteristics. We begin with the Western Shoal (Secca di Ponente). We drop anchor at ten meters depth, the average depth of the top of this shoal, which runs in length parallel to the coast for about three hundred meters. It is a rocky fortress oval-shaped, whose perimeter consists of vertical walls between twenty and twenty-five meters. I could describe it as a flattened truncated cone, with peripheral detachments of rocks around going down up to about fifty meters of depth to meet the sand. It is worth to observe this submerged island, which is

Capo Milazzo lighthouse

less than a mile from the coast with calm and commitment. This is why we try to study it, plunging first in places already exploited by the diving center itself for diving. The top of the shoal, a sort of terrace particularly broad in its width, has a rocky bottom quite varied and full of ravines. The green of the algae alternates with the orange of bryozoans and cup corals, guaranteeing to the substrate great vitality. Near the bottom, we find many sedentary fishes: combers, painted combers, scorpion fishes, moray eels, and wrasses. Just above, schools of barracuda and salema, along with many white breams and black seabreams, swim without too many discretion.

The carousel of black damselfishes frames everything. Within a few meters from the anchor point is a spectacle, but we head straight to the edge of the vast shoal and look out into the blue, where the walls fall. We let ourselves go towards the depth, while remaining high on the bottom and observing the transition environments that follow one another going towards the shoal’s depth. The passage from the cliff covered by white gorgonians (Eunicella singularis) towards the one with red gorgonians (Paramuricea clavata) is gradual and offers rocks with the two species of gorgonians together, very beautiful for the color combination of white and red, but also particularly frequented by fishes. Soon we reach thirty meters deep and find right in front the dark shape of majestic rock agglomerates. Three are the most important, from west to east and each one deserves a single dive. The first one is the so-called “big bow” due to the presence of a pass-through cave that leads us to at a depth of forty meters, densely populated by red gorgonians: a kind of gateway to the open sea. Even the second block, called “small bow,” has a pass-through cave. Lastly, the third dive site is a proper rock mountain, with only one side, the one exposed to currents, sprinkled with encrusting invertebrates and red gorgonians very large. Three dives, one more beautiful than the other. Three colorful underwater sites rich in fish, with attractive passages of pelagic fishes and the ubiquitous big snappers and savvy goldblotch groupers (Epinephelus costae). And there’s more. The eastern side of the shoal also has vertical walls, falling

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The bay where the structure of the diving center stands

immediately upon stacks of large rocks around thirty meters deep, offering breathtaking spectacles due to the very high concentration of sea fans, sponges and bryozoans. Among other things, the sandy areas between a rock and another, show the presence of large noble pen shells (Pinna nobilis) with their valves colonized in an unusual way by sea fans, sponges and bryozoans together. The shaded areas of the larger stones have spectacular colors, with blue and orange colorcasts offered by sponges. It is not difficult to find large branches of false black coral (Savalia savaglia) and wonderful basket stars (Astrospartus mediterraneus), the flagship of this side of the shoal. The seabed excites and invites constantly to searching for new species, for how much it is rich and attractive. You feel like making new dives, one after another, to find out more and more. The western shoal is not the only interesting thing: inshore, the spectacle and the explosion of Mediterranean biodiversity continue. At the peak of the promontory, right in front of the rock of Portella, there is the so-called “artichoke�, as nicknamed by the local tradition. This seabed, typified by great rock cathedrals, falls quickly to the deep blue and is the ideal place for diving at every level: from the less deep path at around 20-25 m, where the orange of the cup corals (Astroides calycularis) dominates everything and where myriads of small animals invite to observe the microcosm, to the medium difficulty path, where rocks covered by sea fans and sponges host a reasonable movement of fish, up to the deepest Monk’s rock, a huge bastion rising from 55 m towards the surface up to 20 m, which is the realm of deep reds

The promontory of Capo Milazzo

The promontory of Capo Milazzo

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The promontory of Capo Milazzo

and chock full of gorgonians that seem to create real submerged “forests”.

Scouting meticulously between the fans of these coelenterates, we understand the gorgonian’s color variations among the same species (Paramuricea clavata), changing from two shades of red to pink salmon and even to an intense yellow.

There is no lack of yellowish branches that should probably belong to a similar species, the Skerki’s gorgonian.

A galaxy of color and life, surrounded by the silence of the deep and by the malicious game of the currents, to be reckoned with sometimes because of their momentum.

Do not omit to scour even the other shoal, the eastern one, less colored but rich in life too.

This is the realm of vast sea grass meadows, narrow ravines populated by forkbeards, groupers, moray eels and large octopuses, piling pebbles on their dens’ front doors. At the peak of the shoal, westbound, one of the largest rock formations rests abnormally on the rest of the cliff, creating a dead-end cave with very high walls and lots of light leaks from the sides.

We are about 35 m deep. Scouting the cave is simple and sometimes a big conger awaits us in the dark, among swarms of red shrimps.

It is not easy to get to deeply understand this sea. It requires the proper care, diving several times in the same places for understanding the

Cerianthus membranaceus

Scorpaena scrofa

Cave environment with shrimps on pale blue sponges

differences through every seasons and different times of the day.

We started a search path valid either as protection of the sea or as an offer to more sensitive divers and lovers of true Mediterranean.

The continuous discoveries, still in progress, made us understand how much these waters are important and still alive, despite the signs of depletion mainly related to overfishing. The proposal of realizing a Marine Protected Area, by now of forthcoming creation, gives us hope.

We want to believe to a possible future. We want to think of a Sicily that learns to know the sea, preserve it, becoming a destination for a healthy diving tourism, never overwhelming and always in balance with the delicate coastal habitats of this dear old Mediterranean!

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Reef with red (Paramuricea clavata) and white (Eunicella singularis) gorgonians, transition environment (30 m)

Eunicella singularis

Reef with red gorgonians (Paramur seaperch (Anthias anthias)

The diver observes an Astrospartus m

ricea clavata) and Swallowtail

The Skerki’s gorgonian on the Monk’s Rock seabeds

mediterraneus

Two large nobles pen shells densely colonized by coelenterates, bryozoans and sponges

Sail Fish Expedition

We travel to Cancun,Mexico to experience one of the most intense an During the months of January through March, winter storms in the no attracting massive shoals of sardines with schools of sailfish in pursui The battle between sailfish and sardines plays out again and again as sential to create extended encounters and capturing dramatic images That is what we do best! The Sailfish expedition will be done on snork SCUBA gear makes following the bait balls much more difficult. Often the surface. Many other large pelagic species can be seen sometimes

- Cancun - Mexico

nd exhilarating encounters found anywhere in the ocean, the Sailfish hunt. orthern Gulf of Mexico drive nutrient-rich waters south over the shallow continental shelf, it. bands of sailfish savage the wary baitfish. Understanding the dynamics of a bait-ball is ess of these magnificent fish in action. kel, which allows us the best encounters with these fast moving fish. we will encounter static (non moving) bait balls, which typically stay close to the divers and s and it is possible to jump in with manta rays, sharks and schooling golden rays

Location: Cancun Dates : Feb 19 - Feb 25 - 2016 Price : $ 2090,00 p/p in a shared double occupancy Included:

5 days Sailfish of free diving and snorkel NO SCUBA Lunch, snacks, drinks onboard 6 nights accommodations on CANCUN (Lagoon front hotel for easy boat access), light breakfast Transfers to/from Cancun International Airport

NOT Included: Airfare Dinner Alcoholic drinks Crew tips

EXTENSION Bull Shark & Cenotes

3 nigts in Cancun B&B double room 1 days diving whit bull sharks 1 days 2 diving a day in the cenotes Transfera a/r from Hotel to Playa del Carmen for bull shark and the Cenotes

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PORTFOLIO

Janez Kranic

PORTFOLIO

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My name is Janez Kranjc.

Ever since I can remember I wanted to dive. The first diving course I finished in 1997. and from that moment starts my scuba adventure.

The first piece of the diving equipment that I bought was the underwater camera Nikonos V and actually underwater photography was the main reason for me to dive.

I came a long way since then and became CMAS M2 instructor and also an instructor of underwater photography.

With my wife I run a diving club S.D.T. Svet Ronjenja in Serbia, and during the summer a diving center in Montenegro. We travel a lot around the world shooting underwater movies.

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Currently I am using Nikon D7000 in Subal underwater housing.

For ambient and wide angle photography I use Tokina 10-17 Fish Eye lens, and for macro photography Micro Nikkor 105mm lens with Subsea +10 and Saga +15 diopters.

For lightning a usually use a pair of Sea & Sea YS-D1 or a pair Inon Z240 underwater flashes.

I believe that the underwater photography is the most powerful way to promote diving and active lifestyle, and that underwater photography effectively draws attention to the vulnerability of water ecosystems all over the world.

We are located exactly 74 km far from Trieste, near the small town of Our Diving Centre is right under the swimming pools area, directly i Major (Ucka) and on the other, we face the beautiful islands of Krk a Our flagship is wreck diving by boat: three wrecks situated at d ride. And there’s more! Our shore dives directly from our Center’s be courses. Finally yet importantly, our diamond tip dedicated to macr pleasure of diving.

From our beach, with our boat... ...come with us and enjoy your dive!

Kantrida, which is about 5 to 6 km before downtown Rijeka. in front of the open beach. On one side, we are overlooked by Mount and Cherso: in brief, we are right inside the Kvarnaro Gulf. different depths, each one no farther than maximum 20 minutes boat each offer an easy and colorful training ground for any kind of diving ro photography lovers: a wide variety of critters to increase the

www.diving-marcopolo.com

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6째 DIVING DAYS - KIKINDA - SERBIA INTERNATIONAL CONTEST OF UWP

FESTIVAL & CONTEST

“You come as a guest but leave as a friend”

With our friendly, personal and professional approach come and enjoy warm Bedouin hospitality in a relaxed setting with stunning views of Tiran island.

Sharks Bay Umbi is a picturesque bay with everything on site – its own private jetty, dive centre, boats, restaurant, Bedouin cafe and 3 types of accommodation -

making it the perfect resort for your next holiday.

Unique in the area, Sharks Bay Umbi manages to retain a friendly village feel whilst still being only ten minutes from the bright lights of Sharm El Sheikh. Sharm residents describe the bay as having the feel of how Sharm used to be before the arrival of large scale tourism.

Accommodation Sharks Bay Umbi offers traditional Bedouin style and hospitality alongside modern facilities.

We have three types of accommodation to fit every budget: Bedouin Village Rooms, Beach Cabins and View Huts.

Contacts info@sharksbay.com www.sharksbay.com

10% off

Accommodation (bed and breakfast) Daily diving Liveaboards PADI and SSI courses Free Nitrox to qualified divers - Free airport transfers for hotel guests Discounts apply for all bookings made before the end of 2015 - T&Cs apply To redeem this special offer please quote ‘CLICK2015B’ at the time of booking

AEROTECNICA COLTRI

ALLOWS TO INVEST IN FULL AUTONOMY

MCH-6 SR HP PORTABLE COMPRESSOR DRIVEN BY CHARGIN RATE FILLING TIME CYLINDER 10 L 0-200 bar WORKING PRESSURE NET POWER DIMENSIONS DRY WEIGHT NOISE POWER LEVEL FILTRATION INTERSTAGE COOLER AND AFTERCOOLER

SUBARU PETROL ENGINE 100 L/min - 6 m3/h 20 min 200 - 225 - 300 - 330 bar 6,5 HP HEIGHT 35 cm, WIDTH 78 cm DEPTH 32 cm 37 Kg 100,5 dB (LWA) ACTIVATED CARBON AND MOLECULAR SIEVE CARTRIDGE STAINLESS STEEL

AEROTECNICA COLTRI速 S.p.A.

via dei Colli Storici 177 25010 San Martino della Battaglia Brescia - ITALY Tel: +39.030.99.103.01 +39.030.99.102.97 Fax: +39.030.99.10.283 www.aerotecnicacoltri.it

FOLLOW ME

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ISOTTA HOUSING FOR CANONG7X Words and Pictures

Domy Tripodi

Taking pictures underwater with an advanced compact camera has become fun and interesting, as well as comfortable. Nevertheless, if the housing that accommodates the camera is adjusted to the camera’s convenience, bringing outside all controls and ensuring a significant efficiency underwater, the deal is done!

We tried to talk with Domy Tripodi, underwater photographer from the Messina Strait, who after using for several years a Canon G12 with an Isotta housing has recently changed to the new Canon G7x always inside its dedicated Isotta housing. It is a kind of housing that by now guarantees some operational certainties, a great strength (important under intense usage) and reliability when, underwater, we need certain performances, especially for who photographs in all conditions and in tough environments, such as cold water and great depths. Domy makes the most of the potential offered by a housing made so well, designed to become one with the camera, as if it were an amphibious camera in a single block (who remembers the glorious Nikonos?). When equipped with a supporting bracket and two lateral flash, mounted in the classical way using double arms of adequate length, you can move easily and shoot comfortably thanks to the very minimal amount of space required by the system. The body, made with Antcorodal aluminum and brilliant-

REVIEW

ly painted in a beautiful red, typical of the firm, is well made and very well finished in all details. The porthole is interchangeable, so that you can mount other portholes and / or add various accessories, especially when using a wide angle. The front pitch of the porthole is a classic M67, to allow mounting every additional and macro lens. All controls, meticulously brought outside, bear the same symbols as of the camera carefully silkscreened, and the buttons are designed for usage with gloves.

Each command has a double O-ring to ensure a virtually perfect sealing.

The closure is the conventional Isotecnic rotating knob, quick and safe.

After placing the camera inside the front part of the shell, operation requiring very few moments, the assembly is simple and involves inserting the rear part on the front one, with a little effort to match the locking pin inside the housing’s rotating knob. Above on the housing there is an accessory shoe where to place, usually, a pointing spotlight. The base of the housing has two M6 holes to fix everything precisely and securely on a bracket. The housing is operational up to one hundred meters deep. We tried to operate the commands up to about 70 meters deep without any operational problem. Therefore, we are positive that the system is well thought out and does not change its performances at great depths. Domy takes the maximum advantage out of this housing, making it working hard, and he has no problem declaring himself satisfied beyond measure, both from the operational and from the practical point of view. Not to mention the results that, knowing the equipment thoroughly, may be obtained photographically speaking. Results comparable to those obtained using an SLR camera, watching Domy’s pictures.

The secret of an underwater photographer is basically to know how to

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make the best use out of the available equipment. To do so, in addition to good photographers, we should be good divers. This is the sole and only way that makes us really get to take advantage of all the operational possibilities of this equipment so much compact but, at the same time, I would say almost professional, given the quality of the results that we could achieve by working seriously. Isotta works to grow along, trying to understand what the real needs of underwater photographers are and changing possible housings’ peculiarities that, in any case, are now sewn on to the cameras, almost like a rigid wetsuit. Understanding how to change or to better position a command, how to place the lever of the shutter button or the focus and diaphragms rings, according to the rapidity of use in extreme conditions, such as those that often an underwater photographer encounters while shooting, is not always easy and immediate. The practical experience and the closeness of the Isotta team to underwater photographers guarantees to obtain high-level results. Thanks to the efforts of this Italian company, the compact cameras’ industry has benefited for sure, leading to a continued growth in the use of this kind of cameras. Domy’s experience is an example for those who want to approach the underwater photography without necessarily weighting down by using an SLR housing and at the same time not giving up high-level results.

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Our products are all MITQ (MADE IN ITALY TOTAL QUALITY) and allow an OPTIMAL BUOYANCY during video and photography.

Our LIGHT ARMS are made with a preanodized 6060 aluminum alloy blue tube (Ø22 mm) and have two preanodized 6026 aluminum alloy SML-pearl-grey spheres (Ø 25 mm) at the ends (9 different lengths are available).

Our BLOCKING SYSTEM (CLAMP) is composed by two preanodized aluminium alloy 6026 pearl grey SML butterfly clamps, a button-head stainless steel screw and an aluminum alloy 6026 anodized blue wing nut.

Thanks to the clutches mounted inside the clamps, tightening is smooth for adjustments but at the same time sturdy and rigid for operation.

Our ACTION CAM BRACKET is made of AISI 316 stainless steel (3 mm thick and with black Delrin inserts).

It consists of two laser-cut plates and a pair of folding handles with blocking mechanism. The coupling of the two plates is via a M8 dowel acting as a guide. In the rear part the handle has an additional 1/4 UNC thread for extra applications (eg. Gorilla POD or similar), an extendible guide plate and a small base for bi-adhesive connections.

An anodized aluminum stick simplifies macro recording allowing to force the minimum recording distance from the subject. The handles terminate with preanodized 6026 aluminum alloy SML-pearl-grey spheres (Ă˜ 25 mm), thus allowing for the maximum flexibility for lights and additional parts to be connected to the base. The system can be offered with Lock-line terminations instead.

Our SCUBA VIDEO LIGHT Led C-95, electronically realized in cooperation with Elbatech Srl, is made by an 6026 SML pearl-grey anodized aluminum alloy body (Ø 60 mm) (milled from full aluminum bar), with a ring-bezel rear cover in black Delrin (Ø 70 mm) and with a 8-mm thick front polycarbonate glass. Its weight out of the water is 750 g, in the water 270 g.

LIGHT FEATURES: - High intensity LED diode: CREE LED array CXA1304, 900 lumen, 5000°K - Viewing Angle: from 85° to 140° - CRI: 90 to 95 - Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack, 14.8V 2000 mAh (dedicated battery charger IMAX B6AC included) - Burn Time: 120 minutes @ 100% - Hydrostatic test: 120 minutes @ 9 bar - Electronics: custom-made power-led driver (Elbatech Srl, Marciana (LI), Italy) Our scuba light model 170/30 N is offered a beautiful blue briefcase containing: - 1 scuba led video light model C-95 - 1 battery charger IMAX B6AC - 1 black Delrin dedicated holder terminating with an anodized aluminium SML pearl-grey sphere (Ø 25 mm) About MECHANICS please refer to SML-SUB www.sml-sub.it e-mail: info@sml-sub.it About ELECTRONICS please refer to ELBATECH srl www.elbatech.com e-mail: info@elbatech.com

www.sml-sub.it

Sportissimo Milano by Giorgio Sangalli Via Ripamonti 15 (corner Via Giulio Romano) 20136 Milano (IT) Ph: +39 02 58305014 - e-mail: info@sportissimomilano.com At Sportissimo Milano you will always find professionalism, experience, customer service, products selection and the best quality/price ratio.

You will find the best products and the best brands, you will see and touch and try (many products are available also to an underwater test) before you decide to buy anything.

Visit also www.sportissimomilano.com a MEGAStore on-line in which you will find a huge amount of selected and guaranteed items.

You will find all the latest products and special offers such as warranty extension, all inclusive equipment inspections and many other!

Sportissimo Milano is also on facebook: click “like� here and find special offers every day https://www.facebook.com/sportissimo.milano?fref=ts

Haybols Scuba Hub is a homey, comfortably furnished, bed & breakfast inn that offers scuba diving courses, rentals and services.

Bauan-Mabini RoadAnilao, Batangas, Philippines +63 917 856 6887

www.facebook.com/HaybolsScubaHub

Package A (3Days / 2Nights) $380 per person Airport transfers Welcome drink Fully carpeted Air conditioned room (twin share) Hot & Cold shower Full board meals 6 Boat dives Tanks, Weights & Weight belt Dive master services

Package B (4Days / 3Nights) $425 per person Airport transfers Welcome drink Fully carpeted Air conditioned room (twin share) Hot & Cold shower Full board meals 8 Boat dives Tanks, Weights & Weight belt Dive master services

Package C (5Days / 4Nights) $530 per person Airport transfers Welcome drink Fully carpeted Air conditioned room (twin share) Hot & Cold shower Full board meals 10 Boat dives Tanks, Weights & Weight belt Dive master services

** All packages for minimum of four (4) persons Dive gears available for rent Exclusive of Dive pass @ $5 per person per day

N O LL II M M I IT T N O

visit us online: www.hollis.com/eu www.facebook.com/HollisGear