Sport Diver Magazine UK - June 2011
Sport Diver Magazine UK - June 2011
Sport Diver Magazine UK - June 2011
FLORIDA
UK DIVING
TESTED
I N SI D
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E GA Z IN HE MA TED TO T A DEDICTHINGS L AL C H I E TE
HMS Pathfinder
Scotlands finest wreck dive?
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EASTERN PROMISE
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BOB WHORTON
Bob Whorton has been diving all over the world, but has come to love certain areas specifically for their photographic potential. He first visited Jordan many years ago, and now, after after a 17-year hiatus, he returns to the Middle East to check out the diving on offer.
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PATRICK SHIER
Patrick Shier is a PADI MSDT who runs a dive school on the Kent/Sussex border. He often arranges shore and boat dives around the UK coastline, taking newly qualified divers on their first sea dive. This month, he visits twin wreck sites off the Norfolk coastline.
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Archant Specialist, 3 The Courtyard, Denmark Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 2AZ. Tel 0118 977 1677 Fax 0118 977 2903 EDITORIAL EDITOR Mark Evans....................0118 989 7265 [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR/WEB EDITOR William Harrison............0118 989 7266 [email protected] ART EDITOR Matthew Griffiths ..........01242 216067 [email protected] REPROGRAPHICS MANAGER Neil Puttnam ..................01242 264788 AD SALES AD MANAGER Dave Pritchett................0118 989 7236 [email protected] SALES EXECUTIVE Ross Arnold....................0118 989 7220 [email protected]
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Al Hornsby has been enjoying the underwater world since the age of 12. A long-time senior manager with PADI - he is currently Senior Vice President for PADI Worldwide he also enjoyed a stint as editorial director of the now-defunct Skin Diver. This issue, he explores the wonders of Sipadan and Mabul.
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PUBLISHED BY
Archant Specialist, 3 The Courtyard, Denmark Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 2AZ. Tel 0118 977 1677 Fax 0118 977 2903 Archant Specialist is a wholly owned subsidiary of Archant plc.
Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers or PADI. Copyright for material published remains with Archant Specialist. Use of material from Sport Diver is strictly prohibited unless permission is given. While we do accept editorial submissions, Sport Diver cannot accept any liability for loss or damage, however caused. Please include an SAE for return of your work. All advertisements of which the creative content is in whole or in part the work of Archant Specialist remain the copyright of Archant Specialist plc.
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COVER PICTURE: Diver on Zenobia PHOTOGRAPHER: Stuart Philpott
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Sport Divers acknowledged diving experts offer useful tips and sound advice on a host of dive-related topics to help you dive like a pro
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Dive Doctor
Dr Oliver Sykes looks at the similarities and the differences - between CCRs and anaesthetic machines.
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Find out how much money you could save by joining the Diving Society.
Photo workshop
Martin Edge explains how sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time to get the shot you are after.
News
South Coasts Coronation wreck opened to all divers, plus cyclist celebrates epic charity bike ride in full dive kit.
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Your letters
The pick of the Sport Diver postbag, including a diver concerned about reported closures of dive sites in Thailand.
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Top Tips
Martin Sampson focuses on the ascent portion of your dive, and argues that this is the most-important section, yet also one that people dont give enough attention.
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Subscribe today
Subscribe today and save over 30 per cent off the cover price.
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Scholarship diary
Erin McFadden introduces herself as the 2011 Our World-Underwater Scholar.
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Mark Powell looks at the core skills that every technical diver - whatever their level of experience and regardless of the training organisation they follow - needs to master in order to progress with this discipline.
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JUNE 2011
Join the
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FOR ONLY
Sport Diver brings you more regular UK diving features than any other magazine
Sport Diver travels the world to bring you the best diving destinations
Sport Divers Test Team rates and reviews the new releases
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Jordan
Bob Whorton makes a welcome return to the Middle East, exploring Aqaba after a hiatus of some 17 years and finding it still offers much to visiting divers.
New
Clip n Go video camera, Highland utility shorts, Ikelite PC LED torches, and Mares Hybrid She Dives BCD.
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Whats
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Southeast Asia
Overview of some of the best diving destinations in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
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Sabah, Malaysia
Al Hornsby returns to Sipadan and Mabul and is once-again mesmerised by the vast array of marine life on display right in front of his mask.
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Test Extra
OThrees Ri2-100 Flex drysuit is given the once-over.
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Florida
Manatees are ugly but cute and Florida is the best place in the world to interact with them. Plus, it is just a short drive to some seriously impressive wrecks.
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Long-Term Test
A range of diving equipment, including the Mares Icon HD dive computer, are put through their paces.
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Mozambique
Part two of Patrick Shiers epic trek the entire length of Mozambique, this time taking in the southern sector.
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JUNE 2011
SEND YOUR DIVE INDUSTRY NEWS TO: EMAIL: [email protected] OR WRITE TO: News, Sport Diver, 3 The Courtyard, Denmark Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 2AZ
aturday 16 April 2011 marked the launch of a ground-breaking new diver trail on one of the UK's least-dived yet most historically important marine archaeological sites. The Coronation, a 300-year-old Second Rate warship, sank off Penlee Point during a violent storm in September 1691 but from the early 1970s was subject to a protection order that restricted unlicensed diving in and around the surrounding area. However, thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of an eight-strong team of volunteer divers led by licence holders Mark Pearce and Ginge Cook of the
Coronation Wreck Project, permission was recently granted to allow sport divers to access the wreck. Mr Cook, a PADI instructor who holds a Nautical Archaeological Society (NAS) Part II qualification, explained the idea behind the project during an open day hosted by Discovery Divers, at Fort Bovisand, Plymouth. "It was my aim as a vocational archaeologist to get over the 'closed shop' attitude of such sites and open it up for everyone - every diver isn't going to smash and thieve from a wreck - which is a perception that some of the old school had. "Initially the idea met a lot of skepticism but with
the support of English Heritage, Crown Estates and the NAS, who had previous experience with similar schemes elsewhere, we were able to get the scheme up and running. The day began with a fascinating presentation by Peter McBride, team leader of the original divers who discovered the remains of the 1,345-tonne Coronation and who still lends his knowledge, expertise and experience to the scheme. While the exact reasons for the loss of the ship remain unclear, the evidence strongly points to a parting of the anchor cables while sheltering from a ferocious hurricane-force southwesterly gale, which left a number of other vessels from the English fleet to a similar fate as they sought refuge along the same stretch of coastline. De-masted and capsized, the Coronation was mercilessly swept aground at Penlee's Lady Cove, resulting in the death of Captain Charles Skelton and 600 of his crew in what still remains the UK's largest loss of life in a maritime disaster. Only an estimated 20 men survived and fierce public calls for a safe haven in Plymouth Sound in the aftermath of the catastrophe resulted in the eventual creation of the ports famous Breakwater. Mark Pearce, visitor licence holder, and first point of contact for divers wishing to register for the trail, explained how the idea came to fruition after a chance meeting. I bumped into Ginge here at Bovisand back in 2009 and we got talking about the various dive sites around the area and I happened to mention the historic wreck off Penlee Id love to dive but couldnt. He went through the procedure on how to go about it, which I did and weve been diving it ever since! Divers have had such a bad reputation in the past that we wanted to set up this method of being able to see it and show that divers when given the opportunity will respond and respect what is there. Were 100 per cent voluntary, nobody gets paid and nobody earns anything out of it, but we are very grateful to our sponsors who support various aspects of the project, including the divers trail guide.
Bespoke trips, Photo Workshops and Group Adventures to Resorts and Liveaboards around the Equator.
Destinations include: Indonesia, East Timor, Maldives, Philippines, Malaysia, Micronesia, Brazil & Galapagos. Talk to our travel experts
Frogfish photography Martyn Farr Frogfish photography
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JUNE 2011
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Mark Pearce and Ginge Cook, licence holders for The Coronation Wreck Project wreck trail, look over the guide on the way out to the site at Penlee Point during the open day
Camel Dive Club & Hotel - since 1986: Created for divers, by divers
Mr McBride's well-researched history of the sinking of the vessel, its subsequent discovery and eventual identification was followed by an escorted dive for the days attendees led by Mr Cook, who explained what to expect for a first-time visiting diver. "The first anchor when you go down at the start of the trail, you look at it and take in the sheer magnitude and size of that anchor - and you think, how in the 1600s, how did they manage to move that kit with no hydraulics, no steam power?" The area of trail is approximately 50 metres by 60 metres and is an easy 40-minute dive in a maximum depth of 20m, leaving plenty of time to return to any specific point of interest and can be enjoyed by anyone from OW Diver upwards. "It's great for the likes of the newly qualified diver, continued Cook. And to be able to visit something
of this magnitude 300 years old in this depth is an inspiring dive." From her original 90-gun armory, a total of 86 cannon, seven anchors, and many other smaller artifacts have been recorded over two main areas, designated as inshore and offshore sites. The shallow inshore site remains of bounds and due to an abundance of kelp obscuring the remains offers little of interest to all but the keenest of trained eyes. The deeper offshore site with a rock and sand seabed comprises ten individually buoyed and numbered stations that designate the boundaries of the diver trail. Each station features one or more of 17 cannon along the trail, with two of the Coronations five-metre-long anchors, weighing an estimated five tonnes apiece, giving scale to the tragic sinking. While the site is open, certain restrictions remain in place - primarily a look but dont touch policy. The temptation for anyone that finds something interesting is to pick it up. says Mark Pearce. We are saying dont do that as youll be breaking the law but instead, note down where it is and at the end of the dive we have a dive form which everyone fills out and any finds can be left to the team to assess. Were hopeful that this project can blaze a trail for protected wrecks around the country to be opened up and so allow everyone to enjoy the pleasure of their heritage. To dive the Coronation Diver Trail, contact Mark Pearce via The Coronation Wreck Projects website at: www.coronationwreck.co.uk
Small and friendly 4* hotel, 5* PADI IDC centre, quality restaurants and the famous Camel Bar. All in the heart of Sharm El Sheikh.
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Gordon Ramsay, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Charles Clover and Martin Clunes are among the first six signatories to support a new campaign from UK shark and marine conservation charity Bite-Back to end the sale of shark-fin soup in Britain. The charity believes the high-profile names will be enough to inspire divers and restaurant-goers around the country to invite restaurants on their doorstep to end the sale of shark-fin soup. Each celebrity signature features on a pre-written letter that can be downloaded from www.bite-back.com and then presented to restaurants selling shark-fin
soup. Graham Buckingham, campaign director for Bite-Back, explained: We know that thousands of people are disappointed to see shark-fin soup on menus in their own town and yet feel uncomfortable about voicing their opinion. We genuinely believe that this letter will help change that by giving individuals increased confidence, credibility and courage to invite change. Support from Gordon Ramsay and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall came from Bite-Backs consultation in the Channel 4 Fish Fight season, broadcast in January. The pioneering charity has since found support from the adventurer Ben Fogle and the
In their ongoing efforts to monitor and stay abreast of the crown of thorns situation at Carless Reef, HEPCA scientists and divers carried out a fourth survey and re-assessment trip to the reef on Monday 2 May. Scientists discovered that crown of thorns abundance in the area they surveyed (north side and between the pinnacles) was 0.016 individuals per square metre five times the minimum abundance of an outbreak. Creature dissection carried out after a limited collection showed that all creatures were at the pre-spawning stage. HEPCA scientists stress the importance of multiple collections of crown of thorns from Carless Reef to minimize the chance of a secondary outbreak occurring and, barring that, to greatly reduce the size of an outbreak, if one does happen. HEPCA urges all Red Sea diving centres and visitors to report any sightings of crown of thorns in the Red Sea. HEPCA will also provide diving centres with the requisite equipment required for crown of thorns collections. For more information and to download the sighting form, check out: www.hepca.com
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The Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) has carried out moorings maintenance in the southern Red Sea. In their continued efforts for environmental conservation and protection, particularly of reefs and other diving sites, the HEPCA mooring team carried out moorings maintenance and installations at various diving locations in the Red Sea. The work took place between 11-16 April, with operations largely based at Wadi El-Gemmal and Marsa Alam. The operations included carrying out maintenance and replacement work on 14 different moorings at six different reef locations. HEPCA thanked Shams Alam diving centre for its cooperation and the assistance it provided to the HEPCA mooring team in carrying out its duties. Red Sea dive centres and visitors have been urged to report any missing or damaged moorings to [email protected]
Read about the Aqua Lung Teknika mask & the iphone involvement
We also stock:
we tell it like it is
www.4thelementdiving.co.uk
01642 601616
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JUNE 2011
www.deepbluedive.com
or instore for the largest range of dive equipment anywhere...
Why not check out our online Dive Magazine, full of interesting articles, reviews and dive sites
CALL FOR PRICES - 0191 253 6220 www.deepbluedive.com 55 Marden Road, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE26 2JW
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06 -11
There is also the chance to dive with seals, basking sharks, Sunfish, dolphins and other amazing sealife while undertaking a freediving course in Cornwall. With the likes of Liv Philip and William Trubridge popularising the sport, FreediveUK is likely to have a busy summer.
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features a 0.16 carat brilliant cut diamond solitaire. When we saw the octopus it was fantastic and it was amazing to see it so close. I find it very romantic that my engagement ring symbolises this special moment and l love that my octopus ring is unique, added Caroline.
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JUNE 2011
For your safety and enjoyment, book your diving with a CDWS member. See www.cdws.travel for a list of legal diving operators in Egypts Red Sea.
Image: Kimmo Hagman
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www.egypt.travel
www.cdws.travel
06 -11
only 1200
Inc. Flights/Accommodations
Exc. Airport Taxes/Security fees
Includes: 3-Day Prep, 3-Day Assistant Instructor, 4-Day OWSI, 2-Day EFRI, 3-Day MSDT Prep, Guaranteed Pass & Free Unlimited Instructor, Specialty ratings for life!
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Nick Caldwell (left) hands over the money raised for the RNLI
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As from 1 July 2011, the full Atomic Aquatics product range will be distributed to all existing Atomic Aquatics dealers in the UK by Atomic Aquatics EU. New dealers will be supplied from 1 May 2011. The representative for Atomic Aquatics EU for the territories of the United Kingdom, all-Ireland and the Channel Islands will be Justin Hanning Atomic Aquatics UK Sales Manager. Justin Hanning has worked with various big-brand names in the diving world over the past 20 years and he is looking forward to heading up Atomic Aquatics operations in both the UK and Ireland. Atomic Aquatics is the manufacturer of the well-received range of regulators that includes, among other items, the all-titanium Atomic TX2, the tough Atomic Sub-frame mask, a highly effective Atomic fin design and the unique Cobalt OLED integrated-nitrox computer with its own Wienke RGBM algorithm and full-colour illuminated display. www.atomicaquatics.com
SEA SPIRIT LIVEABOARD MALDIVES FAR SOUTH REMOTE AND EXCITING!!! June and July 2011 trips
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JUNE 2011
Magnicent Seven!
Blue
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06 -11
Discoverthe Difference
Your friendly & flexible dive, snorkling & watersports center welcomes you on Grenada.
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Customer orientated & most individual service. Private jetty. Shuttle Service. Recreational, technical & rebreather diving. Nitrox for FREE.
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AL ON SESDAE Y N
WED NE 22 JU
UK wreck diving
Will Harrison becomes a wreckie in the depths of Stoney Cove
Maldivian mantas
Tony Baskeyfield gets creative when he joins an Alex Mustard photographic workshop on a liveaboard in the Maldives
Diving around the Caribbeans drift-diving capital, Tobago; the Test Team rates and reviews dive bags; two teenagers take the plunge on the Blue Planets new child-friendly aquarium dive experience; Sport Divers web/assistant editor Will Harrison embarks on his first liveaboard trip with Red Sea wreck guru Peter Collings; getting to grips with a DSLR; and the latest issues of Wreck Diver and Underwater Photographer
PLUS
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JUNE 2011
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Jordan
A royal experience
Bob Whorton was excited about going back to Jordan, as it had been far too long since he was there last - 17 years, to be precise - and he couldnt wait to rediscover the wealth of interesting assets the country has going for it
Photographs by BOB WHORTON
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y invitation by Gill at Sea Star (Above & Below), in conjunction with the Aqaba Tourism Authority ASEZA, was gratefully accepted and filled me with an excitement which is rare now-a-days. I was ferried across from Egypts Taba port on the smallest of the Sinbad Ferry boats. As you can imagine, this is a very popular port for operators offering a quick sprint around the sites in Jordan, such as Petra and Wadi Rum in a day! The two larger high-speed cat-ferries were already packed to the gunnels and I was quite pleased to be able to enjoy the more open-top approach, allowing me to suck in the four-country panorama more effectively. Before
long we were entering Aqabas new Tala Bay customs port. The bigger ferries had already disembarked, which meant a quiet time for our handful of passengers. Before long Gill and I were at the Seastar Dive Club, a few minutes north, and this brought it all back to me. A system designed originally for expats and locals, laid back and relaxing. You wont find a regimental attitude around here. Things have changed a little to include passionate Russian and Dutch staff members, plus the resident Jordanian PADI Master Instructor Thea. After the introductions and an agenda discussion, I was invited to undertake a check-out dive on Eel Garden just across the beach from the club. Little did I realise at that
time just what this one site had in store me The thought of dragging myself, my gear and a full-blown camera rig down to the water didnt really fill me with inspiration, but its something I needed to get used to again liveaboards had turned me (like most) into a lazy b****** over the last 20 years, and now I had the chance to re-tone those flagging muscles into the once-solid mass they were I have an affinity with frogfish, and part of my loose agenda was to get a glimpse of these endearing critters. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The site has a Wadi-like chute from around 1m to 16m, where it pans out into a gently sloping sandy expanse. This effectively splits the sites into two classic reef coral congregations,
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JUNE 2011
Jordan
GO TECH IN JORDAN
Seastar Watersports also is Aqaba's only TDI Diving Centre incorporating Aqaba Tech. They are a full trimix facility offering the full range of TDI courses up to Advanced Trimix and fully guided dives to all the deep sites. The centre's 19-metre dive boat is used for all tech dives and training. Aqaba has two deep wrecks - Taiyong and the Shorouk - at depths to 70m. They also have the Power Station Wall dropping to over 600m, as well as other nice deep sites. Aqaba is a great Red Sea location for technical diving and training. The team is planning Jordan's deepest record dive to 166m later this summer. Contact them on [email protected] for more information.
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WE OFFER
Shore guided diving daily - All sites in Aqaba only a 10 minute drive from Club Murjan and easily accessible. Dive and then after relax by the pool! Boat guided diving - Our 19m dive boat "MY Seastar" can access all dive sites and a great way to relax, dive and have a delicious BBQ lunch on board! PADI Courses from Discover Scuba Diving to Open water Scuba Instructor! Full equipment hire (recreational and technical) TDI Courses from Nitrox to Advanced Trimix Underwater Digital Camera Hire Fully guided technical dives SDI Solo Diver Course Nitrox & Trimix Snorkeling
FREE daily hotel transfers for all divers (Aqaba and Tala Bay) FREE Diving Insurance to all student divers
Come and experience Aqaba's beautiful red Sea diving without the crowds! Wrecks, walls and stunning reefs! We have it have all!
Contact us; [email protected] Phone 00962 (3) 2018335 (business hours) Phone 00962 (0) 5854419 (after hours) WWW.AQABADIVINGSEASTAR.COM
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Jordan
comprising of numerous hard coral and sponge species. The plan was to dive the site back-to-front, swimming out across the sandy expanse to the left above the black coral colonies and onwards over to the black coral bushes and on to a very prominent two-metre coral formation standing erect from the sand. Two metres doesnt sound like much, but trust me, there was so much life in and around it, I was amazed! Several giant moray, white moray, yellow-mouthed moray, hundreds of shrimp and bronze hatchet fish all bound together by the perpetual motion of several hundred anthias. That wasnt all There was a special surprise hiding against an adjacent rock - a blue/grey frogfish! Travelling back was to prove quite eventful too, as the shallow grassy area was filled with all manner of critters, including lionfish, scorpionfish, stingers and a robust ghost pipefish. Also a very large and inquisitive cornetfish adopted me as an ally waiting for an opportunity to pounce on anything that I might disturb. Up in the shallows, a wooden jetty juts out into the expanse of sand. These are like a magnet for me, as they often shelter some interesting critters. A large school of bream and a dozen or so batfish weaved in between the legs. Numerous blenny and goby species had homes on or around the legs, with a skittish pair of sea moths sifting through the brightly lit sand. As you get closer to the Wadi chute, the sandy slope is built upon by large areas of coral that form a small but interesting wall. I found another two frogfish amid the sponges there, plus one of my favourite fish, the leopard blenny. Eighty minutes after entering this enchanting world we were trekking back towards the club smiling and reflecting on a great amble. Needless to say I passed my assessment, and began planning the next dive straight away! Over the next three days I would do five more two-hour dives around the expansive Eel Garden
it The visibility here is always pretty good and on this particular visit was about 30 metres horizontally,allowing a nice panorama of the wreck and surrounding reefscape
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Jordan
Although only 150-200 metres from the shore,the wreck is ideally dived from a boat,especially if you have bulky camera equipment
site, finding a total of 11 frogfish! The long straight beach heading towards Aqaba and the below waterline varies in topography into steeper classic reef layouts often separated by deeper wadi runs. The coral concentration is often amazing, gapless and full of colour and life. Its not all classic reef diving in Jordan - Power Station reef, for example, drops from the surface to 5m then slopes to 12m before dropping vertically to 200m in a sheer wall (similar to the Jackson Reef profile). Swimming along the edge of the wall offers spectacular views, and large pelagic species make this their hunting ground. Soft corals abound as nutrient-rich waters gently flow along the wall. This dive requires good buoyancy control and offers some amazing coral outcrops with huge numbers of fish. The dive can be completed in shallow water between 12m and 5m, where an abundance of varied hard corals, each with its attendant species, keeps you busy! The Cedar Pride The Cedar Pride is a sizable freighter which ended its 18-year maritime career in Aqaba in 1982 after a fire engulfed its interior, sadly killing two crew members and causing irreparable damage. Despite this, the ship remained afloat in the harbour for another three years while the buck was passed regarding responsibility. The Jordanian King and Royal Family (being keen divers) hatched a plan to use the wreck as an artificial reef; to be sunk at a depth suitable for sport divers Prince Abdullah (now the King) became patron of the project, and the task of overseeing the sinking arrangements was given to James Fylan. The ship was extensively cleaned to remove pollutants, such as engine and machine oils, before the complicated towing by a pair of tugs out of the harbour. The final resting place of the wreck was chosen specifically by the team to ensure that the Cedar Pride couldnt slip off into the deep ravine of the gulf during the sinking, or by natural means
later on. However, things didnt quite go to plan following the extensive preparations. The charges applied to the hull were too small and wrongly placed, resulting in too slow an ingress of water along the whole length of the ship to provide uniform stability. Instead, she listed to port and landed on the bottom in the same attitude. Some 25 years on, the wreck is solidly fixed to the bottom, its port side resting at about 28m. Although only 150-200 metres from the shore, the wreck is ideally dived from a boat, especially if you have bulky camera equipment. This is to give you the maximum time on the wreck and doesnt see you budgeting your air supply for the swim back. The other option is a surface swim to and from the buoy, but this can be hard work if carrying camera gear. You will notice at the bow that both anchors are still wound up into their stored position, which again might confuse, as they could have been carefully placed to provide extra stability during its decent to the bottom I digress. The visibility here is always pretty good and on this particular visit it was about 30 metres horizontally, allowing a nice panorama of the wreck and surrounding reefscape. The coral and sponge growth has moved along nicely; less than I expected, but still pretty nice. A lot of fish around this wreck with many interesting residents too. Out in the open were large pufferfish, scorpion, lion and stonefish, and a big surprise of a hawksbill turtle. Double bar bream loitered in a small school near the radar mast, and there were always clouds of anthias and chromids around the hard corals. A very aesthetic and photogenic wreck for sure, and several dives here are warranted to do it justice, as the angles and superstructure create endless possibilities. Between the wreck and the shore is Osama Reef. A wide range of corals and fish life can be found here, including larger pelagic species which approach the reef to feed. This site can be
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Aqaba, Jordan
Aqaba
When to go
You can dive in Jordan all year round.
or There seems to be some confusion argument over the designation of this vehicle
Entry requirements
An entry visa can be obtained on arrival for around 20JOD (around 17).
Currency
Jordanian dinar (1 = 1.16JOD).
Where to eat
There are a vast selection of restaurants scattered throughout Aqaba, and all the hotels have good-quality food available all day.
Angelsh
Where to meet
Any of the hotel bars provide a welcome spot to kick back with a cold beer and admire the views.
Jordan is a country steeped in history, and while the diving is great for everyone from beginners to tech divers, visits to the likes of Petra and Wadi Rum are a must.
combined with the wreck, but there is rarely time to explore more than a fraction of the reef and so this site is worthy of some quality time too. The Cedar Pride is not the only metallic icon around Aqaba. An American M42-based anti-aircraft tracked vehicle (The Tank) can also be dived. It was originally used by the Jordanian Army. It was scuttled as an artificial reef on 1 September 1999 by the Jordanian Royal Ecological Diving Society and has since accumulated a remarkable amount of marine life, and though small, the macro enthusiast would be busy here for the whole duration of the dive! There seems to be some confusion or argument over the designation of this vehicle. Lets end this!
The M40 platform was used in two carriage variants - as an artillery gun carrier (Howitzer) and armoured troop transport. The faster, lighter M42 was converted to an anti-aircraft platform with twin 40mm cannons and used extensively as such around the world. The original army transfer documents will also quantify this. Anyone still confused, or in denial, please follow this link: http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m42duster.html I stayed at two locations during my visit to Aqaba, organised by ASEZA. Firstly, at the all-new Kempinski Hotel in town, overlooking the gulf and three countries. The evening sunsets from here are truly inspiring. I cannot speak highly enough about this hotel. The level of quality is world-class, with excellent food and a level of service Ive never witnessed before from a uniquely attentive and caring staff. Secondly, the Radisson Blu Resort at Tala Bay. With great food, great service, great accommodation and amazing facilities to suit every taste, this was another very enjoyable place to stay. A visit to Jordan is never complete without a trip to Petra and Wadi Rum. The close proximity of the two sites allows both to be explored in one day. You have the opportunity to begin the day very early with a dawn balloon ride above the incredible topography of Wadi Rum, then continue north to spend an interesting day at Petra. Gill at Seastar can arrange everything into one package. Aqaba has a lot going for it - nice friendly town-folk with great bars, coffee shops and markets. In my opinion, its the friendliest place in the Middle East. Tour operators Aquatours www.aquatours.com Longwood www.longwoodholidays.co.uk
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From beginners to experienced divers our quality facilities and professional staff offer diving to suit all levels
5 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CENTER BOATS AND SHORE DIVING PRIVATE BEACH CLUB TRAINING POOL NITROX
Nabeel Aqbarawi Jordan Diving Center Tel. +962 3 2064005 Mob. +962 79 5801100 Fax. +962 3 2064006 email. [email protected] [email protected]
PO Box: 636, Aqaba 77110, Jordan
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News and views from Simon R. Chance, manager, PADI International Resort and Retailer Associations and the PADI Diving Society
SIMON SAYS...
especially key impacts, with children reading more while studying how to improve, look after and sustain the ocean environment. They also conduct impromptu beach clean-ups whenever they visit the coast, this behaviour carrying over to taking more general responsibility for keeping the immediate environment clean at home and at school. The childrens manners are described as wonderful, greeting people with a friendly smile, eye contact and a handshake, the positive response to which bolsters their confidence even more. They lead a more-healthy lifestyle, swimming once a week to keep their fitness levels up, and the Department of Health and Social Development which also receives monthly feedback of the Dive for Life project have
interests, an almost desperately low control score was returned across the group; after gaining their scuba qualifications, however, the lowest return was an impressive nine out of ten. Formerly low self-esteems are now bubbling with confidence; the children trust more due to the buddy system and realise that they can and must rely on others sometimes; and they have learned to take responsibility for their dive kit, personal
encouraging Dive for Life is an integrated programme which uses scuba as a catalyst each child to do their best at home,school and in life,as well as while diving
learning and group safety. Various social workers and other carers the people who spend most of their time with the children have commented that most are putting in more effort at school and, rather wonderfully, a large majority have become leaders in their respective houses, acting as good examples to other children. Dive for Life is an integrated programme which uses scuba as a catalyst encouraging each child to do their best at home, school and in life, as well as while diving. As Project Manager Charlene Grobler wrote recently: Some of the children were on their way down the wrong path, [however] the diving has [specifically] changed their behaviour and perspective so positively that there are no more complaints. Charlene added that the Project AWARE elements have made expressed themselves as being highly impressed with this project. And of all the various activities and projects presented to them, Dive for Life seems to be the most engaging, with the children completing their work early or on time. Scuba is undoubtedly a fun sport and, of course, can be simply a pleasant diversion when diving well within the limits of personal training and experience. Its easy to forget that in many circumstances, when scuba is described a life-changing experience, its more than just a case of enjoying new experiences; clearly, for some, an introduction to scuba really has changed their lives very profoundly indeed! www.louisbothachildren.co.za
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Im not fishing for recognition but I did want to tell you about the rough route I took to finally achieve MSD. I am a 55-year-old veterinary surgeon from Cambridge and I achieved my MSD in June 2010, but have yet to appear in Sport Diver. My wife and I started scuba-diving in 1984 with a very dodgy (definitely not PADI!) outfit in the south of France. Even our first dive was in open water. Shortly afterwards, our group suffered a tragedy and my wife never dived again. The very next day I was taken down to a wreck at 30m under terribly choppy conditions and low visibility. The sonar had stopped working and the Divemaster dived to the wreck and then released his Fenzy ABLJ to the surface so that we could navigate to the wreck. Two BSAC divers on the RIB refused to dive because the conditions were so poor. But I did - and suffered the Grande Bleu at about 20m. I was taken down to the railings of the wreck where I proceeded to hyperventilate all my air in five minutes (we should have had a bottom time of 20 minutes). So the whole group had to come up with me. There were two other potential accidents - one uncontrolled ascent when the diver inflated their BCD instead of purging it, and one where someone exited the RIB with a closed valve and only realised after the second breath forced him to buddybreathe (no alternate source with this lot!). I continued to dive the following years in Spain, but my wife became anxious watching and waiting - she did not enjoy being the
only physician present on these dives. So I gave up. In 2008, the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons organised Scubascene (a Continuing Professional Development Course for veterinary surgeons) in Sharm el Sheikh and the Presidents brother, Stephen Waters of The Dive Centre in Newcastle, was my instructor. I started again from scratch in the hotel swimming pool and slowly but surely my confidence returned - despite one little, never-to-be-repeated error of descending with my snorkel instead of my regulator! By the time I had successfully completed my Rescue Diver course I thought this was about as far as I wanted to go. Almost without realising, I accumulated more and more Specialities on various liveaboards and in the Red Sea in June 2010, it occurred to me that I only had one Speciality to go before achieving MSD. And it was on the last night dive of the holiday on 23 June at 9pm that I completed my Night Dive Navigation course and qualified for MSD! Id like to thank PADI for their structured courses, my instructors at the Newcastle Dive Centre - Stephen Waters, John Hoggarth and Steve Wong, and my Diving Doctor, Dr Cain Hunt of Cambridge, and my non-diving Doctor wife who encouraged me despite her concerns. Were off to The Maldives in a few months, then the Red Sea and hopefully back to my place of birth, South Africa, during their summer.
Are you a PAD I in We would love structor? to hear from yo email padi@sp u, ortdiver.co.uk
GET INVOLVE D
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Is the only dive centre on Malta which can take you from beginner to professional in Recreational, Technical and Disabled diving!
VE DI E W TR EN NE EN OP C W NO
DiveStyle has been teaching divers and non-divers for 20 years and have built up a reputation as a friendly, welcoming and above all a safe dive centre
We have many initiatives in place to help make diving an affordable sport for new and qualified divers alike. DiveStyle has and continues to pledge 3 to The Shark Trust for every diver we teach. So you can be safe in the knowledge that when you learn to dive with DiveStyle you are giving something back to the marine environment.
Unit A, Bridge Farm, Reading Road, Arborfield, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG2 9HT
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COURSE FOCUS
Divemaster
Expand your knowledge and hone your skills as you develop dive leadership abilities,take part in dive planning,logistics and site briefings.Become qualified to supervise diving activities and assist with courses.
PADI
Visit the Teach Diving section of padi.com for more information and start your journey to becoming a PADI professional today with Divemaster Online!
Experience the pride that comes from helping others enrich their lives through diving. Be involved as student divers learn to breathe underwater for the first time, watch their anxiety turn to excitement as they achieve mastery of new diving techniques with you.
JUNE 2011
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PHOTO CALL!
As long-standing members will know, we like to change our Society membership card designs from time to time, and the search is now on for a new image to grace the card in 2012 so dig through your photo files, and send us three of your best shots!. The JPEG/JPG images should be in landscape (i.e. horizontal) format, proportional to 9.56 x 6.4cm, in high resolution (min 300 dpi), and remember were going to need some space for the Society and Sport Diver logos, plus individual member details toward the lower left-hand quarter of the card. Images will need to reach us by 22 September 2011, and can be emailed to [email protected], under the subject header 2012 Society Membership Card Entry, or sent by surface mail to 2012 Society Membership Card Images, PADI Diving Society, Unit 7 St Philips Central,Albert Road, St Philips, Bristol BS2 0PD. Please include your name, address and daytime contact number, your Society membership number (if applicable), and a signed photo release (copies available on request, or send an email to [email protected] with the subject line Photo release request. Once all the entries are in, ten regional winners will be selected and opened up to a public voting process, the winning entry being announced in Sport Diver and other global magazine partners simultaneously around the time of the DEMA conference in November. Good luck, and happy snapping! PS: Want to brush up on your photography skills? Ask your local PADI dive centre or resort about the PADI Digital Underwater Photography programme, or use the following TinyURLs to find a local centre and learn more about the programme at www.padi.com; www.tinyurl.com/padidiveshops or www.tinyurl.com/padidup (NB: TinyURL is a trademark of Gilby Productions). And remember, award-winning Society partner Maria Munn at www.oceangifts.co.uk runs highly popular workshops through her parallel operation, www.oceanvisions.co.uk; more than ten of her guests have gone on to win prizes over the last three years, so she might just give you the edge here!
I was quite happy with my Rescue Diver rating, until my daughter, who is now 11, passed her Junior Open Water last summer. I had a sensible parent-based revelation - I need to be the best buddy I can for my daughter, so more study and better skills is really a smart thing to do.
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Scubapro is offering a fantastic 100 off any Scubapro/Uwatec purchase over 599 (excludes any current package promotions). This massive saving could put higher-specification Scubapro gear within the budget of Diving Society members.
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Dive specialist tour operator Regaldive is offering Diving Society members a five per cent discount on diving holidays, and best of all, the saving can be used with certain other special offers. For example, booking a 1,000 trip to the Maldives would generate a saving of 50!
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Westfield Sub Aqua Marine Insurance Service Ltd are offering members a 15 per cent saving. For example, a joint annual husbandand-wife multi-trip package is normally 155. With the 15 per cent saving, this drops to 132 a saving of 23!
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Ursuit is a new name on the British diving scene, but a veteran in its native Fin;and, and it is now being brought to our shores by Portland-based Silent Planet. The company is offering an amazing 100 off any of its high-quality, well-equipped trilaminate and cordura drysuits.
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Divespecialist tour operator Longwood Holidays is offering members a five per cent discount on diving holidays to any of its featured destinations. For example, book a scuba-diving holiday to Sharm el Sheikh for 500 and you would save 25!
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Explorer Ventures is a liveaboard specialist running boats in the Caribbean, Maldives and the Galapagos. They have offered a fantastic US$150 on-board benefit to members taking a trip on one of their Caribbean itineraries, meaning you can spend this on nitrox, kit rental or even your bar bill!
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Terms & conditions: This is a UK offer only. Savings based on the cover price of 4.20 per issue. Overseas readers to subscribe, please call +44 (0)1858 438 840 or visit www.subscriptionsave.co.uk. Offer closes 22nd June 2011.
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Take the plunge into UK waters with this shallow dive site suitable for divers with all levels of experience
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Norfolk
The wrecks are covered in marine gorwth
amboyant nudibranchs such as the crystal sea slug and the colourful violet slug
he SS Rosalie was just one of the 206 ships sunk by Otto Steinbrinck, the most-celebrated U-boat commander of World War One. During what was an otherwise uneventful voyage from the Tyne to San Francisco, the crew of 17 were unaware that their ship was to become the U-boat commanders next victim. On the evening of 10 August 1915, as the ship neared Blakeney Buoy, German U-boat UB 10 fired a torpedo which hit the port side of the ship and then, amidst the commotion and under the cover of the sea, made good its escape. With the ship taking on water, the decision was made to beach the 120-metre-long vessel at Weybourne in the hope that the damage could be repaired. She now sits in approximately 8m of water just off the shingle beach. The SS Vera was on voyage from the Tyne to Italy with a cargo of coal, when on 15 November 1914 she collided with a Royal Navy minesweeper. Like the Rosalie, the quick-thinking crew were able to beach the vessel before she surrendered to the sea and she now sits in shallow water within easy reach of the shore. Although both ships were eventually sold for salvage, there is still plenty of wreckage for the diver to explore.
Dive briefing
It is possible to dive both the Rosalie and the Vera on the same day, albeit that you will have a six-hour surface interval between dives (see other activities). After deciding which wreck will be your second dive of the day, swim out and place a surface marker buoy on it. This will make it much easier to find when it is completely submerged at high tide. Both dives need to be carried out at slack tide, as otherwise the current is too strong. The centre of slack is approximately two hours after low or high tide at Cromer. Visibility is better at slack high tide, but the wrecks will be completely submerged, making them difficult to find unless
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you have buoyed them. If your first dive is to be the Rosalie, it is a bit of a hike to the entry point, somewhere between 450-500 metres, so best to take your kit to the waters edge in stages. You will then have a surface swim of around 180 metres before you reach the protruding wreckage and make your descent. If you decide to dive the Vera first, the walk to the entry point is around 200 metres and the surface swim out to the wreck is 120 metres, so you can kit up in the car park. Both dives are shallow, so a ten-litre tank will be sufficient for most people and easier to carry along the beach.
What will astound you as you navigate your way around the site is the sheer number of plumose anemones on this one wreck
The dive
On both wrecks you will descend on or around the engine blocks. If you are diving on the Rosalie, the engine block stands roughly eight metres proud of the seabed and is an ideal place for you to begin your exploration of the wreck. There are lots of nooks and crannies playing host to a multitude of creatures such as shrimps, velvet swimming crabs and pipefish. In the larger crevices, and hiding among the mangled metal, its possible that you will encounter more popular crustaceans such as lobster or edible crabs. You can, if you wish, stay really shallow in a depth of 5m and head towards the bow of the ship or you may want to follow the contour of the open hull and the prop shaft towards the stern of the vessel, which sits in a depth of no more than 10m at high tide. However, bear in mind this is a big wreck and the distance between the engine block and the stern is approximately 60 metres, so you may not get to see all of it on the one dive. What will astound you as you navigate your way around the site is the sheer number of plumose anemones on this one wreck. If you do manage to reach the stern section, its here where you will find flamboyant nudibranchs such as the crystal sea slug and the colourful violet slug. On both wrecks you will only get a maximum of an hour before the tide starts to run again, so when diving the Rosalie it may be best to be near the bow towards the end of the dive. On the Vera it may be best to finish near the port side ribs. This way you will only be a short distance from the shore. The wreck of the Vera is a very similar dive to that of the Rosalie, only smaller, closer to the shore and shallower. Sitting in a maximum depth of 8m at high tide you will again descend onto the engine block. Although scattered over a wide area, you will find that much of the wreck is lying parallel to the shore and, like the Rosalie, is smothered in plumose anemones. To reach certain sections of the wreck it is necessary for you to pass over barren areas of sand. It is these areas where, if you look closely, you will find small flatfish. I
OTHER ACTIVITIES
If you do decide to dive both wrecks on the same day you will have about a six-hour wait between tides. But dont worry, theres plenty for you to do to amuse yourself. Apart from enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants in the area, you may wish to visit the Muckleburgh tank museum, which sits opposite the wreck of the Rosalie. For a small fee, members of the public are able to visit this large private collection of memorabilia from the RAF, Royal Navy and Army. Along with walking around the museum and viewing the extensive collection of exhibits on display, you can take the controls of one of 120 tanks, driving across a three-mile course of rough terrain at a speed of 30mph.
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Weybourne
When to go
This site is best dived between the months of June and September, after which, the visibility will reduce dramatically.
Dive centres
For a list of dive centres in the area see page 136 or check out www.padi.com
PADI SPECIALTIES
The PADI Specialties I recommend for this dive are the PADI Videographer and Digital Underwater Photography Specialties. The marine life here will astound even the most-experienced UK diver. You can spend upwards of an hour exploring the wrecks, so the Drysuit Specialty will help to keep you warm during your dive. And finally, the PADI SMB Deployment Specialty. Other watersports enthusiasts use the same stretch of sea for fishing and boating, so its worth letting your surface support know your exact location at all times.
er most-experienced UK div
Expect to pay
An air fill for a 12-litre tank will cost you 4 and, if required, a full set of equipment (which includes the use of a drysuit) is 50.
Scorpionsh
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THE AUTHOR OF OUR STAR LETTER WILL WIN A 50 VOUCHER TO SPEND ON MIFLEX HOSES AND ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS
WRITE TO: Sport Diver, 3 The Courtyard, Denmark Street, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 2AZ OR EMAIL: [email protected]
PLEASE KEEP LETTERS SHORT, IDEALLY NO MORE THAN 200 WORDS, THANKYOU
For more info, or to view the full Miex range visit www.miexhoses.co.uk
CLOSURE CLARIFICATION
PHOTOGRAPH: AL HORNSBY
I was reading the Phuket article (it's where I've done 90 per cent of my dives) in the April issue, and was surprised to read that the islands of Phi Phi are off-limits as part of a government initiative. I've been in contact regularly recently with a dive centre on Phi Phi, as I'm planning to head back out in November to do my
Divemaster. I asked as to whether the islands are off-limits and they have said that only a small reef north of Phi Phi Don - Hin Klang - is off-limits, and that it was only used as a snorkelling site. Only been back for two months and I'm loving Sport Diver mag - keep up the great work. Paul Hauffe, by email
NB:Thanks for the clarification, Paul. When we compiled the article, depending on which website you looked at, or who you spoke to, the list of sites that are off-limits for several months differed.We went with the most-common sites, but divers should be aware that these may change.
MARS Refuel drink set up the MARS Refuel Drink Fund to encourage people to try new sports and play their favourite sport for longer.The fund, which launched on 2April 2011 and runs until 30 September 2011, has 5,000 to donate each month to the most-deserving applicants. Applications can be made online at www.marsrefuel.com offering support with anything from equipment and travel costs, to improving training grounds and club houses.The site will be regularly updated with the names of the people and clubs awarded each month. The fund is open to residents of, and clubs and organisations based in the UK and Republic of Ireland only.Applicants must be 12 years or over and only one application will be accepted per person, club or organisation.
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Happy as Larry!
For my 40th birthday my wonderful wife bought me a subscription to Sport Diver and promised a dive holiday of my choosing. I started looking at holidays before the first copy of the magazine arrived and I have to say I wasted a lot of time online.The array of features contained within your magazine is fantastic and while they offer us readers entertainment, they are also valuable in choosing where to dive next.The April issue was my first copy so I also had the Malta and Dominican Republic guides to peruse. Ive leafed through Mays mag and the Maldives are calling I think! That said, I think Ill wait until Ive read the June and July issues before I commit. Who knows what gems youll be throwing my way! Keep it up. Larry Green, via email
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Southeast Asia
Eastern promise
Southeast Asia offers some of the most-superlative diving in the world, and we present a round-up of the top dive destinations within this neck of the woods
Photographs by AL HORNSBY
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Southeast Asia
S
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outheast Asia is world-renowned as being a hotspot for scuba diving, boasting everything from weird-and-wonderful critters and stunning coral gardens to sheer walls, adrenaline-fuelled drifts and dramatic shipwrecks. With more flights than ever accessing this part of the planet, there has never been a better time to hop on a long-haul flight and sample some of the best Indo-Pacific diving you are ever going to experience. Over the following pages you will find a brief overview of several of the top destinations within this region, with information about some of the top dive sites you have to put on your must-dive list.
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T h e fa r e a s t i s our speciality
Dive into a tropical atmosphere at affordable prices; choose a resort holiday or a liveabord in some of the best far east destinations: Myanmar Malaysia - Indonesia - Philippines - Thailand.
Geo Dive Limited, 57/58 Church Street, Twickenham TW1 3NR Tel: 020 85383838 e-mail [email protected]
www.geo-dive.com
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Southeast Asia
Thailand
Thailand - or officially, the Kingdom of Thailand is a country located at the centre of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest. Thailand is blessed with gorgeous weather, fantastic beaches, and great diving just a few kilometres from an action-packed shoreline. Phuket, Khao Lak, Phi Phi Islands and Ao Nang Beach on Krabi are the best resort areas for a Thailand diving holiday, offering plenty for non-divers to do as well. Phuket is best placed to serve the whole region, and is particularly popular with party-goers, while Khao Lak is ideally placed to focus on the northern Thai Andaman Sea. Ao Nang is set on the peaceful and spectacularly beautiful Krabi coastline across Phang Nga Bay, and Phi Phi's magic draws sunseekers and travellers for the beaches and a slice of island-life. The Bidah Island are suitable for all levels of experience. Schools of fish hang out in the blue and also cover the beautiful reefs, ranging from giant barracuda to trevally to yellow snapper. Reef sharks, leopard sharks, stingrays, moray, seahorse, ghost pipefish and so much more. Shark Point, near Phuket is actually three pinnacles, two of which are submerged, and they all boast beautiful corals covering the entire reef and a very diverse marine life. This dive site is great for both experienced and new divers, and photographers will love it. Eagle rays and whalesharks have been spotted here from time to time and leopard sharks are a common sight. If you are lucky you can spend your safety stop with them swimming around you! Anemone Reef is a huge limestone pinnacle that rises 30m up from the seafloor to just beneath the surface. This barely submerged reef is a well-known shipping hazard and is located less than a mile north of Shark Point. Vast swathes of
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Southeast Asia
anemones cling to every conceivable surface and as they move with the current, it creates an illusion that the entire structure is one giant living rock. The pinnacle is always surrounded by enormous schools of tropical fish, snapper and grouper, plus the odd pelagic like tuna and barracuda. The area gained a decent wreck dive on 4 May 1997 when the 85-metre passenger ferry King Cruiser strayed off course while enroute to the Phi-Phi Islands and hit Anemone Reef. This unplanned addition to Anemone Reef rapidly became one of the areas most-popular dive sites. Sat in a depth of 30m, and rising in places to 12m, the King Cruiser offers multiple decks to explore, and is smothered in marine growth, as well as many scorpionfish and lionfish. One of the biggest draw-cards in Thailand are the liveaboards cruising around world-class dive sites in the Similans, Burma and Hin Daeng. The picturesque Similan Islands are the most-popular destination, with superb underwater scenery and excellent visibility in its aquamarine waters. Huge deep water boulder formations create daring swim-throughs, as well as providing dramatic back-drops to its vibrant coral gardens and reef slopes. You can dive here by liveaboard or diving day tours. The world-famous Richelieu Rock is perhaps Thailand's most well-known site, and it is known as a place to dive with whalesharks. Jacques-Yves Cousteau listed the site in his top ten list of the worlds best dives. Koh Bon and Koh Tachai are great for manta rays and whitetip reef shark encounters. Hin Daeng off Hin Muang is your best chance to see grey reef sharks, patrolling the walls. Besides that, it's also the second home in the Andaman Sea for whalesharks and mantas. Dive Hin Daeng and you'll experience the excitement of diving Thailand's highest vertical wall. Nearby caves and caverns add to the thrill of adventure. Koh Samui is the ideal base for exploring the dive sites on the Gulf of Thailand. The diving may not be quite as varied as Phuket and the Similan Islands, but there are some very good dive sites around Samui and Koh Tao which can be combined with a stay at one of Samui's excellent resorts. You can dive Thailand all year round. The best conditions exist from November to April, with whalesharks visiting from February to May, and manta rays all year round. Late May to October brings monsoon winds and surface swells to the Andaman Sea, making some remote sites, such as Richelieu Rock and Hin Daeng, inaccessible and reducing visibility in general by about 30 per cent at the open dive sites. October can also see heavy rains in the Andaman Sea.
Anemonesh
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F DIVING WITH
MALDIVES INDONESIA EGYPT THAILAND SPAIN OMAN MAURITIUS
DS RIEN
D I V I N G
C E N T E R S
. . . T H E J OY O F D I V I N G
NITROX FOR FREE IN ALL DIVING CENTERS
MALDIVES
MY Sheena
Legendary diving expeditions to the southern atolls. These tours offers the opportunity to dive untouched reefs and channels in the Meemu-, Laamu- and Thaa Atoll. There are also whale shark tours to the South Ari Atoll and hammerhead shark tours to the Felidhoo Atoll. Group and full charter tours are available upon request as well as 2 week tours. Absolutely delicious food! Tours starts every week from Medhufushi
Sharm El Sheikh: Dive the world class reefs of the Sinai from all hotels Marsa Alam, The Oasis: Charming divers hotel with a house reef
BALI / INDONESIA
Siddhartha Dive Resort & Spa, Kubu/Tulamben: Affordable luxury in prime location, stunning house reef, only 3 min. to reach Liberty wreck Alam Anda Dive & Spa Resort, Sambirenteng/Tulamben: Cult divers hotel with large SPA, superb housereef and further top spots close by Matahari Beach Resort & Spa, Pemuteran/Menjangan: Exclusive hotel, member of R&C with an exquisite cuisine and award-winning spa Pondok Sari Beach & Spa Resort, Pemuteran/Menjangan: Best divers hotel in the northwest, world wide largest project to breed coral
Offered by: Aquatours Barefoot Travelers Cosmos Dive Worldwide Exclusive Retreats Harlequin H2O Active Travel Hayes & Jarvis Kuoni Maldives Scuba Tours Regaldive Snooba Sunbreak Holidays Thomas Cook and many more ...
www.wernerlau.net
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia
Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy that consists of 13 states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres. It is separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (also known as West and East Malaysia respectively). Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei, and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. Peninsular Malaysia is connected to Singapore via two bridges, one which transports traffic and water and a second link just for traffic. Malaysia plays host to an amazingly diverse range of scuba destinations teeming with marine life. From diving on sheer walls and in the company of more turtles than you can imagine in Sipadan to the pristine coral atoll and hammerhead sharks in Layang Layang. You can find migrating whalesharks around Lankayan and macro diving in Mabul and Kapalai islands, to name just a few of the spectacular opportunities available. Mataking Island, located fairly close to Sipadan, is becoming a new diving hotspot, and with 25 great dive sites all less than 15 minutes away, there is something for everyones taste. A staff favourite is the Turtle Playground, a drift dive on a sloping reef wall from 5m-60m plus that puts you face to face with both green and hawksbill turtles. As you can see, most of the Malaysian dive resorts are situated on the islands of Sabah, which are fringed with epic sand beaches and coconut trees - a beautiful setting to complement the excellent diving. The Scuba Junkie House Reef off Mabul Island ranges in depth from 2-20m, yet it is arguably Mabuls best dive site. There are so many unusual critters here, even the most-experienced of divers will be amazed. It is common to see rhinopia, mandarinfish, wonderpus, frogfish and seahorses on most dives. However, don't be surprised to see a manta or an eagle ray swimming over your dive buddys bubbles! Third Beach, off Si Amil Island, Sabah, has only recently been discovered and is already becoming a world-renowned dive site. At Third Beach you start the dive at the top of a pristine coral reef that slopes from 5-30m, and here you will see pristine soft and hard coral and lots of whip coral with xeno crabs. Among the coral it is a macro heaven, with weedy rhinopia, Ambon scorpionfish, thorny seahorse and flamboyant cuttlefish seen most of the time. At 30m you hit a sandy slope that is often visited by devil rays. Manta Point, on the Borneo Barrier Reef, Sabah, is the point where the continental shelf starts and is just a stones throw from Sipadan. The dive starts in a shallow sloping coral reef full of unusual critters, then from around 15-30m there is a sandy sloping reef that attracts many different species of rays. At 30m you hit another reef and some interesting overhangs that disappear into the blue. Venture into the blue yourself and don't be surprised to be met by large pelagics such as sharks, tuna and large manta rays.
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Southeast Asia
The Philippines
The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is located in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from the other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorised broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. There are diving opportunities throughout the Philippines, from quiet spots like Cabilao and Anilao to tourist hotspots like Boracay, Puerto Galera and Alona Beach, not to mention the world-class sites off Dumaguete, Moalboal, the whalesharks of Donsol and the World War Two shipwrecks of Coron Bay and Subic Bay. One of Balicasag Islands best dives is the Black Forest, which ranges from 10m-40m. This is one of the only places you can find black coral at a shallow 30m. An enormous variety of trevally, barracuda, grouper and sweetlips swarm around this site, and you can see why it is one of the top dive sites in the Philippines. The surface interval is even better - just sit back and watch as turtle after turtle pop their heads up to take a look at you! Wall Street, in Tubbataha, drops to 100m, and with huge barrel sponges, gorgonians galore, whitetips cruising, nurse sharks sleeping and mantas barrel rolling, this is a fantastic dive. Slow down for the critters on the wall, dont just look for the big stuff in the blue. Some 45 minutes from Puerto Galera, you have Verde Island, which has depths ranging from just a few metres to over 150m. The tip of this underwater mountain protrudes a metre or so above the ocean surface. Hiding below is a spectacular wall dive. Thousands upon thousands of blue triggerfish, interspersed with sweetlips, big-eye trevally, golden trevally, fusiliers and anthias, provide a riot of colour. Miss this and you wont forgive yourself! Off Malapascua, Monad Shoal is an underwater island on the edge of a 200m drop-off, and the Shark Point site is famous as the only place in the world where the magnificent thresher sharks can be seen everyday. Giant manta rays are a common sight year round and the shoal attracts other pelagics, such as devil rays and hammerheads. The Dona Marilyn wreck is said to be one of the best wrecks in the Central Philippines. It was a Cebu-Manila passenger ferry that sank in a typhoon over 20 years ago. It lies intact on its starboard side in 32m and is around 100 metres long. It is covered in plentiful soft coral and abundant marine life. The Dona is usually dived on a day trip combined with nearby Gato Island, one of Malapascuas best dive sites. It has at least five dive sites with a huge diversity of marine life: huge whitetip sharks, sea snakes, cuttlefish (often while mating), pygmy and larger seahorses, nudibranchs, frogfish, scorpionfish, porcupinefish, and smashing mantis shrimp. The coral is in good condition and the rocky island has many interesting underwater rock formations, including a 30-metre tunnel under the island, which is cool for the suitably experienced.
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is the worlds largest archipelago and comprises a staggering 17,508 islands and 33 provinces. The vast country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Other neighbouring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia is home to ten to 15 per cent of the worlds coral reefs, so as you can imagine it has some of the most-impressive diving sites imaginable. About 4,000 different species of fish are found in Indonesian waters (that is over 25 per cent of the planet's fish species), as well as numerous invertebrates. Given the enormous size of the country, as you can imagine, there are dive destinations throughout the islands. Liveaboards can take you through the Banda Sea rapidly gaining a reputation for great diving to the critters of Ambon and to Komodo, world-famous for its dragons, but also a fantastic location to dive. Diving from a boat is also the best way to access Raja Ampat, widely regarded by many as the best diving area in the whole of Southeast Asia. But you dont have to earn your sea legs to see the best of Indonesia, there are many land-based resorts offering fantastic diving just minutes from their dock. North Sulawesi is home to two very different, but equally intoxicating, diving areas the Bunaken Marine Park and the Lembeh Strait. Bunaken offers sheer walls, fast drifts and encounters with sea snakes, sharks and rays, while Lembeh is the birthplace of muck diving and the habitat of all sorts of weird and wonderful critters. Then you have Bali, which boasts a world-class wreck in the shape of the Liberty, off Tulamben, as well as the chance to dive with mola mola and manta rays.
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ince this Diving Doctor is also an anaesthetist, and I have just had a general anaesthetic for a knee operation, rebreathers have been on my mind. Why? Because there are many similarities between an anaesthetic machine and a rebreather. At first this may seem surprising, but actually both are used to supply life-sustaining gases to make the impossible, possible. The essence of anaesthetics is to provide a comfortable, safe environment for the patient and involves lots of monitoring of physiology and physics. If a general anaesthetic is required, an anaesthetic machine is used to supply a mixture of gases that will certainly include oxygen, but may also include air, nitrous oxide or an anaesthetic vapour. The inspired and expired partial pressures of all these gases are monitored continuously and, in order to conserve heat, moisture and gases, semi-closed or closed-circle systems are used, along with regulators, one-way valves, a ventilator and soda lime (scrubber). The primary concerns of rebreathers and anaesthetic machines include providing sufficient oxygen and ensuring carbon dioxide clearance. A lack of oxygen can be quickly fatal and increased carbon dioxide levels increase the respiratory rate and the work of breathing. This wastes gas and may be a cause of headaches and nausea after diving. Therefore safety, accurate monitoring and delivery of gases
and vapours are a cornerstone of anaesthetics and rebreather diving. We use helium in anaesthetics to help gases flow round upper airway obstructions as its low density makes turbulent flow occur deeper in the airways, thereby reducing resistance to breathing. This change in flow dynamics is the cause of the voice change. Interestingly, nitrogen works as an anaesthetic at partial pressures over 1 atmosphere. Hence we get nitrogen narcosis and it is useful in preventing the seizures associated with high-pressure neurological syndrome at depths over 100m. On the other hand, rebreathers are not like anaesthetic machines in a few respects. Anaesthetic machines are clearly not watertight, are designed to accurately supply anaesthetic gases and no less than 21 per cent oxygen at atmospheric pressure. Gases are usually all supplied from a common gas outlet from an anaesthetic machine, so there are no different sources of breathing gas and diluent. However, rebreathers sometimes need to accurately provide less than 21 per cent oxygen. This is because the partial pressure of oxygen must be kept at a maximum of 1.4 atmospheres absolute at all depths to prevent oxygen toxicity. Hence oxygen is supplied separately so that its supply can be accurately altered as required. Dont forget 21 per cent oxygen at 1 atmosphere absolute gives a
partial pressure of 0.21 atmospheres absolute; but at 10m, or 2 atmospheres absolute, 21 per cent oxygen gives a partial pressure of oxygen of 0.42 atmospheres absolute. Therefore at 100m, or 11 atmospheres absolute, 4 per cent oxygen will give a partial pressure of oxygen of 0.44 atmospheres absolute and plenty to breathe. But similarly, a tiny partial pressure of CO2 in a cylinder at the surface can be fatal if the same cylinder is used at 11 times surface pressure. So as you can see, rebreather diving is a bit like strapping an anaesthetic machine on your back and jumping in the water, but thankfully there are some significant differences. I
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Simple schematic of an anaethetic machine. Pictures for comparison, kindly supplied by Wikipedia
Yourquestions
Dr Oliver Sykes tackles questions revolving around the subject of closed-circuit rebreathers, which are soon to enter the recreational market
ANSWERED
one-way valves are not shown but would be on the inspiratory and expiratory limbs of the breathing circuit. The regulators are also not shown, but there are at least two and can be placed anywhere between the high-pressure gas supply and the patient breathing system. The ventilator provides positive pressure and is not a passive recepticle like the counter lung. Therefore, it is more complex and, through a system of valves, the ventilator is actually in the circle for part of the breathing cycle, as gases are vented through the ventilator.
Whats in a name?
Q Why are rebreathers called rebreathers? :: A: Simply because the gases used are recycled and rebreathed. Therefore a rebreather requires soda lime to remove (scrub) carbon dioxide. This is the one difference that sets all rebreathers apart from traditional scuba equipment. While overall rebreathers can differ in many respects, and the terminology can be confusing, avoiding terms such as semi-open and semi-closed may be a good idea as these mean different things to different people. However, we all agree that traditional scuba equipment is open circuit, as no gases are rebreathed and no soda lime is used.
Training to be an anaesthetist
Q How long does it train to be an anaesthetist? :: A: In the UK, as with our divers, training is some of the longest in the world. A total of 14 years is probably the minimum time to complete training in anaesthesia to consultant level. However, some of us take even longer.
Divers Emergency Service UK, London Hyperbaric Medicine Whipps Cross University Hospital Tel (Enquiries): 020 8539 1222 Emergencies: 07 999 292 999 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diversemergencyservice.co.uk and www.londonhyperbaric.com
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Fish soup
Shooting mass groups of frenetic fish is not easy, but if you are in the right place at the right time, it can all turn out okay, as Martin discovered
Photographs by MARTIN EDGE
I just love to shoot loads of fish! You know, all milling around and in your face - Susan White, who recently spent the day with me improving her underwater photography. It was one particular idea she was trying to tackle without much success at all. Fish, and loads of them - and I knew exactly what she meant! I needed a steer to ascertain the precise kind of shot she was after, so from my laptop, I showed her schooling jacks from Bali and Malaysia. No, not that type, I shoot schooling fish okay. I showed her my yellowtail snapper from the Red Sea. No, theyre kinda like schools. I went through a dozen fish pictures, but none seemed to hit the spot. What about this set from Raja Ampat? An instantaneous Wow, fish soup, thats the shot Im after but it never seems to happen when Im there. Understanding exactly what she meant, I now knew what she was after. Her first remark was most relevant: All milling around and in your face. Every diver who has ever taken a camera underwater has, at some time, taken the fish shot. We see fish the majority of times we dive. They can be in our face and, more often than not, completely at ease with our presence. We have a wide lens fitted, which allows us to fill the frame for maximum effect. Many will have an external flashgun to bring out their colours. Were in shallow water which allows us plenty of bottom time. So, what can go wrong? Shouldnt this be a real easy shot to bag? In my experience, no, its not easy and it never will be. The reason why this type of shot rarely ever lives up to expectations is because these fish opportunities are all to often a tad too far away from our camera lens. Fish have comfort zones and as manic, frantic and chaotic as they are, they will always keep their distance. More often than not, this distance usually results in fish action just a little too far from the lens to capture the excitement we envisaged. This months shot works because these fish have become accustomed to being fed at a certain time of day and their desire to feed overrides the fear of divers. How that shot was taken At 4.30pm each afternoon, kitchen staff from the Misool Eco Resort, Raja Ampat, Indonesia are in the habit of pouring fish-gut food waste into the sea. Over time, the fish have become accustomed to this. I first witnessed this by accident when instead of taking the 4pm boat dive, I opted for a wide-angle photo-dive beneath the house pier. Id dived the pier many times before and I knew what to expect but on this occasion I became aware of extreme and frenzied fish activity beside the pier at no more than 1m deep. I popped my head out of the water and was advised to move to one side to avoid the impending melee. I sank back down,
quickly set my aperture to f11 and shutter speed to 125th second. Moments later the fish went berserk, their lunch had been served directly in front of my face. I was in engulfed within this feeding frenzy and I knew I would finally achieve the elusive fish soup picture. The following day I organised the fish feed to coincide with a group photo dive beneath the pier. The best camera position was at 1m deep, just inside the pier, shooting out into blue water. The bonus was a black vignette effect around the picture frame due to the shadow detail beneath the pier. This successful opportunity had nothing to do with equipment, or camera settings. There was little control over composition. It was made possible simply by the close proximity of the fish action. I
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The Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society is a non-prot, educational organisation whose mission is to promote educational activities associated with the underwater world. It has offered scholarships for more than 35 years. owuscholarship.org
e Erin McFadden is th ater erw 2011 Our World-Und ves gi Scholar, and here she r he a brief introduction to life so far
den Text by Erin McFad
Scottish Scholar
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f ai i gt ei p r a c e lsn h m o t n eo u i ghg c o la dr d rn i hs h o n o pe e y c m l t dm rp t e a hI i i gt yc o e a e dvn om h s nc r hlyN r hS aa ec il o t e t e a e o r ei h p nW t rc u s nt A IO PD h g f1 . t ea eo 7 ai e a k do b r e nam rn e st a e rl t rI m L s h nay a a e e n ot eB h m s u i g nt h a a a .D r o s r a i ne p dto c n e v to x e i i D AI i nI an dm to g i e yP h o r eo h x e i t ec u s ft ee p d v sd a eu e a i na dsn et e h c to n i c h nI i e a t rq ai i Dv m s e u lf anm r og i o e nv r i yt mu i e st v r u m rb e kf o e e ys m e r a r sa y da c .Ih v e ne po e n e a eb e m l i i ge p re dvn x e i n i a n ae a zb ra dh v n r sa dZ i e a t ri o hC p u Dv m s e nb t y hA rc n t f i aa d St Andrews, e e n e n hp nS u l t di t r s i si o l oc m as o p ov di i n e i g v l e npo e rn New York and si a n o a bq e h r w M z m i u ,w e eI Sulawesi, yr s a c . a ee r h at m n ar Indonesia e ro a i eboo y ly a fam rn i l g m u r n l nm i a Ia c r e tyi yfn tA d e s no y fS n r w .Ie j ym e r ea h nv r i yo d g e tt eU i e st ov l yn o k yf r v l epa i gh c e o u ys m s e s hc n b s e e t r ,w i hi ta h e n st en w nae e le g g m e e m n o kn sa k yt a a dw r i ga S- n yfr to fca U a dm i s f i i h nv r i yfedh c t eU i e st i l o e hr ekn n lW e e di nu SA n a fc u s !S o ti n t ,o o r e p r sa o c oa o h W S S h l r-f rt eO U at e s- n t d i g w i r s a ds u yn n i gb t i g ,t ew e e d u nn o h hn s h e k n h rt te mn n m i ga dr e o k m n a yo N wY r .A o gm n fm a so s i hs i o yp s i n ,wt w fca w r f i i la a d oe a c i tn ;t eo r fm i e a to ylf . R l xw t hft i g h n ov da i v le en a g b i gal r ep u ;a db i ggv na l b n en i e i n e od t a e re c st a eh v i n ra h x l r r dn e tt eE po e sC ys u i sa ddv x e M t de n i ee p d n a r m lm u e rf o Oy p sa ag ed lc t n rc c f t h ei a ei t i a yo o r fe c le tc m r h a do x el n a e lo e et p r ca et al w dm oa p e i l s a h l a u eo l oh dt epe s r f r san e o l b ly e h ei e df rgo a a e yg a r m A .Ia s f t e rf o D N h e n e o ns t es aa dIr c g i et y uc t o re l o i gs ce r ec mn o i o s r a i na dr s ec n e v to n e e tn u b ro e yw m e i gan m e fv f e tv n u t i a l e f c i ea ds s an b pa e uo e n iv a yo h r vo sE r ob e eo e .Ib le st ed v l p d e sm n ft ep e i u e b r sw l m m e sa ela a a e e tm a u e mngmn es r c oa tm t l l i a ey gS h l r eyo t on v l ug i m u iy n o m nt ,a du c oa s n l dn h o s h l r ,i cu i gt el d c tn h i e i ec e u a i gt ewd rdv s ue es r s eI e n n m ti d rt n r a es ca r e et a k ot v r o r e oi c e s o i lp c r h n sg oe e y n rd ysn I g i .M i h i e o l ,i t ewd rw rd no st . r sa et e o iy u e r ob ee dg n r c i em a f e tv e s Yf rt erkn n s n N o h i i d e sa ilb u d m n a fe f wl ef n a e t li na ds r eo hs o n o u s ft i sb c om i s r a i t o u e .O e h o ti a kt yds e t t n r d c d v rt ec o o F rn wi c e t da di a c pe n dfn u h t n u e ilh v o n i do tw a e t r swl a et v d ei s e s s u sa e o n i gm e i ea r c u tn yn wdv e rI i oe po et e y a amt x l r h ilgv o e .Ia l o ,Iwl i ey ua h m mas tln x o t .F rn w n i e tm n h o o ea nt r so a ki gt r ti e m ft c ln atu wi t g ea s a ew il na r a f klsi na r yo i gs rn i tei sg ti t e lt l n i h n om o kn o w r oa q i l o i gf r a dt c u eS o ts o s a a eyg t i gt h h c t i hc a t l tm t l e tn ot e a o na dr i e nt a e i cpi e n l i Iw sb r n as di w t rds i ln sa du ne udr es aa h e l a sf u dt eaw y o n e w t rw rd d r ae ol . o no u b ra dh v t w fD n a n a e r ft edvn n n h a to h i i ga du rt is to n o t n m n .If a i na dc n e t e t o r eo a cn s u c ff s i fm rn i l g do a i eboo y t r e op r u h i l s a t dt u s et efe
WHERE AM I?
Erin
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Point of view
Cameras Underwater photo pro Paul Duxy Duxeld gives his expert opinion
As soon as I saw this shot from Michael it made me realise how certain lighting trends from the world of photography at large can influence us underwater shooters. Perfectly balanced side/side lighting as seen in this extremely dramatic shot of - and if the truth be known, a relatively benign creature as most divers realise, but maybe not so to non-divers - moray eel, is a lighting technique pretty much in vogue these days for cool shots of sportsmen and young actors. Whether or not Michael consciously invoked this lighting method, which casts a dark band down the middle of the face by placing the lights relatively side on to the subject, or was subconsciously tapping into the zeitgeist, only he knows. Whatever his intentions, this is an undeniably dramatic picture of this oft-photographed creature, and elevates it above the norm. Keeping a perfect symmetrical composition has also ramped up the impact of this shot and placing the eyes and lower jaw on the top and bottom thirds presses all the classical compositional buttons. Sometimes, it really pays off to stay with a subject, especially ones not easily spooked like this, and you can then try out lighting positions, which you can draw on in the future as the situation arises. Top notch, well done.
Europes premier underwater photographic supplier, where diving meets photography. Specialist equipment for scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, skiing, water sports, hiking and all wet and demanding conditions.
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Malaysia
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One of Sipadans other favourite dives isThe Drop-off,the rst dive discovered when the island was initially explored by divers
lie back at the bow of our dive boat, eyes closed, warmed by the tropical sun. As we skim across the flat, smooth water, my mind begins to spin a dive fantasy theres a small, remote island topped with rich jungle, suspended alone between the blues of sea and sky. The islands white-sand beach, directly ahead, is bordered by the clear, cobalt water of a drop-off, all along the islands front and to one side. In the other direction, the reef-line extends outward, enclosing an area of the bright, turquoise waters of coral-filled shallows. Turtles poke their heads up from the surface, here, and there, another. The water glistens with the bright colours of many-hued reef fish, swirling across the drop-off edge; a bit further, the sea ripples, disturbed by a gigantic school of trevally that forms a silvery, ball-shaped mass moving slowly along the
border between the shallows and the deep As the boat suddenly slows, I look up, and my dive fantasy comes to life - we have arrived at Sipadan. The tiny island is a rarity, a place where nature has conspired to create something truly unique. Though located not far from the huge, shallow shelf of seafloor that extends out from the northeastern coast of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah, Sipadan is actually a true oceanic island, the top of an ancient volcano that rises straight up from nearly 600m of water in the northern Sulawesi Sea. It has been described in the most-superlative tones; even Jacques Cousteau felt it was perhaps the most-unique dive spot on earth. Its location in the centre of where marine life first developed in the sea has given it a degree of bio-diversity unsurpassed anywhere. And, with
its combination of deep ocean and shallow coral shelf influences, the range of life that can be seen by divers is amazing - large pelagics and exotic small critters are found on virtually every dive, regardless of the dive site chosen. When dives around Mabul (the nearby resort island for diving Sipadan) - one of macro-critter divings most-celebrated locations - are added, the total dive experience is nothing short of remarkable. Despite all of this, perhaps the most-profound aspect of visiting Sipadan is its essence, a feeling of being far away in a natural place, a place that remains as it was born from the sea. From the moment you reach this beautiful spot, the rest of the world seems to disappear and be forgotten. There is a stillness, a quiet solitude that is pervasive and calming to the spirit. The sounds are those of a pristine world; the
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soft lapping of the ocean against the shore, the cooing of doves in the forest and the rustle of the sea breeze through the overhanging trees. And its ocean environment has a pristine richness that can scarcely be imagined. Even getting there lets you know you are in for something special. There is an aeroplane ride to the small city of Tawau, Malaysia. Then, all seamlessly arranged by your resort, theres a 45-minute tour by bus across rolling hills of jungle and palm plantations to Semporna. From there, theres another 45 minutes by speed boat to Mabul. Sipadan itself sits as a small, forested hump on the horizon, less than 30 minutes away. Designated as a national park in 2004, the island has a small dock and visitor beach area, which also contains small administrative and dormitory facilities for park and security personnel. The rest of the island has been left to nature, with resident birds, monitor lizards and nesting turtles. Access to Sipadan is carefully controlled, with a limit on the number of divers and boats maintained through a permit system. A dive week will typically include several four-dive days around Sipadan and the remainder around Mabul. A typical day on Sipadan begins early, with breakfast at your resort on Mabul. Boats head to Sipadan typically between 7-8am. Some groups like to leave even earlier to catch a dawn dive, and the resorts are generally very accommodating. After a quick check-in at the parks jetty office, the morning dive immediately commences, followed by a brief trip back to the beach for post-dive snacks (having snacks in Malaysian terms basically means eating small, delicious meals all day long) and some surface interval before another boat dive around 10.30am. Then, theres lunch and a dive around 1.15pm, followed by snacks and a dive around 3pm before heading back to Mabul. And, if you wish, the Mabul resorts are blessed with wonderful house reefs off their jetties, for at will night dives to see surprising collections of macro-critters.
Seahorse
a wall Especially dramatic when the current is running,Hanging Gardens is drift dive that starts just a few minutes boat ride to the west of the jetty
Sipadans dives Sipadans morning dive is usually reserved for Barracuda Point, less than five minutes away from the park jetty by boat. Regarded as Sipadans signature adrenaline dive, it begins with a ride on the current toward the eastern tip of the reef-line along the steep wall. There are many turtles, schools of spadefish, and Sipadans massive school of some 200 bumphead parrotfish is
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usually seen grazing on coral along the reef top. A huge school of bigeye trevally will be found as well, and where the wall flattens out as the reef turns to the south, a large, resident school of blackfin barracuda moves about in shifting, swirling conflagrations. For photographers, it is the best spot Ive ever found for capturing those unique shots of circling, schooling fish. Grey reef sharks and whitetip sharks are also seen in large numbers and, in recent times, a large great hammerhead makes a brief appearance almost every day. As a very special addition to this area of bigs, on the bottom of Barracuda Points channel there is a small, resident dragon sea moth, a rare and unusual creature the best Divemasters can find. One of Sipadans other finest dives is The Drop-off, the first dive discovered when the island was initially explored by divers. The spot is a steep wall, just a few metres off the sand at its closest point, which runs in front of the parks jetty and beach. Its top is covered with vibrant corals and the area is frequented by Napolean wrasse, sweetlips, coral grouper, whitetip sharks and many resting green turtles. Down the steep face, there are numerous anemones with various species of anemonefish and porcelain crabs, and beneath a large overhang at 15m there is a pair of resident ornate ghost pipefish. For experienced divers, a unique feature of the Drop-off is found at 15m just out from the jetty - a large overhang opens into Turtle Caverns, a cave system that extends for 60 metres back into the island. Of special interest is the strange sight of the skeletal remains of turtles that became lost in the caves and drowned. In the back reaches of the system, there are lovely stalactites and stalagmites, from a time when the caves were above the
Angelsh
waterline, and these are a truly amazing sight in your torch beams. Especially dramatic when the current is running, Hanging Gardens is a wall drift dive that starts just a few minutes boat ride to the west of the jetty. It gets its name from the huge gorgonians and soft corals that grow along the sheer face of the drop. There are many turtles, which can often be seen perched on the gorgonians and black coral bushes. Pelagics will be frequently seen here, especially dog-tooth tuna; there are also many grey reef and whitetip reef sharks. Schools of fusiliers, unicornfish and spadefish will be found as well. To the south, on the walls top, is Sipadans most-beautiful congregation of hard corals, which grow in brilliant profusion for several kilometres along the curving reefline. With some careful searching, leaf scorpionfish of several different colours can be found here.
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Sipadan, Malaysia
Sipadan
When to go
Year-round, with the calmest, driest conditions from April to December.
a, Mabul, as a famous muck diving are would be considered a must-visit destination point for Sipadan even if it werent the jumping-off
Mabuls diving Mabul, as a famous muck diving area, would be considered a must-visit destination even if it werent the jumping-off point for Sipadan. Perched on a large coral and sand plain with a wall on its west side, the small islands diving is exotic-critter intensive. The number and variety of interesting species is truly remarkable, all found in shallow water, with most dives less than 20m in depth. The resorts house reefs (which generally allow jetty walk-in diving, as much and whenever you choose), are along a shallow coral embankment sloping down to a sand bottom. There are many lionfish of different species, cuttlefish, mandarinfish, schools of barbed catfish, spadefish, blue-spotted stingrays, pipefish, seahorses, morays, several species of squid, turtles and much more, all congregated in very small areas (as I write this, I realise I saw all of these on one 45-minute dive). By boat, with all sites reachable within a few minutes, are spots like Lobster Wall, a coral wall that is known for pygmy seahorses, frogfish, anemonefish and leaf scorpionfish. Around the Seaventures Oil Platform there is an astounding collection of life, with lionfish, ribbon eels, leaf scorpionfish, ghost pipefish and several species of seahorses and pygmy seahorses. Eel Garden, off Mabuls northern tip, has garden eels, cuttlefish, giant frogfish, and in the sandy shallows, incredible peacock mantis shrimps. With all my diving at Sipadan and Mabul over the years, Im always still surprised and amazed each trip. There is so much to see in such a small area; so much that can be experienced in such a brief period of time. I always leave with a sense of discovery of some rare, shy creature I had never found before; with a sense of lingering, electric thrill from some big animal encounter that had set my imagination on fire; with a sense of having seen nature in its finest, most-precious splendour; and promising myself that soon, once again, Ill return. Al was assisted on his expedition by Borneo Divers Mabul Dive Resort. Tour operators Aquatours Crusader Travel Dive Worldwide Divequest Regaldive
Entry requirements
A valid passport with six months before expiry is all that is needed by citizens of most countries for tourism visits.
Currency
The Malaysian Ringitt (1 = MTR4.95).
Where to eat
The restaurants in all the resorts on Mabul serve a delicious selection of food.
Where to meet
The bar in Mabul Dive Resort is a great place to relax after a hard day of diving.
Truly one of the worlds great dive and dive holiday destinations.
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Q&A
Q A Q A Q A Q A
Q
How would you describe your team at your dive centre in no more than 15 words? Id trust them with my wallet and my life so can you. Theyre great! What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? This would have to be Rob aka Zippy forgetting to get your dry-suit done up once is bad enough but twice he still hasnt lived it down! Thats just plain ******
What is your favourite place to dive in the UK? Our own backyard in the sea (we dont do quarrys!) The Scilly Isles is a close 2nd! Scapa Flow was pretty unique too!
A Q A Q A Q A
Who's the worst air-guzzler in the team? Hard to say really theyre all pretty good, but occasionally there is an over full cylinder on the truck!
Q A Q A
If you could teach a celebrity to dive, who would it be and why? Any, they all look the same underwater. The England rugby team would be welcome though. What's been the biggest fear factor in your diving career to date? Looking at a pile of 750+ cylinders at the start of the Fillathon session on the Saturday evening at Divefest 2010. They all had to be ready by 0800 Sunday morning - & they were! Get in!!
What is your favourite place abroad to dive? Plymouth it is across the water! The Red Sea & Gozo have to be favourites for a club trip, but anywhere warm & tropical generally hits the spot.
Who's the biggest wimp out of the lot of you, and give a recent example? Rob he gets out sulking & soaking every time he forgets to do his zip up! Even his teddy bear got wet! Who attracts the most attention, bad or good? Rob hes an easy target.
If you could change one thing about diving, what would it be?
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Training facilities
7.5m rib OCEAN PRO 1, 3 Landrovers, 30 sets of school kit, 80 cylinders, mu ltimedia classroom, wet room, our own house reef, wrecks on our door step, up-to-date & dedicated pro fessional instructors, dive dog!
From the Scilly Isles to Sca pa Flow we get around! Wrecks or reefs well dive it! Theres such a diverse bunch of dive rs that even if the vis is not so good, the trip is alw ays good fun! The Red Sea Gozo Flor ida & the Caribbean Thailand Sipidan
FACT FILE
Sal Diving Company
The Old Pumphouse, Pentewan, St Austell, Cornwall. PL26 6BU Tel: : 01726 844640 Email: [email protected] Web: www.saldivingcompany.com
Gas mixes
232 & 300 barAir & Nitrox to 50%.
Shop
Oceanic,Aqualung,Apex, Suunto, Cressi, Sherwood, Hollis,Aeris, Ocean Reef, Sea and Sea, 4th Element,Weezle & lots more!
Servicing
Sal (Bob to his mates) can fix anything If youve dropped it, lost it, fouled it, sunk it or broken it, call us we can do it all! Cylinder testing too.
Courses available
Bubblemaker to Instructor, Seal Team included, EFR & EFRI, FAW, TEC 40, Distinctive Hard Hat Specialty.
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Florida
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Florida
ucked away on the north-western gulf coast of Florida's panhandle is the small town of Crystal River. This is the northernmost winter home of an endangered aquatic mammal called the Florida manatee. The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee and is a slow-moving, gentle herbivore that can weigh in at 550kg and reach four metres in length. These sea cows can travel up to 50 miles per day to find vegetation and shelter. They are related to the dugong that can, occasionally, be seen in the Red Sea and are believed to have evolved over 50 million years ago. They move around slowly in shallow water and at speeds of around 5kph but can, in short bursts, move at 30kph. Because there are spring waters rising from underground both here, and seven miles south at Homosassa, the waters remain consistently warm at around 23 degrees C. It is here, when the winter sea of the Gulf of Mexico gets too cold for the manatees, that hundreds of these strangely beautiful creatures gather together. They are particularly susceptible to the cold and can become ill and die if they suffer cold stress. This small area of the USA is the only place where humans are allowed to interact and make physical contact with these mammals, and there are strict rules which are enforced with typical American zeal when it comes to getting in the water with them. It is, however, all worthwhile as you will find out if you ever choose to put on your wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins to interact with the Crystal River and Homosassa manatees. We did just this in January... We flew into Orlando, hired a car, and drove two hours northwest along Floridas Turnpike, also known as the Ronald Regan Turnpike. We stayed in a rented house organised by Birds Underwater, a very professional dive outfit which has been
Finally,you will hit Key West,the ultimate party town which is now
rmly on the diving map thanks to the sinking of the Hoyt SVandenberg
running responsible manatee tours for over 20 years. The company is owned by Bill Bird and Dianne and on the day we took one of their guided tours, Chris was our guide. We set off at 6am on a shallow draught catamaran through a heavy mist to three small circular lakes known as The Three Sisters. It might sound a bit early to get up in the morning on your holiday, but it is worthwhile getting to the springs before the other tourists. It was a particularly cold winter in Florida
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What our customers say: Absolutely the best Fantastic service Great experience Excellent operation Wonderful time Good work Perfect, dont change Hands down the best Great diving
Join us on a diving trip to found out why our customers are so happy and come back fror more
facebook.com/keydives
79851 Overseas Highway | Islamorada, FL, 33036
0011 305-664-2211
Open Mon - Sun: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
[email protected]
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Florida
this year and manatee numbers around Crystal River were at an all-time high as they sought warmer spring water. The water was still on the cool side and so we were very pleased to have brought our 5mm suits. We very gently slipped into some fairly murky water at the entrance to the springs. There were manatees everywhere as we snorkeled through into the crystal-clear water of
The wardens take their charge of manatee protectors very seriously, which is great to see. Once you enter The Three Sisters you are immediately rewarded. The visibility is excellent and the manatees are desperate for you to scratch and touch them - they really seem to crave human contact and interaction. They get very jealous too! Once you have connected with one manatee, you risk being swamped by several of these gentle giants. We were in the water for over two hours on
them know what we wanted to get from our trip. They suggested that we rent one of their houses at Homosassa and use the kayaks provided to paddle the short distance to the manatee sanctuary. This would allow us to spend time with the manatees whenever we wanted and to get our photographs at our leisure. As the house was so close to the sanctuary and was situated at the waters edge, we didnt even need to leave the garden to see the manatees from the surface, with one inquisitive individual coming right into our boat launch bay
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Florida
Currency
US dollar (1 = $1.64).
Where to eat
In Key Largo, try a dolphin (also known as mahi mahi) sandwich in Hobos, or have a nice evening meal watching the sun go down in the aptly named Sundowners.
Where to meet
The Caribbean Club and Cactus Jacks in Key Largo are popular dive hangouts, or visit any of the bars on Duvall Street in Key West.
Florida has diving for all levels of diver, is easy to get to, has everything from cuddly marine mammals to world-class wrecks - what more could you want?
before being bundled into the water by 3,000lbs of cuddly manatee. As an empty kayak provided minimal resistance to such a hefty animal, they soon turned their attentions to the two humans in the water. Scratch me, scratch me, they demanded as the manoeuvred themselves to get the attention they craved. One big fellow took a shine to me and actually hugged me with both his fins and rested his head on my shoulder - they really are the most-adorable animals. Homosassa, by kayak, offers wonderful encounters with manatees, especially during the quiet time before the tourist boats arrive. However, the visibility is not as good as it is at Crystal River. The manatees have large paddles for a tail and the silty bottom is easily stirred up by the manatees and snorkelers alike. Their continuing protection is vital. Numbers are threatened by changes in the climate and water temperatures, as well as the huge increase in water-based activities in the last decade making boat strikes an increasing problem. Responsible tourism can help in their protection and already, with visitor numbers increasing, local wildlife agencies have teamed-up with residents and local businesses. They have raised money to buy up land adjacent to the springs to stop any further development and damage to this protected area. It is a fantastic experience and one you can do with all the family, so any non-divers can get an idea why you want to go diving so often. Being only two hours from Orlando and all the theme parks, it is very easy to extend the family holiday by a few days, hire a car and head off to Crystal River. Anyone can get into the water, with or without floats, and experience the pleasure the companionship of the manatee can bring. You can also make a few days with the manatees the first stop of a drive and dive trip of Florida, as
it is only a matter of hours on endlessly straight roads to get to the northern tip of the Florida Keys. This smattering of islands, all linked by US Highway 1, are a part of the USA but feel a million miles away from the mainland. Hitting Key Largo, the first town on the Keys, you get a real Caribbean island feel, with its laidback atmosphere and surroundings. Key Largo also happens to be the number one dive spot in the Keys, with the Pennekamp Marine Park offering shallow reefs teeming with marine life perfect for snorkelers and newly qualified divers and the outer reefs being home to purpose-sunk shipwrecks like the Spiegel Grove, the third-largest artificial reef in the world, and the coastguard cutter sister-ships, the Duane and the Bibb. All of these wrecks are covered in sponge, coral and algae growth, and are home to shoals of barracuda, large grouper, parrotfish, wrasse and the occasional shark. As you progress down US Highway 1, you hit Islamorada, which is the ideal location to head offshore to the wreck of the Eagle, another artificial reef which truly resembles a genuine shipwreck after it was snapped in half by a hurricane. Further south, you have the Adolphus Busch artificial reef, best accessed from Big Pine Key, which doesnt benefit from the Gulf Stream visibility of the other wrecks but is swept by nutrient-rich currents and thus is smothered in marine growth. Finally, you will hit Key West, the ultimate party town which is now firmly on the diving map thanks to the sinking of the Hoyt S Vandenberg, the worlds second-largest artificial reef. This enormous vessel could keep you busy diving it for a week and you still wouldnt explore everywhere. It makes a fitting final dive to round out a drive and dive trip of Florida. I
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We have year-round dives, springs, rivers & entry level cavern diving for openwater divers. All dives are guided. We Dive:
Blue Grotto 100ft, Devils Den 55ft, Manatee Springs, deep & shallow, Kings Springs 50ft & Rainbow River drift dive.
Discounts are available for accommodations at the Days Inn Resort with a booked tour. Guest book the rooms through us only.
(352) 563-2763
320 N.W. Hwy. 19 Crystal River, FL 34428
www.birdsunderwater.com
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IVE D SL
of dive rted profile Lighthea e world s all over th centre
WHOS IN CHARGE?
Name: Andrea Stanley (Boss and owner) Name: Mick Peakman (General factotum) Rank: PADI IDC Staff Instructors Date qualified: 1999 (Andrea) and 2001 (Mick) Number of dives: 3,000 plus
How would you describe the team at your dive centre in no more than 15 words? Personal customer care, professionalism, environmentally conscious, serious love of teaching, good sense of humour and a big diver family. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? ANDREA: Debriefing an Open Water student topless without realising! MICK: Being asked which Adventure Dive we had just completed when I was under the impression we were just doing recreational dives. What is your favourite place to dive in your country? ANDREA: Cirkewwa for its many possibilities. MICK: The Imperial Eagle. What is your favourite place to dive elsewhere? ANDREA: South Africa. MICK: The Thistlegorm in the Red Sea.
Q A Q A Q A
SIRENS
Who's the biggest wimp out of the lot of you, and give a recent example? Andrea, definitely - after a recent visit by some rather large cockroaches behind the compressor, Mick was able to wind her up very easily! Who attracts the most attention, bad or good? Alex, Andreas son and instructorto-be (IDC booked for 2026)! If you could teach a celebrity to dive, who would it be and why? (Try and keep it clean!) ANDREA: Nick Stokes off CSI Vegas
(Wow!). MICK: Kylie, or Counsellor Deanna Troy off Star Trek Next Generation.
Q A
What's been the biggest fear factor in your diving career to date? ANDREA: Being diagnosed with a PFO and having to keep an eye on my dive profiles now a thing of the past as it was closed in November 2010. MICK: Inexperienced diver problems over-weighted, low on air, current and a long way back to shore (they made it!).
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THE FISH
Training facilities:
Our staff are highly qualified, professional and very knowledgeable on the diving available locally. We have a fully equipped classroom for knowledge development and a house reef directly in front of the dive centre that provides both confined and open water training sites.
FACT FILE
New Dimension Scuba St Pauls Bay, Malta
Tel: +356 2134 0511/+356 9940 0914 Email: [email protected] Assistant Instructor EFR and Specialty Courses
Gas mixes
Air and nitrox to 300 bar
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday, 8.30am - 5.30pm Sunday by prior arrangement
Servicing Shop
Kettle is always on, especially if you bring biscuits! We can fix minor repairs on-site, and we have Mares, Aqualung, Scuba Pro and Oceanic servicing centres nearby!
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Courses available
Full range from Bubblemaker to
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Stoney Cove
Will giant-strides into the water to embark on his Deep Diver training
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Stoney Cove
he Deep. Its a place synonymous with mystery and intrigue; somewhere that man does not belong, but has an insatiable desire to explore. Our oceans are becoming increasingly accessible and PADIs Deep Diver Specialty is the top rung on that submerged ladder that starts at 18m and heads for the abyss. While techies descend to far deeper depths, for recreational divers, 40m represents the limit. I visited the UKs Stoney Cove to begin my deep descent The Deep Diver Specialty consists of four dives. Having done the first dive as part of my Advanced Open Water course in Capernwray, just three dives separated me from a diving future rich in would-have-been inaccessible wrecks, reefs and marine life. My three dives were split over two days and interjected with dives for the Wreck Speciality (Julys Focus on article). As such, my first Deep Diver descent was not the deepest - that came on day two. Up first was a dive to just shy of 20m. The objective of the dive was to see the effects deeper diving has on both people and objects. We descended with a straightforward navigation task and pockets containing, among other objects, an empty plastic bottle and a piece of neoprene. The dive party consisted of five people instructors Andrew and Robbie, fellow classmate Chris, Editor Mark Evans, who was on photography duty, and me. With Mark floating on the periphery, the rest of us buddied-up. We were to swim ten fin strokes on a given heading, before turning around and swimming back. The idea was for one person in each pair to navigate while the other monitored depth. This is a particularly important team skill when diving in areas where the bottom is out of sight. Its very easy, as I found out, to descend without realising as you move forward. This may not be an issue over ten fin strokes, but on longer routes divers
in the underwater world is an effective one and does serve to remind you that you are in an alien environment - a divers lungs succumb to that squeeze just as much as the plastic bottle. As for the neoprene disc, well, lets just say it served as more of a sacrificial offering to the Scuba gods rather than a useful tool in understanding
this is the point beyond which most people feel the effects of nitrogen narcosis - the intoxicating effect of breathing nitrogen under pressure. Getting narked is, in itself, completely harmless. Physiologically, breathing air at recreational depths poses no threat. The danger lies in how nitrogen narcosis manifests itself in divers actions.
Robbie served up the perfect example of a moderate nark. Halfway through jotting his address, there was a few seconds pause. He had forgotten where he lived!
could easily cause themselves problems. Once the navigation task had been completed, it was time to dig out our objects. Under pressure the bottle had squeezed to the point where opposing sides were touching in the middle. While we had all expected this, the visual reminder of the increase in atmospheric pressures the effects of pressure. To be fair to Chris, it was cold and dark in there and thick gloves dont mix all that well with an 8cm-radius, 3mm-thick piece of neoprene. Deep three was the big one - my first-ever descent below 30m. Prior to the dive itself, PADI course literature informs you in no uncertain terms that Side-effects can include a diver becoming overly relaxed or confident, which could in turn result in them diving inappropriately and putting themselves and their buddy at risk. Others may suffer tunnel vision. There is also the dark nark, whereby a diver suffers an unbearable sense of impending doom. More often than not, its
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Will writing his address in the pitch black at 32m
While the thought of kneeling atop a metal platform at 32m in the pitch black in a quarry in the Midlands might not sound like much fun to
Will and Robbie share an okay signal on the ascent from the Hydro Box
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Stoney Cove
training (or ever, for that matter), it is essential to understand. While divers can suffer a bend following a shallow dive, the chances are heightened when deep diving. Of course, if a dive is well planned and well executed the likelihood of anyone in the dive party suffering from decompression sickness is extremely slim, regardless of dive depth. Divers considering the Deep Specialty should, in my opinion, consider doing it in the UK. While there is little choice with regards to inland sites, the UK environment offers a number of benefits. Divers who experience 30m for the first time in the pitch-black and have to contend with one-metre visibility will be well prepared for deep dives in a number of locations, particularly in warmer waters where such depths still receive plenty of ambient light. Conversely, divers who take on the Deep Speciality in warm waters with oodles of visibility may struggle with darker, murkier conditions should they ever encounter them. Its by no means a must-do, but its certainly something to consider. Either way, the Deep Diver course offers divers the chance to gain access to dive sites that they would have otherwise missed out on. Whether that means kneeling atop the Hydro Box in Stoney Cove or checking out the lower sections of the Thistlegorm in the Red Sea, who cares - its deep diving and its great fun! I NEXT MONTH: Focus on Wreck Diver. Will reveals all about an eventful Wreck Diver course, including a free-flowing reg, underwater cramping and a snag during a penetration of the Stanegarth wreck.
CLARIFICATION
It seems a few people were confused by last months Focus on... article. In it, Will said that the AOW course consists of four dives, when of course it actually requires ve dives, but as it stated in the rst paragraph, he did his Drysuit Specialty that same weekend and so that covered his elusive fth dive of the AOW course.
Robbies regulator had started to free-flow. While our planned bottom time of eight minutes had been reduced to about three minutes, the journey back was largely as planned as Robbie had a pony cylinder and used this during the ascent. While it was a shame to have had our bottom time cut short, the incident served to show the value of a pony cylinder while diving at depth. It is recommended that divers take their own alternate air source and on this, the deepest dive of the weekend, we all did. Just watch out for that extra weight when you descend, you really can build up some speed! Once wed ascended to 5m, we paused for an eight-minute safety stop to replicate a missed deco-stop. The eight minutes included a minute-long switch to our alternate. Robbie simply switched back to his main supply - which had by then returned to normal -for his 60
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SELECTED
DEALERS
ABERDEEN WATERSPORTS ABERDEEN 01224 581313 ANDARK SOUTHAMPTON 01489 581755 AQUANAUT SCUBA AND SNORKELLING KINGSTON UPON THAMES 020 8546 8882 AQUANAUTS PLYMOUTH 01752 228825 2THIRDSBLUE FALMOUTH 01326 313178 CYBAQUA WARRINGTON 01925 652774 DIVE 90 CHELTENHAM 01242 680003 DIVE IN GILDENBURGH WHITTLESEY 01733 351299 NEW DAWN DIVE WOKING 01483 211103 OCEAN LIFE DIVE CENTRE KILLKEE EIRE 00 35 3659056707 OCEAN TURTLE DIVING BASINGSTOKE 01256 819595 OCEAN VIEW DIVING WEST SUSSEX 01903 767224 SCUBA SCENE TAUNTON 01823 336664 STONEY COVE LEICESTERSHIRE 01455 273089 SUNDERLAND SCUBA SUNDERLAND 0191 5670147
DIVE
The new range of Body Glove Dive Available from exclusive dealers only.
TEIGN DIVING CENTRE TEIGNMOUTH 01626 773965 THE DIVEZONE LTD WILTSHIRE 01225 791440 WRAYSBURY DIVE CENTRE WRAYSBURY 01784 488007
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Martin is a PADI MSDT and BSAC National Instructor with 25 years of diving experience, much of it spent running Anglesey Divers, a PADI five-star dive centre
couple of days ago at a local dive site I saw a pair of divers come to the surface in such a way as to make me wonder whether they thought that the dive had ended when they left the bottom. The creation of a large jacuzzi a few seconds before one of the divers heads broke the surface grabbed my attention first. That he arrived on the surface with BCD already inflated only confirmed my suspicions that this was not a perfect ascent. A couple of rapid 360s combined with a 'where am I?' expression on his face was followed by a half-hearted I've made it back alive so I must be okay signal. His buddy arrived on the surface a few seconds afterwards; I don't think his ascent skills were any better. It's true that for most of us, the descent and the exploration on the bottom is the exciting part of the dive. But in terms of what's about to happen in your body, the ascent is where it's at. Expanding air will be trying to escape from your BCD, drysuit, middle ears, sinuses, lungs, and even your teeth. Nitrogen bubbles may try to form in body tissues - and probably will in most cases. As well as having an awareness of the problems these can cause in the back of your mind, you will be controlling your posture in the water, maintaining contact with your buddy, monitoring your ascent rate, and venting air from your BCD and drysuit. For some divers, operating a surface marker buoy and performing decompression stops as well could be a task too far.
The one device that can help enormously with an ascent (and descent) is a shot-line; in other words a temporary anchor line that you can use as a visual and tactile datum. This gives you an immediate visual reference for both orientation and ascent rate and can help keep you together as a buddy pair. A shot-line needs to be set up before a dive and good dive boat skippers are well practised at providing them. The other device worth it's weight in gold is a modern dive computer with a clear ascent rate display, and even clearer ascent rate warning. Before I ascend from any dive I like to pause for
several seconds to think about it and stow equipment that I won't need during the ascent. If I am planning to use a delayed SMB I'll need even longer to get organised. I may want to adjust my buoyancy slightly as well. In other words I like to clear my head so that every ascent is a considered and relaxed event entirely separate from the rest of the dive. With deeper dives involving mandatory decompression stops, I believe this approach to be vital, especially as the duration of the ascent and decompression stops could be several times longer than the time spent on the bottom. I
Relaxed at the safety stop
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Mozambique
or the second part of my tour of Mozambique, I was off to the world-famous Barra Lodge, situated about 100km north of Inhambane airport. The journey to the resort was a little bumpy. The roads, which are a mixture of red dust, pot holes and, on occasion, tarmac, are best negotiated by 4x4. A journey that would otherwise take an hour or so can take most of the day. But try not to be put off by this. On the positive side you get to see and travel through a stunning landscape of lush green jungle with small thatched villages dotted here and there. Barra Lodge consists of a number of individual chalet-style rooms which boast views of the Indian Ocean and encompass all of the modern amenities you would expect of a luxury holiday. At the same time, it still creates that Robinson Crusoe feel of being shipwrecked on a desert island. Sun-bleached sandy beaches which are cooled by a clear, inviting turquoise sea stretch for as far as the eye can see. And although Barra Lodge is incredibly busy all year round, you can walk for miles without seeing another soul. The resort has its own PADI
five-star IDC dive centre, however, it was arranged that I would first be diving with Diversity Scuba in nearby Praia de Tofo. The staff are a relaxed, friendly, fun-loving bunch of divers that like nothing more than showing you the reasons why divers are returning to Mozambique time after time. Once all the necessary paperwork had been completed, we had a short walk to the beach. And then it was all hands - and the use of a Land Rover - to move the RIB into the sea. As soon as the RIB was floating, pointing in the right direction and everyone was onboard, our skipper waited for the waves and then with the throttle fully open we cut through the surf and made our way to the first of the two dive sites of the day. Crocodile Rock, so called because of the unusually high number of crocodilefish that can be found here, wasnt going to be a particularly deep dive, but it became clear from the very start why this site was high on the days agenda! As I made my descent into the warm tropical water, my view of the reef just 14 metres away was obscured by the dense shoals of fish swimming around me. The visibility was
awesome! Fish of all shapes, sizes and colours swam in every direction. There was just about every species of fish indigenous to the Indian Ocean in this one spot. The reef stands two metres proud of the seabed and is a labyrinth of passageways, overhangs and ledges that stretch for as far as the eye can see. As I explored the passageways my guide tapped on his tank to get my attention and then started to play the air guitar. Just as I thought he was suffering the effects of nitrogen narcosis, he pointed in my direction. As I looked up, a huge guitar shark went overhead. The reef was alive with a mixture of brightly coloured soft and hard corals each playing host to small pipefish, porcelain crabs or nudibranchs. Everywhere we looked there was something exciting to see or photograph. As we were going to be doing another dive it was arranged that we would stay on the RIB
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Although it looked as if the whaleshark was moving at a slow leisurely pace,it was actually moving at a rate of knots!
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during our surface interval. The crew had brought along snacks and plenty of water to keep us hydrated. About three hundred metres from the beach and where we originally launched the boat, is one of the best dive sites that I have had the pleasure to experience. Again, it wasnt a deep dive - just 11m - and loaded with marine life! Known as Clownfish Reef, this site provides shelter and protection for an abundance of marine life, and is an ideal breeding ground and nursery for many species of fish. Much of the reef stands just a metre or so proud of the seabed. The fissures and small crevices are home to an array of unusual marine life. My guide knew the area very well and like a sat-nav turned this way and that, while pointing at this fish and that fish and then all of a sudden he stopped at a particular section of the reef and knowingly shined his torch into a crevice and signalled for me to look inside. The crevice was home to a pair of harlequin shrimps. It was the first time I had seen these flamboyant little creatures, and I must admit that I was probably a little over-enthusiastic with the camera. But fortunately, they appeared unperturbed by my presence and were quite happy to pose for that all-important photograph. Again, like the first dive, there were dense shoals of Bengal snapper and squirrelfish everywhere. This dive, like the last, was very much a case of where do I look next! With all divers safely back onboard the RIB, our skipper made the short journey back to shore. But rather than slow down as he reached the beach, we were told to hold on tight as he opened the throttle and accelerated as fast as possible. We sped through the surf and up on to the beach and then in an instant came to a sudden halt on the sand. Back at the dive centre while I was busy cleaning my kit, I was told that there was a boat leaving for
Honeycomb moray
images on their cameras. After a good nights rest and a hearty breakfast I joined the dive team at Barra Lodge for what can only be described as a spectacular days diving. Again, all hands were needed to push the huge RIB into the sea, before setting off for the first of our two dives of the day. First up was Sherwood Forest. With a depth of 30m, the seabed is made up of small colourful rocks and coral formations which stand about four metres proud of the ocean floor. Although there is a steady current running between them, it is still possible to explore the coral formations in detail. We found a large potato grouper resting on the seabed. The creature was huge. And then, in the distance, a devil ray swam past. Like all of the other dives the place was alive with shoals of fish moving in every direction. After 15 minutes or so we slowly made an ascent to 20m and then let the current take us wherever it wanted to. Our guide deployed an SMB and the boat followed us until we were ready to surface. All in all this was an exhilarating dive. As we were going to be doing another dive we remained on the boat during our surface interval. Our next exciting location was just a few minutes away and as the skipper manoeuvred the boat into position we prepared our kit and waited for the signal to backward roll into the warm clear water. Kingfisher Reef is another dive that can be done as a drift dive, or, if you descend to the seabed and shelter behind the pinnacles, it is possible to explore the area with relative ease. This was another deep dive with a maximum depth of 30m. Our plan was to explore the seabed
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Mozambique
MOZAMBIQUE
for 15 minutes or so, and then ascend to around 15m and again let the current take us wherever it wanted to. At the entrance to one recess we found a large shoal of glassfish and a yellow-mouthed moray eel with its head poking from a crevice. As we moved from the shelter of each small reef we could immediately feel the strength of the current pushing us along. Somehow a small shoal of Moorish idols facing into the current managed to remain still as I passed by. With the current gaining in strength it was now time to turn the dive into a drift dive, so out into the blue we went! Within minutes the seabed was just a blur as we sped past. We had travelled a fair distance before we decided to surface. My tour of Mozambique was coming to an end. It was time for me to make my way back to Maputo
When to go
April to September for slightly cooler temperatures, and August to November for whale watching
Trying to keep up while I aimed and took a photograph was near impossible
Entry requirements
Make sure your passport is valid for more than six months and that you have two clear pages. Visas can be purchased before you travel, or at the airport on arrival.
Currency
Metical (1 = 55M). Turtle heading to the surface
Where to eat
Visit the Caser de Comer restaurant in Tofo for excellent food and value for money. The owner also has a B&B on the beach.
to catch a flight home. When you look at a map the distance from Tofo to Maputo doesnt look that far. However, the main road that can take you from one end of the country to the other is a little bumpy to say the least. It took us eight hours to reach the Southern Sun Hotel, my final destination before I left Mozambique. Patricks trip was organised by Oonasdivers (www.oonasdivers.com) TOUR OPERATORS Dive Worldwide www.diveworldwide.com Oonasdivers www.oonasdivers.com Regaldive www.regaldive.co.uk Safari Diver www.safaridiver.co.uk
Where to meet
A refreshing beer in your resort bar cannot be beaten. Mozambique is one of those countries that stays in your memory long after you have left, and lures divers back time and again.
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JUNE 2011
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TEST TEAM
MARK EVANS Sport Diver editor PADI Divemaster 24 years of diving experience DAVE HOPE Dive club founder PADI MSDT 18 years of diving experience
of time! Weve split regulators into three price bands, and this month we are looking at bargain-priced units. We tested the budget regulators in cold-water conditions, and royally abused them - breathing hard on the surface and purging them for several seconds prior to diving, purging underwater for an extended period and rapidly breathing through them. Basically, things you wouldnt normally do if you had any sense! We figure if they can cope with this behaviour, they will be fine during more normal diving conditions.
ON TEST
MODELS Apeks ATX40/DS4 Aqualung Calypso Mares Rover Scubapro R295 Sub Gear Aruba DATE TESTED 16 February 2011 Water Temperature 5 degrees C Air Temperature 2 degrees C
PAUL ANDREWS LGV driver PADI Divemaster 7 years of diving experience JIM BREWIS Manufacturer PADI Divemaster 6 years of diving experience
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PR 1 ICE 99
Mark: Fantastic performance, as you would expect from Apeks. I hope that in the future we can see some tweaks to the looks, as the second stage is beginning to date against some of its rivals, although to be fair, in this price bracket, they dont stand out as much as in the more-expensive categories. Comfortable mouthpiece. Dave: Simple, classic-looking reg that gives a cracking breathe for the price. Smooth, dry delivery in all positions. Extremely good-value regulator. Paul: Standard-looking regulator, but this being Apeks, when it comes to performance, you get exactly what you expect - reliable, dry, smooth breathe. Jim: Good-looking Apeks reg. Breathed well in all positions, and delivered the air smoothly whatever I did to it. Not a fan of the mouthpiece. Mark: Not sure of the looks. It matches with the Aqualung family styling, but I wasnt that keen on the Titan Supreme either. However, looks aside, it gave a reasonable all-round performance, and the Comfo-Bite mouthpiece was very comfortable. The venturi control didnt make that much difference. Dave: Looks a bit garish - would probably be okay in a different colour, but black-and-orange. Yugh Very good breathe, firm purge, but the venturi made no discernable difference to the performance. Paul: I like Aqualung a lot, but this was disappointing looks-wise. Comfortable mouthpiece, and a smooth breathe. Good all-rounder. Jim: I like the tool-free collar which allows the user to remove the second stage without the need to employ a wrench. Performance adequate, mouthpiece comfy.
PRI 18CE 9
Comfo-Bite mouthpiece
large purge
VERDICT
Performance Comfort Looks Value for money
VERDICT
Performance Comfort Looks Value for money
WE LIKE...
Performance, comfort
WE DONT LIKE...
Looks divided opinion
WE LIKE...
Lightweight, performance, comfort
WE DONT LIKE...
Looks
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1 PR 89 ICE .9 5
Mark: Excellent breathe in all positions; dry, smooth delivery. The design of the second stage is fairly basic, but it is none-the-worse for this and it is actually one of the more eye-catching regs in the test. Dave: Good-looker. Very hard purge cover, but an excellent breathe in all positions. Really nice reg - Mares are making good regs on this performance. Paul: Very stiff purge. Exhaust works well, keeping exhaled bubbles well clear of your field of view. Comfortable, and one of the best breathes in the group - gave me all the air I wanted when I wanted it. Jim: Not unattractive - I quite like the clean, back-to-basics look. As good as anything else on the test. Firm purge button, but good all-round regulator.
PRICE 165
Mark: First off, lets talk about that price! 165 for a Scubapro reg is a fantastic bargain. As youd expect, this offers a great performance, with a smooth breathe, comfy mouthpiece and stylish, understated looks. Dave: Best looker here. Its a close-run thing, but this is probably my favourite. Good, dry breathe, smooth delivery and hardly any bubbles in your field of view. Paul: I like the simple good looks. The reg I recommend in this group. You just cant go wrong with this performance at this price. Top marks - a cracking breathe in all positions. Jim: Lightweight second stage, comfy mouthpiece. Really nice reg, up there with the best of them. The quality Id expect from Scubapro, and at a brilliant price.
Large purge
Comfortable mouthpiece
Comfy mouthpiece
VERDICT
Performance Comfort Looks Value for money
VERDICT
WE LIKE...
Comfort, performance, looks, price
WE LIKE...
Comfort, performance, looks
WE DONT LIKE...
Firm purge
WE DONT LIKE...
Nothing worth mentioning
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Mark: Excellent performance, as youd expect from what is essentially a rebranded Scubapro regulator. Great value for money at under 160. Smooth, dry breathe, comfy mouthpiece and reasonable looks - not so sure about the orange, though. Scubapro performance on a budget. Dave: I like the long mouthpiece. Nice, light second stage. Excellent purge. Good exhaust, keeping bubbles well clear of your mask. Stunning value for money. Good performer in the cold waters of the UK. Paul: Nice, simple looks. Very lightweight second stage, with a long, comfy mouthpiece. Breathes well in all positions. Jim: Change the orange bit for black on the first stage! My favourite reg here. Great value for a great-performing reg.
Large purge
VERDICT
Performance Comfort Looks Value for money
WE LIKE...
Comfort, performance, price
WE DONT LIKE...
Lose the orange plastic on the first stage
As in last months mid-range regulator test, we found that all the regs here performed at a more-than-satisfactory level, and there werent any that we wouldnt be comfortable taking for a full-on dive either here in the UK or abroad. The Best Value award was fairly straightforward. All the regs here represented excellent value for money, but the Sub Gear Aruba took the title as it came in at under 160. Excellent value when you consider that it is a rebranded Scubapro regulator. The Choice award was a battle between the Apeks ATX40, the Mares Rover and the Scubapro R295. The Apeks and the Mares both gave excellent performances, but the Scubapro - which was in contention for Best Value as well, coming in at just 165 - won out, being the clear favourite of the test team in terms of looks and performance.
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TEST EXTRA
OTHREE RI2-100 FLEX
OThree has built a solid name for itself by producing durable, good-looking and top-performing neoprene drysuits, and the Ri2-100 Flex is only going to enhance this reputation. The company says that the Ri2-100 Flex has been specifically designed with technical divers in mind - for instance, the hyper compression of the neoprene creates an extremely dense wall of protection and ensures virtually no buoyancy change at deep depths - but this high level of performance makes it equally suitable for recreational divers as well. OThrees Ri coating is resin-impregnated, which not only makes it strong and snag resistant, but also impervious to water, meaning the suit dries off in minutes when you exit the water, reducing wind-chill considerably. As the name Flex suggests, the new suit is very easy to move around in, and the introduction of a flex panel in the companys Constant Compression Neoprene, or CCN, only emphasises this. This was the first OThree suit I have dived in, as former deputy editor Martin Bruce test-dived this suits predecessor, and I was impressed with the build quality as soon as I took it out of the box. The finish on the stitching and detailing is top-notch, and you really feel like you have got a quality product in your hands. I took it up to Stoney Cove for a weekend of intensive diving - assistant editor/web editor Will Harrison was doing his Deep (see page 84) and Wreck Specialties, and I was on photographer duty - and I was immediately smitten with the comfort and look of the suit when I got it on for the first time. It fit perfectly, not too tight and not too loose, and was extremely easy to move about in. In the water I never felt restricted, whatever position I was trying to get myself into while photographing Will, and with OThrees PBB Extreme undersuit on, I didnt feel cold, even though the water temperature ranged from 5 degrees C to 8 degrees C.The PBB Extreme - made up of socks, long-sleeved top and long-john-style salopet - is comfortable, very warm and, at 169.95 for the full set, it is good value for money as well.The standard PBB is available for 129.95 for those who dont need the warmth of the Extreme version. The kneepads and shoulder pads are thick, but flexible, and really help protect the areas of the suit that are going to get the most hammer. I like the fact that the suits subtle good looks will not date - this will still look the business in ten years time.
The Ri2-100 is a nice-looking suit
PR 9 ICE 49
I like the fact that the suits subtle good looks will not date - this will still look the business in ten years time
At 50 under a grand, the Ri2-100 Flex is not a cheap drysuit, but as OThree states, the complicated manufacture of the material and the construction process makes the suit technically demanding to produce. However, when you consider that for your money you not only get a superbly finished drysuit complete with braces and thigh pocket, but also a nifty drysuit bag, changing mat, vented semi-dry hood, Jollop wrist seal lube, bees wax, Zip Slip and all valves/low-pressure hoses, suddenly it doesnt seem such a hefty amount. Mark Evans www.othree.co.uk
Mark diving the Ri2-100 Flex in Stoney Cove
WE LIKE...
Build quality, looks, performance
WE DONT LIKE...
It is expensive, but you do get a lot for your money
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TEST EXTRA
Reective shoulder panel Apeks inator
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OTHREE RI 1-100CCN
OThree has built its reputation on neoprene drysuits and Sean Webb and his team are staunch believers in neoprene and the additional benefits it offers over other types of material. Over the years OThree has been lucky enough to be involved with several boundary-breaking expeditions which have taken their suits and those people wearing them to the extreme. OThrees new Constant Compression Neoprene (CCN) provides an outstanding combination that addresses all of the issues encountered at extreme depths for long periods of time and will appeal to neoprene and membrane drysuit users alike. The Ri outer lining - now in its 12th year - creates a finish that makes the Ri 1-100ccn extremely strong and snag resistant. The neoprene is only just over 1mm thick, but due to quantum leaps in processes and technology, OThree has developed a genuinely compressed neoprene that has maintained great thermal insulation, buoyancy has been substantially reduced, buoyancy change is virtually zero and flexibility and durability has been increased way beyond what was thought achievable. We cant wait to get this baby in the water to see Date acquired April 2011 how it performs. Suggested retail price 1,049 Mark Evans, www.othree.co.uk Number of dives 0
Time in water 0hrs 0mins
TYPHOON PRO II
These are not flashy fins, they are not expensive fins. Contrary to the beliefs of some divers, fins are not all about speed, they are about comfort and manoeuvrability in the water. They are about an effective fin at a sensible price which will propel you through the water, giving you a good return of power for your effort. Our test team (including me) has been critical of Typhoon fins in the past, but I have to say these are a vast improvement and they tick all the boxes Date acquired February 2011 above, especially when you consider they Suggested retail price 29.99 only cost 29.99. Number of dive 5 Dave Hope, www.typhoon-int.co.uk Time in water 3hrs 50mins
MARES ICON HD
The one thing you have to do with the Icon is remember to charge the bloody thing up! I am so used to computers just working till their battery runs flat and needs replacing that I went into automatic mode and, sure enough, the Icon died halfway through a test day. Doh No fault of the Icon, it was all down to the fact I forgot to charge it up. And charging the computer is a doddle you just attach the charging clip, plug in the cable and then push the other end into a socket. Job done. You even get adapters for other countries so you dont have to mess about with converters. Mark Evans, www.mares.com
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HALCYON SCOUT XP
OCEANIC OC1
The OC1 comes with an extender strap to fit around a drysuit, and as reported last month, even in pretty dire visibility, the screen is still easy to read, so it is certainly more than up to the job for UK divers. However, the buttons on the OC1 are fairly small and attempting to use them while wearing 5mm neoprene gloves was quite challenging, and it was next to impossible with drygloves. Thankfully, you can do all the fiddly work changing nitrox settings, etc, while on the surface prior to the dive, and just put your gloves on when it is ready to go. Mark Evans, www.oceanicuk.com
Date acquired Suggested retail price transmitter) Number of dives Time in water
Time for the Scout XP to head back to Silent Planet and it has been a useful addition to the Long Term Test stable. Compact, durable, extremely bright and the perfect size for your hand, this torch lives up to the reputation afforded to Halcyon by its devotees. There is simply no escaping the high price, but if money is no object and you are after a smashing back-up torch - which Date acquired September 2010 can double as a primary when you head abroad - the Scout XP is Suggested retail price 399.95 well worth a closer look. Number of dives 26 Mark Evans, Time in water 24hrs 55mins www.silentplanet.info
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ELECTRIC DRIVE
AIR DRIVE
Stansted Fluid Power Ltd. Stansted Fluid Power Ltd, Unit 5, New Horizon Business Centre, Barrows Road, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5FN, UK.
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HMS Pathfinder
Is this the best wreck dive in the UK?
TekCamp 2011
Your chance to speed-date technical instructors
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Custom made
DRYSUITS
See website for our full range
-We also offer a 5 working day Repair service to all makes of DRYSUIT
We have now moved to bigger and better premises Pop in and see us at Hammond Drysuits Ltd Unit 2 Dene Yard Green Street Green Road Dartford Kent DA2 8DH
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www.hammond-drysuits.co.uk
MIKE CLARK
Mike Clark learnt to dive in 1985, and has enjoyed the sport ever since. Two years after qualifying he made his first attempt at underwater photography and hasnt looked back. This issue, he ventures offshore from St Abbs Head to what he considers one of the UKs best wrecks.
MARK POWELL
Our technical diving guru Mark Powell has been diving since 1987 and instructing since 1994. He runs his company Dive-Tech as a full-time business, teaching technical diving both in the UK and abroad. This month, he looks at the basic skills required by all technical divers, regardless of their training agency.
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HMS Pathfinder
MS Pathfinder was a 2,940-ton Scout-class light cruiser and is another one of the extremely important historical shipwrecks in the Firth of Forth, as it was the first warship ever to be sunk by a torpedo fired from a submarine. It was a beautiful day on 5 September 1914 and the belching black smoke from HMS Pathfinders three funnels made the light cruiser visible for miles around in the clear conditions. She was patrolling the outer Firth of Forth with
Pathfinder. The gentle progress of the light cruiser had been monitored for some time by Kapitanleutnant Otto Hersing, who was in command of the German submarine U21. He had soon tracked the vessel by the black smoke from her stacks. HMS Pathfinder was a sitting duck and Kapitanleutnant Hersing fired a torpedo from around 1,500 yards off of HMS Pathfinders starboard bow. The torpedo was seen and tracked by the lookouts on HMS Pathfinder as it raced towards the ship but they were powerless to evade it. At five knots HMS
the remaining ships of the flotilla, the captain ordered a blank shell to be fired from the stern gun. HMS Pathfinder went down to the bottom of the Firth of Forth and also down in the history books, picking up the inglorious honour of being the first warship to fall victim to a torpedo fired from a submarine. All but nine men of the 268 crew lost their lives. Diving the wreck, which lies between 60-66m, requires technical diving skills. HMS Pathfinder is the main reason I undertook such training, as this ships history drew me like a magnet to
HMS Pathnder is the main reason I undertook such training, as this ships history drew me like a magnet to explore its remains
a flotilla of destroyers and torpedo boats. The patrol was to last for five days and this caused problems for HMS Pathfinder. Coal shortages at the outbreak of World War One and the poor endurance of this class of ship meant that HMS Pathfinder had to cruise at five knots to complete her patrol, otherwise she would run out of fuel. The sea was mirror calm and the afternoon sunlight shone down on HMS Pathfinder was making so little headway that when orders to avoid the torpedo were given, the ship would not respond to the helm, as it was unable to steer effectively at such slow speeds. The torpedo struck just below the forward guns and ignited the cordite in the magazines. The bow vaporised and HMS Pathfinder started to settle very quickly. Fearing that the explosion had not been observed by explore its remains. Visibility is usually between five to ten metres, but dark. Descending the shot line its a long way down and all ambient light is left behind as the depth increases. Divers usually stop to attach a strobe to the shot line to assist in relocating it after the dive. At a depth of 61m the diver lands on the deck just aft of the remains of the bridge. Voice pipes and levers can be seen here. Finning aft along the port side
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HMS Pathfinder
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HMS Pathfinder
of the wreck, torpedo tubes are passed and shells lie around on the deck. Some are packed in groups of six, their wooden box having rotted around them. Portholes also lie on the deck. There are other mundane items to see, such as mooring bollards and capstans. Near the stern a large four-inch gun points towards the surface in an elevated position. Perhaps this was the gun that fired the blank shell to try and alert nearby ships to the plight of HMS Pathfinder. At the stern a large anchor lies on the deck and, if the diver drops over, they will be able to view the twin screws in a depth of 66m. Returning to the shot line back up the starboard side of the wreck more ordinance is noted, as well as guns pulled from their mounts. This has most likely been the work of trawl nets - there are the remains of some nets on the wreck. Just aft of the bridge is one of the most-poignant sights I have ever seen underwater. On the deck a brass sextant glowed green in my torchlight. Guns and portholes were all magnificent sights, but the sextants were used by one of the ships crew members, who most likely lost their life on that day. It really brought the human aspect of the dive home to me. HMS Pathfinder is obviously a war grave and should be treated with the utmost respect. Very recently Iain and Jim Easingwood of Marine Quest located and put divers on to the remains of the bow section of HMS Pathfinder. This was thought to have been completely destroyed in the explosion. Reports from Iain suggest that there is a section of the wreckage rising out of the seafloor to a height of 1m. I have not visited this site as yet and it has been added to the wish list of the ever-expanding dives to be completed in the Firth of Forth. For the technical diver, HMS Pathfinder makes an outstanding dive.
At the stern a large anchor lies on the deck and, if the diver drops over, they will be able to view the
twin screws in a depth of 66m
Remains of the bridge
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Eyemouth, Scotland
Eyemouth
EYEMOUTH
Eyemouth has for a long time been the silent partner of the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve. In the past the beautifully scenic St Abbs has had better facilities and tended to take the credit, even though the diving around Eyemouth is just as good. The main reason for this was that shore diving at Eyemouth was difficult and boat diving was not commercially available until around eight years ago when the harbour was redeveloped. Since then the large building on the south side of the harbour now houses Aquastars Dive Centre and washroom facilities. The main driver in this diving renaissance though is Marine Quest, based at the Harbourside. Enthusiasm for finding new wrecks and travelling to distant dive sites, on excellent diver-friendly boats, has seen the company rewarded with dozens of pristine new shipwrecks and scenic dive sites. This has transformed Eyemouth from the silent partner to the most-exciting place to dive in the UK, never mind the Firth of Forth. Im watching with interest to see if the impressive wrecks found off Eyemouth turn the town into the 21st century Scapa Flow. Diving around Eyemouth is mainly by boat, and as mentioned there are fantastic shipwrecks to dive just offshore. There are, however, two excellent shore-diving locations that are well worth diving. Eyemouth is a reasonably large town built up around its modern harbour. This is home to the ports large fishing fleet. Eyemouth has a good selection of bars and restaurants. There is a caravan park and a selection of B&Bs. Most of the facilities you will require will be found in the town.
When to go
These deep wrecks are dived all year long. Weather is the main factor to consider when diving them. Calm winter diving offers fantastic visibility, but the water temperature will be around 5 degrees C. Late summer offers the best conditions and the warmest diving. Visibility is generally always very good at these sites unless there has been a storm or plankton blooms are affecting the area.
Where to eat
Marine Quest has a cafe at the Harbourside. Oblo is also a good place to eat, and there are lots of pubs and restaurants in the Eyemouth area.
HMS Pathfinder is undoubtedly one of the most-spectacular wrecks in Scotland, and Eyemouth has plenty to offer divers of all levels, not just techies
Gannet
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Sheltered training locations Kids & Senior Diving Courses, Certification Courses Technical Diver Training & Support Escorted Dives Wrecks, Caverns & Reefs A/C Classrooms, Transport to Dive sites Equipment Rentals, Fills: Air, Nitrox, CCR, Trimix
Maltaqua, the only centre on the island of Malta certified to be in conformity with Recreational Diving Services standard: EN 14467:2004 & ISO 24803:2007
Senior Club
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TECHNICAL SKILLS
Technical diving instructor Mark Powell looks at some of the skills covered in a technical diving course
Photographs by GARETH LOCK/IMAGESOFLIFE.CO.UK
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hile there are a number of differences between the mainstream technical diving agencies, there are in fact more similarities. Although the syllabus for each agency is different, there are some skills that you will be expected to cover whichever agency you do your technical training with. In some cases these skills are rushed over as something you need to do in order to pass the course. However, understanding a little bit more about the principles behind some of these skills can help us perform them better. It can also reveal that, very often, the particular skills are being used to teach a wider concept. In this article I will look at a number of skills that will likely feature in all technical diving courses, and look at the key principles behind them. A common skill taught by a number of instructors is to get a team of divers to send up a DSMB while all are neutrally buoyant. This is typical of the type of skill taught, in that it is a
useful skill in itself, but also teaches a number of other lessons. Sending up a DSMB is an essential skill for any UK diver, and even more so for a technical diver. Technical dives invariably involve decompression and, as a result, the diver is likely to drift further during the ascent than a recreational diver who, other than stopping for a few minutes for a safety stop, will be coming almost directly to the surface. During the decompression stop it is possible for the diver to drift a considerable distance. A DSMB is essential in order for the boat skipper to know exactly where the diver is. Some boat skippers will ask for one DSMB per diver on a decompression dive, so that they know the exact position for each of the divers. Recreational divers often send up a DSMB from the bottom, but technical divers will often do this during the ascent or on one of the earlier decompression stops. The reason for this is that sending up a DSMB from the bottom eats into precious bottom time or, looking at it the other
way, incurs additional decompression time. The deployment of the DSMB and the amount of time that it takes to get to the surface from a deep dive can add a significant amount of time to the decompression. As a result, the technical diver will often not want to waste bottom time on sending up a DSMB. In addition, many reels do not have sufficient line to be sent up from the bottom. It is common to have between 30 and 50m of line on a reel, which is useless when the wreck is at 60m. As a result, the ability to send up the DSMB in mid-water while ascending at a controlled rate, or holding position at a deco stop is essential. This skill also highlights the importance of teamwork. It is very common for a team of two or three divers to become so fixated on their own DSMB that they completely forget their team mates. I have often seen divers who have been keeping close contact and monitoring each other during the dive then turn their backs on their buddies while deploying a DSMB. The deployment takes up all their available
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Arcobaleno Tours owns a 31 meter wooded luxury yacht with five cabins, just renovated and fully equipped for diving enthusiasts. Destinations: hidden and little-known diving areas around five beautiful Dalmatian islands of Brac, Hvar, Vis, Lastovo and Mljet, where in the past Antique Greeks and Romans sailed. Enjoy untouched nature surrounded by blue and green,which will accompany you during your holiday at one of the most desirable destionations today. So choose Croatia, a beautiful country, so close for an exclusive yacht charter or diving holiday destination.
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too far apart and, in For a start, most divers spend most of the dive
breath
experience, it very rarely goes wrong. However, when neither diver is ready for it, a number of potential problems arise. For a start, most divers spend most of the dive too far apart and, in the case of an out-of-gas situation, cannot get to their buddies in one breath. This shows how close you should be to your buddy in case of an out-of-gas situation. It also shows the importance of position. If the diver in front is out-of-gas then they can just turn around and the other diver can see them immediately. They will swim towards each other, effectively halving the distance between them. However, if it is the diver at the back that is out of gas they need to catch up with the diver in front, effectively doubling the distance. They will then need to get their attention and signal that they are out of gas. This will obviously take significantly longer. As the time the diver is out of gas increases, even if it is simulated and they are just holding their breath, so their stress levels will increase. When the stress levels go up so does the urgency and so does the likelihood that one of the divers will make a mistake. I have seen divers forget the drill they have been taught, react far too slowly or get their bungied long hose caught because they have fumbled the deployment. In each case the most-important lesson is that a more-realistic situation can create problems that are just not present in a nice relaxed simulated situation and so, in a real emergency, this
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Deploying a DSMB is one of the most dangerous parts of the dive A technical diver should never run out of gas
is going to be even worse. It also shows that little things can become huge problems when a problem occurs. Convoluted solutions to gas donation inevitably cause problems in a real-life situation and this is where the disadvantages of independent twinsets, bungied long hoses, inaccessible back-up regs, and clutter can become glaringly obvious. As a result, an out-of-gas exercise can also be a very-effective way to illustrate problems in kit configuration. Hopefully, it is clear that in some cases these skills are taught because they are useful themselves, but also because they teach other skills. There are additional challenges that are set on a technical diving course that appear to have no relevance to real-life diving. In this case they are set in order to practice some other, more-important skill. Often this is buoyancy control or team work. These additional exercises are used because in order to master certain skills, we need to do more than just use those skills regularly on a dive. When people first learn a new skill, such as diving, skiing or playing a musical instrument, they improve very quickly until they reach a proficient level and the skill becomes effectively automatic. Buoyancy control is a perfect example of this. New divers quickly learn the basics of buoyancy control and get to a reasonable level of proficiency so that they stop having to constantly think about how to control their buoyancy. At this point, most people's buoyancy skills stop progressing, they reach a plateau. This is known as the Okay Plateau and most divers stay there not knowing how to progress to a higher level and, in many cases, not even realising that a
higher level of buoyancy control is even possible. Even if they practice their skills by diving regularly, they will maintain this level but will not significantly improve their skills. Of course, this is in contrast to the idea that practice makes perfect, so why dont people who dive more necessarily get better? And why do some people seem to be able to master a skill while others remain stuck on the Okay Plateau? What separates those who master buoyancy control or teamwork or any other skill is that instead of just doing the activity, they will focus on practice specifically aimed at stretching their skills. This is often known as deliberate practice. Amateur guitarists, for example, are more likely to spend their time playing music, whereas more advanced guitarists will spend their time working through specific exercises to improve their
A diver deploys a DSMB
technique. With diving, it's very common to get to the Okay Plateau and just stop. However, the technical diver needs to aim further than this and take their skills to a higher level. This can only be done by deliberate practice. The exercises used for this should put divers outside their comfort zone and allow them to make mistakes in a relatively safe practice environment. Technical diving courses start off this process and include a number of exercises designed to do just this. Over time this will allow the diver to progress from simply completing skills to mastering them. In the next issue of Tech Diver: Mark reviews the KISSSS approach to equipment configuration. For more information on any aspect of technical diving, contact Mark on Tel: 07770 864327 Email: [email protected] Web: www.dive-tech.co.uk
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UK DIVE CENTRES
Directory Key
ENGLAND
AVON
SUBAQUAHOLICS @ MIKES
Unit 1, Wyatts View, Avon Village Centre, Bristol, BS4 4WW Tel: 0117 9776227 Fax: 0117 9715558 Email: [email protected] Website: www.subaquaholics.co.uk Opening hours: 10-6 Mon-Sat, late opening Tuesday & Thursday till 7. Air & Nitrox to 300 bar, Trimix. OSS, OST, BS, EH, Nitrox. Huge range of stock, PADI courses O/W to DM & MSDT. Anyone is welcome to join us on UK & warm wat---er tips with our active, friendly club!
DORSET
FATHOM & BLUES LTD
262 Portland Rd, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9DF Tel: 01305 766220 Fax: 01305 778690 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fathomandblues.co.uk Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 8.30am to 6pm Air to 300 bar PADI 5# CDC, DAN, TDI, RYA POWERBOAT SCHOOL, TecRec, EH, NITROX. The only completely one-stop Dive Centre in a pub! Beer, diving and accommodation all in one place! New facilities with 4 coded vessels for local/offshore wrecks. Cafe, unrivalled views over Portland harbour, showers, kit storage and parking.
PORTHKERRIS DIVERS
Porthkerris, St. Keverne, Helston, Cornwall TR12 6QJ Tel: 01326 280620 Email: [email protected] Website: www.porthkerris.com Opening Hours: 7 days a week. PADI 5# IDC Centre. Diving tuition from novice to instructor. The manacles, wrecks and reefs, only 5 mins. Hardboat and Rib charters, escorted dives, Dive shop, beach Caf, basking Shark Trips, camping and best shore dive in the UK. OLD HARBOUR DIVE CENTRE 11 Nothe Parade, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8TX Tel: 01305 760888 Email:[email protected] Website: www.oldharbourdivecentre.com Opening hours: 9.30 - 5.00 pm Monday - Friday but hours may vary.please check website. Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5# IDC and RYA training centre. EH, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox, Trimix, 02. Dorset's most comprehensive scuba diving facilility. Well stocked shop. Hardboat trips daily during the season. R.I.B. facilities outside our harbourside premises. Small/large Groups catered for.
BERKSHIRE
DIVECREW
37 Binfield Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 2AW Tel: 01344 454245 Fax: 01344 454246 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divecrew.co.uk Opening Hours: 10am to 6.30pm - Monday - Friday 10am to 2.30pm Saturday Air To 300 Bar, Nitrox, PADI CDC. EH, TD, EA, AYRD, UWP, NDCF. Platinum Course Director on Staff, Scubapro Showroom (top 10), Servicing and Air Fills inc Nitrox, UK Club Diving as well as diving holidays.
DIVESYLE
Unit A, Bridge Farm, Reading Road, Arborfield, Berkshire, RG2 9HT Tel: 0118 976 1729 Fax: 0118 926 9616 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divestyle.co.uk Opening Hours: M, T, T, F 10:00 - 18:00 W 10:00 - 20:00 S 10:00 - 17:00. Air To 300 Bar. PADI 5# IDC. Nitrox, National Geographic. EH, ESI, TD, EA, FCF, AYRD. PADI IDC centre, Nitrox, Trimix, equipment retail, PADI, SSI, BSAC, EFR, DSAT, TDI, rebreather friendly, Family friendly, child friendly, kids parties (4 weeks notice).
ESSEX
2DIVE4
10 Chapel Hill, Stansted, Essex. CM24 8AG Tel: 01279 815559 Email: [email protected] Website: www.2dive4.co.uk Opening hours: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK. Monday - Via appointment only. Tuesday - 09:00 - 17:30, Wednesday 09:00 - 17:30, Thursday Late Night - 09:00 - 19:00, Friday - 09:00 - 17:30, Saturday - 09:00 - 17:30, Sunday - Via appointment only. Air to 300 bar, NITROX, TRIMIX. PADI IDC Centre. TDI Technical Diving Centre. All courses from beginner to Instructor. All major brands in store and in online shop. Discounts on packages. All brands of servicing done on site. UK dive trips and Red Sea specialists. FRIENDLY, HELPFUL STAFF.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
SCUBADUCKS DIVE CENTRE LTD
DERBYSHIRE
CHESTERFIELD ADVENTURE CENTRE
Wheatbridge Road, Off Dock Wall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 2AB Tel: 01246 245408 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divenut.co.uk Opening hours: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5# IDC, OSS, BS, EH. Full range of courses from beginner to instructor. Equipment sales, dive club, group holidays. Nitrox, Submatix rebreather sales & training. Easy parking. 3 pool nights.
SHOP KEY OSS................................Onsite servicing OST ..................................Onsite testing BS ................Testing to British Standards OVERSEAS ABBREVIATIONS Acc ................................Accommodation AIP ........................All inclusive package AT ..................................Airport Transfers AYRD ....................All year round diving BH ............................................Boat hire CAOS ..................Compressed air onsite CH ..............................................Car hire EA ........................Environment Activities EH ..................................Equipment hire ESI ..............English speaking instructors FCF ..........................Families catered for LB ........................................Liveaboards NDCF ..................Non-divers catered for OWs ..........................Other watersports TD ........................................Tech diving UWP ................Underwater photography
34 Edison Road, Rabans Lane Ind. Est. Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 8TE Tel: 01296 317787 Fax: 01296 398958 Email: [email protected] Web: www.scubaducks.co.uk Opening Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat 10am to 6pm, Thur 1pm to 7.30pm Sunday 11am to 4pm Air to 300 Bar. EH, LB, ESI, TD, AIP, ACC, FCF, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox, Trimix. PADI 5# IDC Centre. Large on site heated pool, Huge retail area with all major brands, Poseidon Rebreather Centre, Dive Club, Dive Trips & Holidays, IDEST Service Centre.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
PARWIN SCUBA Manor Farm, Church Rd, Glatton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire Tel: 01487 834630 Fax: 01487 830407 Email: [email protected] Website: www.parwinscuba.co.uk Opening hours: 8am - 4pm Mon Weds Thurs Fri and most weekends. Air to 300 Bar. Shop, Servicing and cylinder testing to ASSET IDEST/UKAS on site by friendly owner. Fast turnaround and free parking.
DEVON
DIVERS DOWN
139 Babbacombe Road, Babbacombe, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 3SR Tel: 01803 327111 Fax: 01803 314728 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diversdown.co.uk PADI 5# IDC Centre. OSS, BS, EH, ES, CAOS, Nitrox. Active dive club, escorted dives, boat trips organised. Courses from beginner to instructor. Open 7 days a week.
DIVERSE SCUBA
Ye Olde plough House Motel, Brentwood Road, Bulphan, Essex, RM14 3SR Tel/Fax: 01375 892444 Mob: 07814 570165 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diverse-scuba.co.uk Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs 2pm-10pm. Sat & Sun 10:30am-5pm (Closed Fri). Our own On Site Pool, Air to 300 Bar, PADI 5# IDC. OSS, EH,On Site Pool FCF, Acc, Restaurant Facilities. Complete range of PADI courses available, from Discover Scuba through to Instructor, with resident course director, Full range of specialities, classroom. Dive shop. Social events and holidays.
CHESHIRE
NEW HORIZONS DIVE CENTRE LTD 51-53 Park Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire. SK11 6TX. Tel: 01625 611108 Email: [email protected] Website: www.new-horizon.co.uk Opening hours: Mon 9-6, Tues, Wed closed, Thur 9-7, Fri 96, Sat 9-5, Sun 11-5. Friendly, professional tuition offering full range of PADI courses from beginner to Instructor. Large retail outlet for sales, rental and servicing. Dive Club, dive trips in the UK and abroad. National Geographic Centre.
WorldMags
UK DIVE CENTRES
LODGE SCUBA ACADEMY
35 Solent Court, 1258 London Road, Norbury, London SW16 4EE. Tel/Fax: 0208 765 1036 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lodgescuba.com NAUI Pro Diving Centre. OSS, OST, Nitrox.An active dive club with over 300 friendly members from all organisations. UK and International trips, training & social evenings. Dive locally at Crystal Palace & Streatham.
DIVING UNLIMITED
The Dive Centre, 56 Lessness Avenue, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 5SJ Tel: 0208 311 0201 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.divingunlimited.co.uk Opening Hours: 10:30am-7pm Tues-Sat. Learn to Scuba Dive. PADI 5# Dive Centre. Kids courses and parties our specialty. Equipment hire, maintenance & purchase. Emergency first response. PADI & DAN Oxygen courses. Club atmosphere. Regular newsletter & social events. Dive trips UK & overseas. Try dives & practice sessions. Private or group training available. Courses from absolute beginner to professional and beyond. OSS, OST, BS.
SURREY
OXYGENE CRANLEIGH
82b Smithbrook Kilns, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8JJ Freephone: 01483 279879 Email: [email protected] Website: http://oxygenediving.com/cranleigh Opening Hours: 9:30am - 5:30pm Monday to Sunday. Closed Wed. Air to 300 Bar. Closed Wednesdays. PADI 5# IDC. Nitrox, National Geographic. EH, LB, ESI, TD, AIP, FCF, AYRD, UWP, NDCF, CAOS. A friendly dive centre in the heart of Surrey, catering for all levels of divers and snorkellers.
HERTFORDSHIRE
2DIVE4
10 Chapel Hill, Stansted, Essex. CM24 8AG Tel: 01279 815559 Email: [email protected] Website: www.2dive4.co.uk Opening hours: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK. Monday - Via appointment only,Tuesday - 09:00 - 17:30,Wednesday - 09:00 17:30,Thursday Late Night - 09:00 - 19:00, Friday - 09:00 17:30, Saturday - 09:00 - 17:30, Sunday - Via appointment only. Air to 300 bar, NITROX,TRIMIX. PADI IDC Centre.TDI Technical Diving Centre.All courses from beginner to Instructor.All major brands in store and in online shop. Discounts on packages.All brands of servicing done on site. UK dive trips and Red Sea specialists. FRIENDLY, HELPFUL STAFF.
SUSSEX
OCEAN VIEW DIVING SERVICES LTD
160 South Street, Lancing, West Sussex. BN15 8AU. Tel: 01903 767224 Fax: 01903 754361 Email: [email protected] Website: www.oceanviewdiving.co.uk PADI 5# IDC Centre. IANTD, TDI. OSS, OST, EH, BS. Air to 300 Bar, Nitrox. Mail order, suit repairs, holidays abroad, on-site indoor pool. Licenced bar and club. Largest selection of equipment in Sussex.
LANCASHIRE
CAPERNWRAY DIVING CENTRE
Jackdaw Quarry, Carnforth, LA6 1AD Tel: 01524 735132 Fax: 01524 735520 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dive-site.co.uk Opening Hours: 0900-1700 weekends. Closed Monday exept Bank Holidays.1000-1700 weekdays. Wednesday to 2100 during Summer. Air to 250 bar. PADI 5 # IDC, National Geographic, Nitrox. Shop, restaurant, showers, changing rooms, car parking, disabled, Courses in various languages, hoiday lets, conference room, workshop and servicing centre. EH, ESI, TD, Acc, AYRD, UWP, NDCF, CAOS
MANCHESTER
DIVE LIFE
Stone Pale Buildings, Victoria Lane, Whitefield Manchester M45 6BL Tel: 0161 796 0300 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divelife.co.uk Opening Hours: Mon,Wed,Fri 9-5:30 9.00am-5.30pm,Thurs 9.00am-8.00pm, Sat 9.00am-4.00pm. PADI 5# IDC Centre, BSAC Technical Centre & Seamanship Centre, IANTD Platinum Centre.Air to 350 Bar. Nitrox,Trimix, Oxygen, National Geo. EH, LB, ESI,TD, EA, FCF,AYRD, UWP, CAOS,AIP.We cater for everyone from snorkellers, Holiday Divers, UK Divers through to Tech and Rebreather Divers.All equipment, servicing, gas, suit repairs and hire onsite.
WEST MIDLANDS
HIDDEN DIVING GB LTD
126 Haslucks Green Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 2EH Tel: 0121 744 1526 Fax: 0121 733 3618 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hiddendiving.com Opening Hours: Mon/Thurs 10:00-20:00, Tues/Wed/Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 09:30-17:30 PADI 5# IDC. Air to 300 bar, Nitrox/Trimix gas booster to pump oxygen to 220 bar. The Midlands first National Geographic Centre. Full time Course Director onsite. Equipment from leading manufacturers. Over 24 PADI specialtys/ DSAT Tec Rec offered. OSS, BS, EH, Nitrox, National Geographic, ESI, COAS, FCF, AYRD, UWP, NDCF.
MIDDLESEX
G & H DIVING SERVICES LTD
Unit 1, Willow House, River Gardens, N Feltham Trading Estate, TW14 0RD.
KENT
BLUE OCEAN DIVING
West Park Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 7AF (NEXT TO MOAT PARK LEISURE CENTRE) Tel: 01622 212 022 Email: [email protected] Website: www.blueoceandiving.co.uk Opening Hours: ***FREE TRY DIVES EVERY WEEK*** TUES-SUN 10-6pm. LATE 8pm TUES & THURS. PADI 5# Instructor Development Centre. National Geographic Dive Centre. Scubaholics Dive Club. FREE MEMBERSHIP. UK Diving, Social events & Holiday Trips every month. Servicing, Testing, Spares and Repairs. Workshop on site. 300bar Air/Nitrox. Large Shop Free Parking. 20+ Speciality Courses incl Rebreathers, DPV & TECDEEP. PADI Instructor Career Development Course (CDC). AI + OWSI + EFRI + 20x SPEC INST + DSAT ITC.
LONDON
AQUANAUT SCUBA & SNORKELLING CENTRE
34 Coombe Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, KT2 7AG Tel: 0208 546 8882 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aquanautscuba.co.uk Opening Hours: Mon-11am - 6pm, Tues/Wed-10am 6pm, Thurs-11am - 7pm, Fri-10am - 6pm, Sat-10am - 6pm, Sun by appointment. Nitrox & Air to 300bar, 5# IDC Centre and BSAC Centre. SITA member. OSS OST BS CAOS EH TD. Courses from beginner to instuctor, Fully stocked dive shop with excellent purchasing advice, Friendly and very active dive clubwith UK and overseas trips and social.
Tel: 020 8751 3771 / 020 8890 3302 Fax: 020 8751 2591 E-mail: [email protected] Website: Under construction Opening Hours: 8.30 - 5.30 Mon to Friday. 8.30 - 12 noon Sat. Air to 300 Bar. BSAC, TDI, SDI & PSA. EH,TD,CAOS. Cylinder testing IDEST 2v, Regulator servicing, Air, Nitrox, Trimix, TDI Technical courses. Suit repairs.
NORWICH
CHRISTAL SEAS SCUBA LTD
6 CROMER ROAD, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR6 6ND.
WILTSHIRE
THE DIVEZONE LTD
Unit G21, Avonside Enterprise Park, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 8BS. Tel: 01225 791 440 Email: [email protected] Website: www.thedivezone.co.uk Shop online: www.divezonedirect.co.uk Opening Hours: Tues-Thurs 10am-5:30pm, Fri-Sat 10am6pm, Closed Sunday and Monday. Air to 300 Bar. Padi 5# Centre. Ample free parking, large dive club, travel, training, experience and equipment specialists. Unbaised advice from divers who love to dive! OSS, OST, BS, IDEST, EH, Nitrox.
DIVE MACHINE
Unit 11 Orchard Business Centre, Sanderson Way, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1QF Tel: 01732 773553 Fax: 01732 773663 Website: www.divemachine.com Email: [email protected] Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 09.30-17.30, Weds 09.3019.00. Air to 300 bar, nitrox, trimix, idest. PADI CDC, PADI Courses from beginner to instructor. IANTD, Nitrox. Specialities: Enriched air, Dry suit, Photographer, Deep, Night, Underwater navigator, wreck, Oxygen first aid, DAN 02, Boat, Equipment and Drift. Authorised dealer for most leading mfctrs. Large display area. Classrooms. Large free car park. Professional, friendly service & advice. Regulator Services. Suit repairs. Holidays abroad and in the UK.
Tel: 01603 485000 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.scuba4me.co.uk Opening Hours: 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. PADI 5# IDC.Air to 300 Bar. EH, LB,TD, EA, FC,AYRD, UWP, BH, Nitrox. Friendly experienced staff and well stocked dive shop with equipment from all major manufacturers. All PADI courses from beginner to in-house instructor training. Dive boat.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Beechdale Swimming Centre, Beechdale Road, Bilborough, Nottingham NG8 3LL Free information pack call: 0115 929 0707 FAX: 0115929 0808 Website: www.divemasterscuba.com Email: [email protected]. Pool Opening Hours: Tuesday evenings 7.30-9.30. PADI Dive Centre, BSAC School.All divers welcome - come and join us. Courses start every 6 weeks. Holidays, equipment sales and hire. Nottingham Adventure Centre, 403 Aspley Lane, Nottingham NG8 5RR. 5 minutes from Junction 26 M1. Opening Hours Tues-Sat 10am6 pm.Air fills to 300 bar. Cylinder testing, equipment servicing, suit repairs. Main agents for PADI, BSAC, Dacor, Sea & Sea, Northern Diver, IST,Typhoon and Oceanic, Bodyglove, Beaver,AP Valves(Buddy) Dive Rite, Sherwood. Join one of the largest Dive Clubs in the UK. Regular trips.
YORKSHIRE
THE DIVERS WAREHOUSE
Otter House, The Slip Road, 911 Wakefield Road, Dudley Hill Slip Road, Bradford, BD4 7QA Tel: 0044 (0)1274-307555 Fax: 0044 (0)1274-730993 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diverswarehouse.co.uk Opening Hours: 9.30-5.30pm Mon - Fri, Thur 8pm, Sat 9.30-5pm. OSS-OST-BS-EH, Air to 3800psi. Specialities: Made to measure dry suits, suit repairs.
WorldMags
UK DIVE CENTRES
THE DIVER TRAINING COLLEGE
Malt Kiln Lane, Appleton Roebuck, York, North Yorkshire YO23 7DT Tel: 01904 744424 Fax: 01904 744724 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diving-serv.co.uk Opening hours: 9.00am-5.00pm Mon-Sat. Air to 300 Bar.PADI5# Centre, OSS-OST-BS-Nitrox. Full range of PADI specialities,RYA courses and specialist commercial diving courses. Full range of equipment sales from our well stocked dive shop.Open Mon-Sat.
OVERSEAS
AUSTRALIA
SUNREEF SCUBA DIVING SERVICES
110 BRISBANE ROAD MOOLOOLABA QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA Tel: 61-7-5444 5656 Fax: 61-7-5478 0716 Email: [email protected] Web: www.sunreef.com.au Opening Hours: 8am - 5pm 7 days Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5# IDC Centre. Nitrox. EH, LB, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, AT, ATRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Dive HMAS BRISBANE wreck, reef dives, 37' custom built dive boat, small groups, Equipment hire (incl cameras, torches) & servicing, Wreck, Deep, Nitrox courses, Gear sales.
LIMASSOL DIVE-IN
Kypreopoullos Court No. 2 59 Amathus Avenue, Limassol 4532 Cyprus Tel: +357-25-311600 Fax: +357-25-313267 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dive-in.com.cy Acc, AT. ESI, EA, BH, AYRD, UWP, OW, NDCF, TD, CAOS, EH, CH,AIP, FCF. Fully independent Diving Retail Shop featuring APEKS, SEAQUEST, SUUNTO, MARES, DEEPSEE,TECHNISUB, SPORASUB, BEAVER, WATERPROOF and much, much more! Great prices and even greater bargain deals, try us now. Special Rates only 308 7 nights Acc + 6 Dives.
CYPRUS
ALPHA DIVERS, LARNACA
2 Pyla Gardens, Dhekelia Road Tel: 00357 24647519 Fax: 00357 24647519 Email: [email protected] Website: www.alpha-divers.com Opening Hours: 0730 - 1830 Air to 300 Bar. PADI Gold Palm IDC Centre. BSAC Technical Centre, Disabled friendly & TecRec. Nitrox, Tri-mix, ATOL. The Zenobia Wreck Specialists, best boats, best service, best ZENOBIA dives guaranteed. Individual & all-inclusive holidays arranged. 10 Dive package with 1 weeks luxury accomodation for only 350 Euros pp. EH, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, NDCF, CAOS.
LARNACA DIVE-IN
Blu View Residence, 132 Piale Pasha Larnaca 6027 Cyprus. Tel/Fax: +357-24-627469 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dive-in.com.cy TDI Instructor Trainer onsite. SDI/TDI Regional Office. PADI 5# GOLD PALM RESORT DSAT/TecRec centre, BSAC Technical School, DAN. Air, Nitrox, Trimix, CCR friendly, O2 to 200 bar. Full cylinder & regulator workshop. OSS, OST, ACC, AIP, AT, AYRD, CAOS, EH, ESI, NDCF, TD, LB, UWP. Specialists in Zenobia diving.
WALES
WEST WALES DIVE CENTRE
Broadhaven, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire Tel: 01437 781457 07813 174707 Email: [email protected] EH, ESI, AIP, ACC, FCF, AYRD, UWP, BH, CAOS. PADI 5# IDC. National Geographic, Nitrox. Diving Skomer Marine Reserve. Unique marine-life. Excellent shore & boat diving. Sea safaris. Guided Dives. Groups & all-incl.packages. 4-day Learn-to-dive Courses.
LARNACA DIVE-IN
HTTC Ltd (Hyperbaric Therapy Treatment Centre), 47a Eleftherias Avenue, Aradippou, Larnaca 7102, CYPRUS Tel: +35725320101 Fax: +35725320108 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hbotherapy.com If you are concerned or feel that you have unusual signs or symptoms after a dive please always get it checked. We have a 24/7, 365 days service with a full Hyperbaric Medical team on standby at our 14 Man fully computerized, HAUX 2200 Starmed Unit. We are the Preferred Provider for IDAN, UK Armed Forces, US Armed Forces, NATO and many more. We offer Direct Insurance billing for all treatments. Also Dry Dives to 40 metres, PADI Chamber Specialty Courses, DAN In-Chamber Tender Courses, DAN Chamber Operator Courses, DAN Consumer and Instructor Courses to all Levels.
BELIZE
SCOTLAND
BERWICKSHIRE
AQUASTARS DIVE CENTRE
New Harbour Buildings, Guns Green Basin,Eyemouth, Berwickshire, Scotland. TD14 5SD Tel: 018907 50904 Mob: 07886 314008 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aquastars.co.uk Opening Hours: 9am-5pm. Air to 300 Bar. PADI School. SITA, OST, OSS, BS, EH. Guided dives, 10 metre rib, boat charter, shop, hot showers, holiday packages arranged.
P.O. Box 480, Belize City, Belize Tel: 713-425-5399 or 800-874-0118 in the US Fax: 713-236-7743 Email: [email protected] Website: www.turnefferesort.com Opening hours: 365 days a year. A private Caribbean Island. PADI Dive Resort. EH, ESI, Acc, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF. Nitrox. We specialize in all PADI dive courses, Fishing courses and guided trips. Various tours and activities for all guests. Come see for yourself!
CAMBODIA
SCUBA NATION DIVING CENTRE
18, Sothearos, Phnom Penh & Mohachai Guesthouse, Sihanoukville, Cambodia Tel: 855 (0) 12 715785 / 12 604680 Fax: 855 (0) 23 211850 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divecambodia.com Opening Hours: 9am - 8pm Air to 220 Bar. PADI 5# IDC Centre. Nitrox, Nat Geo. EH, LB, ESI, EA, AIP, Acc, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, NDCF. British/Dutch owners. Day trips, liveaboards, packages, nitrox. Great macro, reefs, muck dives, night dives, photography and small groups. All PADI Courses. DM/IDC interships available.
NORTHERN IRELAND
COUNTY DOWN
DV DIVING
138 Mount Steward Road, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT22 2ES. Northern Ireland. Tel: 02891 464671/861686 Fax: 02891 464671 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dvdiving.co.uk OSS, OST, BS, EH. DV Diving offer one of Europe's most comprehensive ranges of scuba, technical and commercial diving and powerboat training courses - for the complete beginner through to instructor development for the most experienced professionals.
LIMASSOL DIVE-IN
Four Seasons Beach Resort Hotel Amathus Avenue, P.O.Box 57222 Limassol 3313 Cyprus Tel: +357-25-311923 Fax: +357-25-313267 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dive-in.com.cy PADI 5# CDC and 5# Dive Centres.Acc,AT. ESI, EAS, BH, AYRD,UWP, OW,NDCF,TD, CAOS, EH, CH,AIP, FCF, EA. The only PADI CDC and 5# facility in Limassol and by far the best Equipment and the most professional Dive Centre in town. Full Mares Dive Centre layout. Great boats and great vehicles. Special Rates only 308 for 7 nights Acc + 6 Dives.
14 PORTMORE ROAD , PORTSTEWART NORTHERN IRELAND Tel: 28 70832584 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aquaholics.org Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5# CENTRE. NITROX, TRIMIX. EH, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, ACC,FCF,AT, AYRD,UWP,CH,BH, NDCF, CAOS. Offering the full range of courses from Beginner to Trimix. Diving the spectacular clear water of the North Coast from Rathlin Island to Malin Head.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
SCUBAFUN
Called Principal #28, Bayahibe, D. Republic Tel: 001 809-833-0003 Fax: 001 809-833-0005 Email: [email protected] Web: www.scubafun.info PADI. EH, ESI, EA, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox. The best dive shop in the Dominican Republic with high quality rental gear and custom built 42+ foot catamaran dive boats! Get Wet with ScubaFun!!
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OCEAN COLLEGE
Hilton Fayrouz Hotel, Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh. Tel: 0020 127792749 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ocean-college.com Opening Hours: 8am - 6pm Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5# IDC, BSAC Premier Centre, TDI Instructor Training Facility. Nitrox, ATOL Bonded. EH, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Ocean College, one of Sharm's premier dive operators, offers a full range of PADI courses & daily excursions to all Sharm's top dive sites.
FUERTEVENTURA
DEEP BLUE DIVE CENTRE
P.O. Box 33 Caleta de Fuste, Antigua, E-35610, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands Tel: +34 606 27 54 68 or +34 928 16 37 12 Fax: +34 928 16 39 83 Email: [email protected] Website: www.deep-blue-diving.com Opening Hours: All year round 8:00am-6:00pm EH, ESI, EA, CAOS, Acc, FCF, AYRD, UWP, NDCF. PADI Discover scuba to Divemaster. All year round, water front location, small groups, 20-25m visibility. Exclusive dive sites, after dive sector.
St. Simon Street, Xlendi Bay, Gozo, VCT115 Malta Tel: 00 356 21 551301 Fax: 00 356 21 561548 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gozodive.com Opening Hours: 12 months a year PADI 5# Gold Palm Resort, Nitrox, National Geographic,ATOL Bonded. Friendly and professional service for all levels of diver. Dive from the shore and by boat. Fullly equipped PADI Dive Centre and well stocked shop.. EH,Acc, BH, FCF, CAOS, CH,AT, ESI, NDCF, SSI IAMD
GOZO
BLUE WATERS DIVE COVE
Kuncizzjoni Street Qala, Gozo, Malta Tel: 00 356 2156 5626 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divebluewaters.com Opening Hours: 8am til late. Air to 232 Bar. PADI Dive Centre. Nitrox, ESI, Acc, AT, AYRD, UWP, EH, BH, CH, FCF, CAOS, AIP, NDCF. Dive centre and organisers of holidays on Gozo, Malta. Situated in a typical village with a local lifestyle youll love. Diving around the three islands.
CORAYA DIVERS
MADINAT CORAYA / MARSA ALAM Tel: 0020 65 37 5000 Fax: 0020 65 37 50055 Email: [email protected] Website: www.coraya-divers.com Opening hours: 7 days a week from 8am until 6pm Air to 200 Bar. PADI 5# Centre, EH; ESI; EA; AT; AYRD; UWP. Nitrox for free (32% O Mix)2 Half-&Fullday Bus & Boattrips; 5 Speedboat trips, guided & unguided housereef dives between 8,30am & 4pm, earlymorning & nightdives, PADI education.
SINAI DIVERS
Ghazala Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt Tel: 00 20 069 3600 697 Fax: 00 20 069 3600 158 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sinaidivers.com Opening Hours: 08:00 - 20:00 summer/ 08:00 - 18:30 winter. Air to 200 bar. EH, LB, ESI, TD, EA, Acc, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, FCF, CAOS, AT. Free Nitrox for Nitrox certified divers, NG. PADI 5# Gold Palm Resort. SSI, CMAS (Barakuda) CDC & TDI (Dahab). Easy house reef in the centre Naama Bay, safari boats, north & south. Full tec centre in Dahab, Resort and dive centre in Marsa Alam and Taba.
GREECE
CALYPSO DIVING CENTRE
The Seafront, Marsalforn Bay, Island of GOZO, Malta Tel: 00 356 2156 1757 Fax: 00 356 2156 2020 Email: [email protected] Website: www.calypsodivers.com Opening Hours: 08.00 - 17.00, 7 days a week. PADI Dive Centre, BSAC Centre of Excellence. Air to 232 Bar. EH, ESI, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS, NITROX. Equipment washing & storage room, air conditioned classrooms, 5 trucks, 2 ribs, wide range of equipment for hire, shop, hot showers.
DESERT DIVERS
Centre of Masbat Bay PO Box 58, Dahab,South Sinai, Egypt Tel/Fax: 00 20 (0)69 3640 500 Mob: +20 (0)10 40 40 181 Email: [email protected] PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Resort, DAN sponsor, Disabled Diving. AA, AIP, AT, AYRD, CAOS, EA, EH, ESI, FCF, NDCF, OW, UWP. Dahabs centre for Diving & Desert Adventure in the Sinai. Unique Specialities inc AIDA Freediving, Camel Diving Safaris, Deep Desert Safaris, Rock Climbing & Yoga.
FIJI
LALATI RESORT & SPA
P.O. Box 461, Pacific Harbour, Fiji Islands Tel: 679-368-0453 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.lalatifiji.com Opening Hours: Daily - 7 - midnight PADI Resort. EH, ESI, EA, ACC, AT, AYRD, BH, NDCF, CAOS. 4 Star boutique resort on world famous Beqa Lagoon. World class diving, sites within 5-10 min. distance from resort. Lots of top side activities.
GRENADA
AQUANAUTS GRENADA
c/o True Blue Bay Resort Tel: 020-8144-8606 Fax: 1-473-444-1127 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aquanautsgrenada.com Opening Hours: 08.00 to 17.00 hs daily Air to 200 Bar. PADI 5# RESORT, SDI/TDI FACILITY. EH, ESI,TD, EA, AIP,ACC, FCF,AT,AYRD, UWP, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox. Great wreck diving only few minutes boat ride, 2 tank morning, 1 tank afternoon, night fluo dives, trimix available and rebreather friendly.
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HONDURAS
TRANQUILSEAS ECO LODGE & DIVING
Carretera Pavimentada Principal, Cahoon Bite, Sandy Bay 33172, Honduras Email: [email protected] Website: www.tranquilseas.com PADI STORE/RESORT. EH, ESI, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, NDCF, CAOS, Nitrox. LOCAL DIVING & DIVE SAFARIS, PRIVATE SWIMMING POOL, BAR & RESTAURANT, DOCK, HOUSE REEF FOR SNORKELLING, CLOSE LOCATION TO REEF, CAN ORGANISE ALL ISLAND ACTIVITIES FROM OUR SITE.
DIVE SYSTEMS
MALAYSIA
SIPADAN-KAPALAI DIVE RESORT
# 484, BLOCK P, BANDAR SABINDO, 91000 TAWAU Tel: 6089-765200 Fax: 6089-763563 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sipaden-resort.com PADI DIVE CENTRE. Resort Facilities: Water Chalets, private balcony,Restaurant,Sundeck,Dive Centre,dive equipment,Souvenir Shop,TV(Lobby Area),Wi Fi(Restaurant and Kapalai Centre Garden Lounge) Games Room(Table Tennis and Snooker Table) EH,ESI,AIP,AT,AYRD,FCF,NDCF
Tower Point-Exiles, Tower Road, Sliema Tel: (+356) 21319123 Fax: (+356) 21342040 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divesystemsmalta.com Opening Hours: 08:30 - 18:00 (Winter) 08:30 - 20:00 (Summer) Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5#. EH, LB, ESI, TD, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox. Situated by the water's edge, Dive Systems is one of Malta's the leading Dive Centres with over 30 years experience and a clean safety record.
MALTA
TWO FISH DIVERS
Lembeh Straits & Bunaken Island Tel: 62-811-43-2805 Email: [email protected] Website: www.twofishdivers.com PADI 5# IDC. Nitrox, EH, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, AT, AYRD, UWP, NDCF. Tina and Nigel are from the UK and they owe & run Two Fish Divers, a small and friendly PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive operation with two dive resorts that offer some of the best diving in Indonesia: 1. Bunaken Island - dive the award-winning reefs of Bunaken Marine Park 2. Lembeh Straits - dive the muck-diving capital of the world.
INDONESIA
The Waters Edge, Mellieha Bay Hotel, Ghadira, Malta MLH 9065 Tel: +356 2152 2141 Fax: +356 2152 1053 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aquaventuremalta.com PADI 5# Gold Palm Resort. BSAC, Acc, ATs, ESIs, BH, EAs, AYRD, UWP, OWs, NDCF, CAOS, EH, CH, FCF. Services: Air conditioned audio/visual classroom plus 3 training pools on-site, free daily pick-up service, scheduled daily escorted shore & boat dives, full range of specialities, retail shop, on-site showers. One of Maltas leading dive centres, with total commitment to customer care and satisfaction.
Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta Tel: (+356) 21 356 441 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divewise.com.mt Opening Hours: 7 days a week from 9am till finish. Air to 300 Bar. PADI 5# IDC Centre. Nitrox,Trimix, Boat Diving, Day trips. EH,ESI,TD,EA,ACC,FCF,AT,AYRD,UWP,CH,BH,NDCF,CAOS. PADI's No1 centre in Malta offering all courses but specialising in Technical diving & Instrcutor level.
DIVEWISE
MALTAQUA
Mosta Road, St. Pauls Bay SPB 03 Tel: (+356) 21 571873/21 572558 Fax: (+356) 21 580064 Email: [email protected] Website: www.maltaqua.com www.tecdivingmalta.com Open all year. Courses and excursions for all level of divers. PADI/BSAC referrals. Weekly dive programme on website. Air/Nitrox/Trimix. Large retail outlet. Car rental & Acc. Cater for both private Instruction and large groups. Acc, AYRD, CH.
Jalan Petitenget 2A, Kuta-Legian-Seminyak, Bali 80361, Indonesia. Tel: +62 361 738020 Fax: +62 361 738021 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aquamarinediving.com Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00 Air to 200 Bar. PADI 5# Gold Palm Resort 6344. EH, Nitrox, ESI, EA, CAOS, Acc, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF. Balis only British owner-operated dive company. Only offers Balis better dive locations (wrecks, drifts, Mantas, shore, deep). Daily Trips and Customised Dived Packages. UWP Specialists.
JORDAN
Al Rashid Street, PO Box 636, Aqaba, Jordan 77110 Tel: 00962 32064005 / 00962 795801100 Fax: 00962 32064006 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jordandivingcenter.com Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 ir To 200 Bar. PADI 5# Dive Resort. Nitrox, National Geographic. The only National Geographic Center in Jordan. Daily shore and boat diving on 20 dive sites along the Jordanian coastline of the Red Sea. EH, ESI, TD, EA, FCF,AT,AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS
CORSAIR DIVING
14/16 Triq il-Qroll, Bugibba, SPB 2550 Tel: 00 356 21570118 Email: [email protected] Website: www.corsairdivingmalta.com Opening Hours: 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. Sunday by prior arrangement only. PADI 5# dive centre. Nitrox.Air to 300 Bar. EH ESI EA AIP Acc FCF AT AYRD UWP CH BH NDCF CAOS. Purpose built dive centre with excellent facilities. All courses from beginner to Instructor. Small groups. 45% of our customers are repeat bookings or been recommended.
LANZAROTE
C.C. Calipso Local 3, Avda, De Las Islas, Canarias, 35509 Costa Teguise, Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Tel: 00 34 928 590879 Fax: 00 34 928 590879 Email: [email protected] Website: www.calipso-diving.com PADI Resort S9645, BSAC Centre of excellence, SSI School. Facilities: Acc, AIP, EH, ESIs, EA, BH, AYRD, UWP, OWS, NDCF, TD, CAOS, EH, CH, FCF, Nitrox Blending, Rebreathers. Snorkeling and Discover Scuba diving. Excursions run daily.
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SPAIN
SALGAR DIVING
SAUDI ARABIA
GULF DIVER GROUP
P.O. Box 132051 Jeddah 21382, Saudi Arabia Tel: 96626766225 Fax: 96626766224 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gdiver.com Opening Hours: 09.00 AM to 12.200 Midnight Air to 250 BAR. PADI Dive Center (21892). We organize diving trips, safari, camping and diving courses in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Khobar, Dammam and Jubail. Nitrox. EH, LB, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, Acc, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS.
Paseo Martimo, S/N SAlgar, San Luis, Menorca, Spain. Tel: 0034 971 150 601 Fax: 0034 971 150 604 Email: [email protected] Website: www.salgardiving.com Opening Hours: 9.00-18.00 PADI 5# IDC, IANTD, RYA, EH, ESI, CAOS, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, UWP, CH, NDCF. Air to 232 Bar. Boat Diving, Professional Captains, Divesites within 15mins, 2+ Boats/Day, Reefs, Caverns, Biosphere Reserve, English Run, Groups/Clubs welcome, Courses DSD to Cavern & Cave.
SOUTH AFRICA
ALIWAL DIVE CENTRE
No. 2 Moodie Street, Umkomaas, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa Tel: +27 39 973 2233 Fax: +27 39 973 2133 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aliwalshoal.co.za Opening Hours: 07h00 - 16h00 Air to 200 BAR. PADI 5# Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre. EH, ESI, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox. Scuba diving/training, on site bed and breakfast lodge, wifi, internet cafe, laundry service, on site heated training/recreational pool, baited shark dives.
MEXICO
SIMPLY DIVING
Carlota Alessandri #25,Torremolinos 29620, Malaga. Spain Tel: 0034 600506526 Email: [email protected] Website: www.simplydiving.com PADI, PADI 5#, ESI, BSAC, EA, EH, BH, NAUI, AYRD, SAA, UWP, Acc, FCF, AT, NDCF. The only British-run PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort in southern Spain. We dive 240km of coastline including the famous wrecks of Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol. Open all year. All Specialties on offer. Special rates for groups.
South Hotel Zone - between the Park Royal and Casa del Mar hotels Tel: 0052 (987) 872-4240 Fax: 0052 (987) 872-6142 Email: [email protected] Website: www.DiveECOcozumel.com Opening Hours: 7:30am - 7:30pm. Air to 270 Bar. PADI PIRA #16544. Nitrox. Specializing in small dive groups and personalized service, Scuba Shack / Dive ECO-cozumel has been servicing Cozumel for over 20 years. EH, ESI, TD, EA, AYRD, UWP, CAOS.
MOZAMBIQUE
DIVERSITY SCUBA
Po box 194, Inhambane, Mozambique Tel: +258 29329002 Fax: +258 29329042 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diversityscuba.com Opening Hours: 7am - 5.30pm 7 days a week, all year Air to 220 bar. PADI 5# IDC, IANTD. Nitrox. EH, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, Acc, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Longest running divecentre in Tofo offering first class diving and service. Whaleshark ocean safaris, Manta dives and an abundance of marine life. Individuals and groups welcome.
THAILAND
ALVARO DIVING
Calok Baan Kao Bay, Koh Tao, Thailand Tel: +6677456457/+66864762637 Fax: +66 77 45 6457 Email: [email protected] Website: www.divingcourseskohtao.com Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 Air To 200 Bar. Padi Dive Resort. Nitrox. We are specialized in providing small-scale, personal service, a relaxed atmosphere and high standards, so you and your family can concentrate on having fun. EH, ESI, EA, Acc, FCF, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWIQi8_KRao
ZANZIBAR
RISING SUN DIVE CENTRE
BREEZES BEACH CLUB & SPA, PO BOX 1361, Zanzibar, Tanzania Tel: + 00255 777 872 163 Fax: + 00225 242 240 450 Email: [email protected] Website: www.risingsun-zanzibar.com 5# Gold Palm Resort,EastAfricas 1st and only National Geographic dive centre.Comp air on site EH CHACC FCF airport transfers,lb's ESI's,EA's, BH,AYRD,UWP,OW's,NDCF.Come & discover the unexplored with East Africas first national geographic dive centre.Based on a deserted beach inside the fabulous breezes beach club & spa.We have 65km of untouched reef and are just waiting for you to help us explore it!
ODYSSEA DIVE
Baobab Beach Backpackers - Vilanculos Mozambique Tel: (+258) 82 78 17 130 Tel 2: 84 66 55 509 Email: [email protected] Website: www.odysseadive.com Opening Hours: 7am-9pm Air to 220 bar. PADI Resort. Multi lingual instructors. All PADI courses up to DM. Non divers welcome to join for a beautiful snorkeling on the reef. EH, ESI, FCF, AYRD, UWP, NDCF, CAOS
PHILIPPINES
SOUTH AMERICA
RED MANGROVE DIVE CENTER
Av. Charles Darwin y LasFragatas Puerto Ayora-Santa Cruz Tel: 0-808-101-2270 Email: [email protected] Website: www.redmangrove.com www.divingalapagos.com PADI IRRA. EH, ESI, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, BH, NDCF, CAOS Red Mangrove specializes in island hopping dive packages combining the best land and diving tours in Galapagos. Divers/Non-Divers, enjoy the adventure of a lifetime!
ZANZIBAR WATERSPORTS
P.O Box 1784, Zanzibar, Tanzania Tel: 255 773 235030 Email: [email protected] Website: www.zanzibarwatersports.com Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00 Air to 220 Bar. Gold Palm PADI 5# IDC. EH,LB,ESI,EA,ACC,FCF,AT,AYRD,BH,NDCF,CAOS. Zanzibar Watersports operates three PADI dive and watersports centres. Long-established and focusing on professionalism, safety and customer satisfaction, we service over 25 Zanzibar hotels.
Malaapscua Island, Cebu 6013 Philippines Tel: +639276123359 Fax: +63324370985 Email: [email protected] Web: www.malapascua-diving.com Opening Hours: 5am-8pm Air to 200 bar. EH, LB, ESI, TD, EA, AIP, ACC, FCF, AT, AYRD, UWP, CH, BH, NDCF, CAOS. Nitrox trimix. PADI 5# IDC, IANTD, BSAC. Daily thresher shark dives (as seen on Monty Halls), mantas, wrecks, reefs, macro, muck diving, great walls dives. British owned and run, PADI courses available.
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26 11 Y 37m
240V Y Y Y Y
20 10D Y 30m
220V Y Y Y Y
16 8 Y
110&220V
Y Y Y N
Australia - Cairns
Galapagos Islands
Spirit of Freedom
www.spiritoffreedom.com.au
Golden Emperor 1
www.seaqueens.com
Humboldt Explorer
www.explorerventures.com
22 11 Y 33m
110V Y Y Y Y
24 10 Y 45m
220V Y Y Y Y
12 6 Y 37m
220v Y Y N N
Bahamas
Sea Queen 1
www.seaqueens.com
29 15 Y
240v
Y Y Y Y
16 8D Y 27m
220V Y Y Y Y
18 9 Y 31m
240V Y Y Y Y
Koror, Palau
Spoilsport
www.mikeball.com
South Moon
www.seaqueens.com
10 5 Y 31m
220v Y Y Y N
16 8 Y 40m
110V Y Y Y Y
18 9 Y 33m
240/110V
Y Y Y Y
Croatia
Egypt - Safaga
La Paz
Lipi Skoji
www.exclusivediving.info
Seacillia
www.bavariablue-safari.com
MV Seascape
www.seaescapeliveaboard.com
14 7 Y 25m
f.glass
220V Y N N N
20 10 32 36m
110V Y Y Y Y
18 9 Y 53m
240/110V
Y Y Y Y
Cienfuegos, Cuba
La Paz
Amazing Enterprise
www.amazingfleet.com
MV Narval
www.seaescapeliveaboard.com
24 12D Y 36m
220v Y Y Y Y
14 8 Y 27m
110V Y Y Y Y
20 8 Y 33m
110/220V
Y Y N Y/N
Egypt - Hurghada
Egypt - Hurghada
Maldives
Golden Emperor 2
www.seaqueens.com
www.albatrostopboat.com
22 11 Y 37m
110V Y Y Y Y
14 7 Y 28m
110V Y Y Y Y
22 9 Y 36m
220V Y Y N Y/N
Maldives
M.Y. Juliet
www.oonasdivers.com
www.albatrostopboat.com
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20 10 Y
110&220V
Y Y Y N
20 10 Y 38m
110V Y Y Y N
20 10 Y 32m
110&240V
Y Y Y N
Male, Maldives
Southern Bahamas
TORTOLA
Cuan Law
www.BVIdiving.com
20 10 Y 37m
240V Y Y Y Y
18 9 Y 35m
110V Y Y Y N
20 10 Y 38m
110V Y Y Y N
Caribbean Explorer II
www.explorerventures.com
12 4 N 18m
240V Y Y Y Y
16 8 Y 40m
110V Y Y Y Y
Xunauta
www.subnauta.pt
Sea Cruiser
www.redsealife.com
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CLASSIFIEDS
ACCESSORIES EQUIPMENT
HOLIDAYS OVERSEAS
Celebrating 30 years of quality service!
friendliest dive centre
in the med! The
Over
50%
PADI courses from beginner to instructor Shore, hard boat and RIB diving available Well stocked dive shop Technical courses, Nitrox and Trimix available
HOLIDAYS OVERSEAS
INSURANCE
MEDICAL
Dr Des McCann Poole, Dorset
HSE Sport & Phone advice. Medicals done promptly at your own convenience.
HOLIDAYS IN ENGLAND
Lake District 2 Bedroom Cottage Near Wastwater & Coniston Water 01229 889068 or 07836369717
HOLIDAYS IN SCOTLAND
English owned legally operated dive centre in Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote, established for 30 years and located directly on the beach suitable for all the family. Boat and Shore pleasure diving 7 days a week no extra costs for boat dives! Suitable for all levels of divers, train your own students or complete courses with us.
Diving Medicals London Tel: 0207 8064028, HSE / Sport / Phone advice. Email: [email protected]
Escape the cold winter weather and visit our all year round resort! Diving Medicals Midlands (Rugby) Tel: 01788 579555, HSE / Sport /Advice. Email: [email protected]
Tony Gilbert
Safari Diving Lanzarote, Phone: (0034) 928 51 19 92 Mobile: (0034) 625 059 713 Email: [email protected] Web: www.safaridiving.com
Winners of the prestigious Q award presented by the local government. The only dive centre to win this!
Tony Gilbert
Diving medicals Nottingham. Sport Diver medicals 50. HSE commercial diving medicals 110. UK and Norwegian offshore medicals 100. Discounts for students and large groups. For appointments Tel: 0780 2850 084 or 0115 9332368 Email: [email protected]
EQUIPMENT
JMD TORCHES
& ACCESSORIES
LED TORCHES
Lantern & Umbilical style 5 models available Goodman style handles Pony Clamps
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CLASSIFIEDS
WEBSITES
www.Lumbbros.com Quality Diving Products
INSURANCE
ANNUAL MULTI-TRIP
(40m) 30m also available. 31 days in any 1 trip
www.Greenforce.co.uk The Ultimate Torch Diving System www.unidive.co.uk A Quality range of masks, snorkels, fins and knives. www.tek-tite.co.uk Torches, strobes, marker lights for diving and outdoor pursuits.
Worldwide
1 wk from 57.28 2 wk from 62.74
Worldwide
from 126.33
REPAIRS
PRESCRIPTION LENSES
WANTED
WANTED - DIVE GEAR
Anything considered, Cash Waiting!
Bonded Lenses Single Vision & Bifocals Expert Advice Mask & Lenses From Only 89.50
To advertise on these pages please contact Ross Arnold on 0118 989 7220 or email ross.arnold@ sportdiver.co.uk
137 SportDiver JUNE 16
WorldMags
Using the most-advanced research techniques known to man (eight minutes on Google and Wikipedia), Rob Hunt transforms the miracles of yesteryear into the tedious history lessons of today.
nless you count submarines with oars, and thats a road down which madness and pedantry lie, the history of scuba diving begins in 1772, when Sieur Freminet invented a rebreather made out of a barrel. Sadly, its a history that goes very quiet around 20 minutes later as thats how long it took Mr Freminet to asphyxiate on his own exhaled carbon dioxide. Freminet was clearly some sort of foreigner and although a cursory glance on the interweb fails to reveal what kind, he sounds like he might be a bit French to me His behaviour was to become typical of many of the most-innovative names in the history of scuba. Despite the tragic nature of Freminets exeunt, folk continued to invent ways of breathing more or less acceptable gases in alien environments, and it would be wrong of me to make generalised assumptions as to the motivation behind this. It was due to the persistence of rumours, despite derision from the scientists of the day (beards, pipes, top hats, you know the sort), that water might have fish living in it. The consumption of these so-called fish, at the time, was commonly thought to have several benevolent properties, including an increase in intelligence in
schoolboys, the warding off of geriatric ailments such as arthritis, and going well with chips. Its unlikely that anyone will ever know for sure whether fish existed in the olden days, but what is certain is that before World War Two (sequel to the enormously popular World War One but with improved special effects and better baddies), the subaquatic options available to the average man in the street (Mike) were either cumbersome (brass helmets, enormous lead weights, brass shoes, hoses attached to head); a bit too cutting-edge in terms of safety (see last brackets but add rudimentary rebreathers to the list); or just tedious (breath-hold diving or snorkelling, which are boringly accessible to anyone). There was no way that Mike was going to get in the water unless he absolutely had to make something enormous out of steel or kill someone,
COUSTEAU WENT ON TO SHOW THE WORLD THE FUN TO BE HAD HOUNDING BABY WHALES TO THEIR DEATHS, HACKING UP SHARKS WITH AXES AND DYNAMITING REEFS IN THE SILENT WORLD
and he certainly wasnt going to do it for fun. All that changed with the invention of the aqua-lung by Frenchman mile Gagnan and Frenchman Jacques Cousteau. Its impossible to say which of them was the brains behind the invention; Cousteau was a media-sensation, constantly courting fame and making underwater films, while Gagnan was merely an ingenious inventor who specialised in high-pressure pneumatic design. Cousteau went on to show the world the fun to be had hounding baby whales to their deaths, hacking up sharks with axes and dynamiting reefs in The Silent World, while
Gagnan wandered off into obscurity, patenting a huge variety of scuba firsts. Had he not made the schoolboy error of dying during the war, more credit might have gone to Georges Commeinhes, who seems to have copied Cousteau and Gagnans idea four or five years before they came up with it. Once marketable, he called his invention the GC42, based on his initials and the year of commercial release. In order to avoid confusion upon the release of their device, Cousteau and Gagnan called it the CG45, based upon, er, the initials of both their surnames and the 1945-ish nature of the year. The innovative aspect of the aqua-lung lay in its ability to provide gas at ambient pressure to the diver via a demand valve rather than the diver having to manually control what was essentially a freeflow into a mask. Their fast-growing popularity was, however, probably due to the fact that there was a comparatively low chance of finding oneself being endeadened by the apparatus, in stark contrast to previous devices of a similar ilk. Also, they were quite cheap. Except in Blighty, where the cost was prohibitively high. I lost interest before I found out why, but I expect it was due to a general mistrust of all things French. Except cheese. If you remember only one thing from this history it should be this: cheese is always to be trusted, even though it might also be French. Rob Hunt is a PADI Master Instructor. Currently he is travelling around South East Asia and Australasia, but still finds time to write for Sport Diver and Tanked Up.
WorldMags
138
JUNE 2011
WorldMags
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