Scuba Diving - September - October 2013 (True PDF)
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SCUBA D I V I N G WHERE ARE THE OCEAN’S COOLEST CREATURES RIGHT NOW? PAGE 19 8 VERSATILE CAMERAS TO CAPTURE YOUR OWN ACTION PAGE 68 17 PHOTO TIPS FROM THE PROS PAGE 74 SCUBALAB 14 NEW MASKS TO IMPROVE YOUR VIEW PAGE 59 DIVE AN ABANDONED TITAN MISSILE SILO PAGE 29 scubadiving.com September/October 2013 2013 PHOTO CONTEST 27 Mind-Blowing Images PAGE 42
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Scuba Diving
Transcript of Scuba Diving - September - October 2013 (True PDF)
SCUBAD I V I N G
WHERE ARE THE OCEAN’S COOLEST CREATURES RIGHT NOW?PAGE 19
8 VERSATILE CAMERAS
TO CAPTURE YOUR OWN
ACTION PAGE 68
17 PHOTO TIPS FROM
THE PROS PAGE 74
SCUBALAB14 NEW MASKS TO IMPROVE YOUR VIEW
PAGE 59DIVE AN ABANDONED
TITAN MISSILE SILO PAGE 29
scubadiving.com September/October 2013
2013
PHOTO CONTEST27 Mind-Blowing Images
PAGE 42
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BA
LAB
2013TESTERS’
CHOICE
Scuba Diving (ISSN 1553-7919) is published eight times per year (J/F, M/A, May, Jul, S/O, N/D, w/ bonus issues in June and August) by Bonnier Corp., 460 N. Orlando
Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Vol. 22, No. 7, September/October 2013. Periodicals postage paid in Winter Park, FL, and additional offces. Subscrip-
tion rate for one year (eight issues): U.S., $21.97; Canada, $30.97; all other foreign countries, $39.97. U.S. funds only. Contents copyright 2013 by Bonnier Corp.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Scuba Diving, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142. For subscription questions, call: 386-246-3381.
talk 8
Secret Spot 10
currentS 17
What It’s Like 29
Ocean Planet 30
Drive anD Dive 38
training
Lessons for Life 72
Imaging+ 74
look 82
This Maldives squid earned a special jury prize from
our judges. Photograph by Fabio Strazzi
Scan ThiS Tag Get the free app for your phone at http://gettag.mobi.Or go to scubadiving .com/whale-shark-video.
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scubadiving.com SePteMBer/OCtOBer 2013 / 4
Sep T/o c T 2013
Vo l . 2 2
iSSue 7
s c u b ad i v i n g .co m
2013 Annual Photo Contest From one of the strongest pools of contestants to date, we present the winners of our annual competition.
Live-Aboard: Into the Wild Tinking about diving Raja Ampat? See what 700 nautical miles aboard Pindito is all about. �A by ELLEn CuyLAERTS
ScubaLab: It’s a Vision Thing
We tested 14 new masks for feld of view, volume, function and features. See how they measure up. �A by JOhn bRuMM
84
1
32
42
59
SCU
BA
LAB
2013TESTERS’
CHOICE
PHOTO BY: DIVETECH/JAY EASTERBROOK
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Website scubadiving.comEditorial Email [email protected]
EditorialMary Frances Emmons i n t e r i m e d i t o r
John Brumm s c u b a l a b d i r e c t o r Cindy Martin c o p y e d i t o r
Ashley Annin i n t e r n
ContributorsJim Bartlett, Erica Blake, Kimberly Bowker, Sam Boykin, Ellen Cuylaerts, Anna DeLoach, Ned DeLoach, Jim Decker, Eric Douglas, Tobias Friedrich, Rebecca Hewett, Steve Hinczynski, Keri Kenning, Brooke Morton, Samantha Whitcraft
ArtMonica Alberta a r t d i r e c t o r
Elly Wray p h o t o e d i t o r Kristen McClarty c o n t r i b u t i n g p h o t o e d i t o r
Digital Steve Spears d i g i ta l c o n t e n t d i r e c t o r
Alex Bean d i g i ta l p r o d u c e r
Cami Webb d i g i ta l e d i t o r
Sales
Bonnie Borkin g r o u p p u b l i s h e r
Jeff Mondle a s s o c i at e p u b l i s h e r
John Driscoll v i c e p r e s i d e n t, c o r p o r at e s a l e s 212-779-5251; [email protected]
David Benz t e r r i t o r y m a n a g e r 850-934-3173; [email protected]
Donna Player t e r r i t o r y m a n a g e r
908-731-2680; [email protected]
Linda Sue Dingel t e r r i t o r y m a n a g e r
407-913-4945; [email protected]
Kelly Freygang m a r k e t p l a c e /c l a s s i f i e d a c c o u n t m a n a g e r
407-571-4743; [email protected]
Krys Pettit a d v e r t i s i n g s a l e s c o o r d i n at o r
407-571-4534; [email protected]
Matt Hickman vice president, direc tor of brand strategies
David Butler v i c e p r e s i d e n t, d i g i ta l o p e r at i o n s
Jerry Pomales c r e at i v e d i r e c t o r
Jeff Cassell g r o u p p r o d u c t i o n d i r e c t o r
Alicia Rivera p r o d u c t i o n m a n a g e r
[email protected] Oberholtzer d e s i g n s e r v i c e s d i r e c t o r
Julia Arana, Willy Frei, Jennifer Remias, Aubrey Wilson g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r s
Sheri Bass h u m a n r e s o u r c e s d i r e c t o r
Jonas Bonnier c h a i r m a n
Dave Freygang c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o f f i c e r
Eric Zinczenko e x e c u t i v e v i c e p r e s i d e n t
David Ritchie c h i e f c o n t e n t o f f i c e r
Randall Koubek c h i e f f i n a n c i a l o f f i c e r
Sean Holzman c h i e f b r a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f f i c e r
Bruce Miller v i c e p r e s i d e n t, c o n s u m e r m a r k e t i n g
Lisa Earlywine v i c e p r e s i d e n t, p r o d u c t i o n
Dean Turcol v i c e p r e s i d e n t, c o r p o r at e c o m m u n i c at i o n s
Jeremy Thompson g e n e r a l c o u n s e l
All contents copyright 2013 Bonnier Corporation.
No use may be made of materials contained herein without express written
consent. For inquiries, please contact us at Bonnier Corporation, 460 N.
Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789.
Publications Mail Agreement Number: 40612608
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Printed in the USA.
Employment opportunities at bonniercorp.com.
For Customer Service and Subscription questions such as renewals, address changes, e-mail preferences, billing and account status, go to: scubadiving.com/cs. You can also call 386-246-3381 or write to Scuba Diving, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. For Reprints email [email protected]
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TALK EDITO R ’S N OT E
L E T T ERS
WIN TH IS
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Ways of SeeingPATIENCE AND PREPARATION TRUMP CHANCE EVERY TIME
Lucky shot? Sure, but only if you adopt
the adage, “Luck is what hap-pens when preparation meets opportunity.”
T e work of 2013’s winning photographers isn’t the result of chance alone. As you’ll read in each winner’s “Behind the Shot,” such amazing imagery is the product of a healthy dose of preparation, a whole lot of patience, and only a dash of serendipity. (It is a wild ocean, after all.)
T is year’s photographers proved their mettle with a keen eye for observation and extraordinary patience. In underwater photography, it’s not just about being in the right place at the right time, but also being in the right place and watchfully wait-ing for the right moment to act. Recognizing the moment is only the beginning — capturing that moment with the equipment at hand is where preparation greets opportunity with a big, salty wet kiss.
Many thanks to all who entered 2013’s “T rough Your Lens IX.” We enjoyed reliving the beautiful moments each of you experienced. And congratulations to our winners — your patience has paid off . — Elly Wray, Photo Editor
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scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 8
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL TO
PHOTOGRAPH UNDERWATER?
TURTLES
SHARKS
MACRO
DOLPHINS
CLOWNFISH
SEAHORSES
BLENNIES
OCTOPUSES
REEFSCAPE
PELAGICS
26%
33%
16%
7%
5%
5%
2%
2%
2%
2% Source: Facebook poll
33%
> l e t t e r s <
Sea to Shining SeaMy favorite thing about diving in the USA is the variety of experiences you can have without leaving American waters. Adventurous dive pioneers have found or created one-of-a-kind dive opportuni-ties that allow the rest of us a chance to see magnifcent things, from the fooded shafts of Bonne Terre Mine to the hulk-ing USS Oriskany aircraft carrier to the bounty of wrecks along the East Coast. For animal lovers, there are encounters with the playful seals of the West Coast, the passive manatees in Florida or local
wildlife in your favorite nearby river, lake or quarry. (Spotting the ghostly paddle-fsh of the Midwest is always a thrill!) And we cannot ignore the endless sup-ply of rainbow-quality tropical creatures awaiting you in Gulf and Pacifc waters.
I love using my passport, but my C-card is all I need to explore magical American underwater wonders. After all, scuba cannot be spelled without the letters U, S and A! — Peter ClanCy >
Rockville, Maryland
A True Sea HeroWhat a delightful surprise to open up the July issue of Scuba Diving to see your choice of Sea Heroes was the one and only Troy Bodden! I can tell you
S e P t / O C t W i n n e r
Sealife reefmaSter mini
What’s your favorite destination for underwater pho-
tography? Tell us why, or about anything else that got
you thinking this issue, at [email protected] or
post on our Facebook wall. If we pick your letter, this
digital underwater dive camera is all yours.
frsthand you did a wonderful job cap-turing what Troy Bodden is all about.
My husband and I had the pleasure of getting to know Troy and his wife while vacationing at Laguna Beach Resort in Utila in 2011. We experienced frst-class service from the wait staf to our dive-master, Adam, throughout our stay. But what stood out most was the time we spent with Troy. We were mesmerized by his ideas and the actions he was tak-ing to make Utila a better island for all to enjoy. His passion was evident from the moment he starting talking about the island. It was amazing to hear what plans he had for his resort as he moved toward energy efficiency, but what stayed with us was his aspiration for the future of the island as a whole. His foresight of the necessity to change the way Utilians work and live was hum-bling to two Americans used to living in our own bubble!
We’ve already returned to Laguna Beach, and will continue to do so because of Troy and the changes he’s making. — miCky Pfeiffer > St. Peters, Missouri
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SECRET SPOT
IcebreakerDIVING WITH ARCTIC GIANTS IN EAST GREENLAND
There are only a few places left on Earth that are nearly undiscovered
when it comes to diving. East Greenland is one of them. A single dive
operator provides a boat and tanks for a few weeks only in sum-
mer, when icebergs drift down the coastline from the North Pole, and
whales arrive. Humpbacks, fi n whales and orcas are often seen in the
27- to 35-degree F waters. Most of the dive sites in East Greenland
are still being explored, as well as the life that is hidden under the kelp
forests in these waters. D GO NOW NORTHERN EXPLORERS, NORTHERN-EXPLORERS.COM
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY TOBIAS FRIEDRICH
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 10
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 11
SECRET SPOT
Cousteau’s WorldEXPERIENCE DIVING ON A CORAL REEF GHOST TOWN IN THE RED SEA
To dive the Red Sea reefs of Sudan is to walk in the footsteps of the
great dive pioneers. Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s experimental underwa-
ter village — Precontinent II, at Shaab Rumi — is one of the underwater
secrets of Sudan. After more than 40 years, divers can now inspect
the mushroom-shaped submarine-docking station inside and out, and
other relics of Cousteau’s expedition. Close to Cousteau’s underwater
city we found two magnifi cent shark cages, now fully covered with
colorful soft corals. D GO NOW ROYAL EVOLUTION LIVE-ABOARD, SCHOENER-TAUCHEN.DE
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY REINHARD DIRSCHERL
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 12
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 13
SECRET SPOT
Twilight ZoneCOMINO ISLAND’S SANTA MARIA
CAVES ARE AN OTHERWORLDLY
MEDITERRANEAN SEA EXPERIENCE
Divers come to the Maltese island
of Comino to drop down in its blue
waters and explore the 10 caves col-
lectively known as Santa Maria. A
dive light is necessary to negotiate
the numerous swim-throughs, cave
openings and tunnels, and to spot
the locals — nudibranchs, crabs,
octopuses and moray eels. Comino
sits between the bigger islands of
Gozo and Malta, and has a perma-
nent population of four residents.
D GO NOW NAUTIC TEAM, NAUTICTEAM.COM
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY TOBIAS FRIEDRICH
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 14
KING’S RANSOM BELOW.
THE QUEEN’S ENGLISH ABOVE.
Over 300 shipwrecks and more
than 30 pink beaches to discover.
But just when you feel so far from
civilization, culture beckons. See
why Bermuda is so much more.
Visit GoToBermuda.com.
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Wanted: Very Much AliveHow can you help save mantas and sharks from extinction? Go dive with them By Samantha Whitcraft, Wildaid/Shark SaverS
“I’ll get back in the water when there are a lot of big sharks,” I said after my first-ever shark
dive, and it turns out that many scuba divers feel the same way. Big, powerful sharks and graceful, gentle manta rays are a major draw for divers all over the world. Although divers have long known
this, scientists and economists are now providing powerful proof that responsi-ble ecotourism promoting diving with sharks and rays is not only good for conservation but also for the fnancial bottom line of many communities.
Scientists estimate that 590,000 of us are now “shark watchers,” spending
more than $314 million per year directly supporting 10,000 jobs, globally; and that those numbers could double over the next 20 years. Tat’s a lot of divers willing to pay to see a lot of sharks. Yet, at the same time, sharks are being fshed at an estimated rate of between 63 million to 273 million per year for comparatively far less value. In the Red Sea, poaching a medium-to-large shark brings in about $150 via the black mar-ket for fns, while similar sharks, alive, could be worth $200,000 in tourist dollars to the same community.
Another recent study estimates that divers and snorkelers spend more than
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 17
TOBAGO…
The Southern Caribbean’s Verdant Jewel
www.visittobago.gov.tt www.tobagoscubadiving.com
Scan this tag to see a Digital Dive Guide & Video about Tobago.
Tobago offers travelers an incredible variety of exciting adventures, as well as some of the most amazing beaches on the planet. Diving in Tobago reveals the most diverse reef �ish you’ll �ind anywhere. From world-class scuba diving to deep cultural diversity, visitors will experience a vast tapestry of experiences in a single, one-of-a-kind destination.
TOBAGO HAS IT ALL!
$73 million annually on manta ray trips, and $140 million on associated tour-ism in communities from the U.S. to Japan, from Mozambique to Palau and beyond. Meanwhile, mantas, which reproduce even more slowly than many sharks, are killed for their gill rakers to supply a growing yet comparatively far-less-proftable Asian market, worth only $5 million annually, for a medically unproven “health tonic.”
Why is this so important? An exten-sive review of the IUCN Red List, the international standard for assessing the status of all species, has led scientists
to estimate that 33 percent of studied sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction, mostly due to overfshing. Tese species include many of the same charismatic species we divers want to see most, like great whites, hammerheads and manta rays. Te good news is that the growing popularity of diving with these animals benefts everyone: Divers get an epic big-animal experience, dive operators and their local communities beneft economically, and the animals are more valued alive than dead. So, bot-tom line, you can help save our sharks and manta rays: Go dive with them!
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$314,000,000
590,000Number of shark divers globally
UnknownNumber of manta rays killed annually
10,000Number of
jobs supported
worldwide
63 to 273 millionNumber of sharks killed annually
By the NuMBers
Amount spent on shark dives
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 18
curreNts
IN seAsON
M A R C HS E P T E M B E R M A R C HO C T O B E R M A R C HD E C E M B E RM A R C HN O V E M B E R
H A M M E R H E A D S
Galapagos
O R C A S
Norway
M A N T A S Maldives
L E M O N S H A R K S
Jupiter, Florida
Schooling in greater-than-usual numbers, they’re also found in La Paz, Mexico, November to January.
When the oceans get colder, manatees head for the springs, November through March.
Beginning of October through mid-December is best for viewing.
Schooling through early November; they’re also in Soccoros November to June, Rangiroa September to October.
Are they mating? Sleeping? No one knows; see for yourself late November to mid-February.
M A N A T E E S
Crystal River, Florida
Where and when to catch mother Nature at the peak of the fall action
Booty caLLresearchers seek to learn the last secrets of blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge By Sam Boykin
Blackbeard’s famed Queen Anne’s Revenge continues to give up its prized long-buried treasure as researchers f nalize a three-month recovery session in October at the wreck site of the notori-ous pirate’s f agship of the coast of Beaufort, North Carolina.
During a recovery ses-sion earlier this summer, researchers aboard Cape Fear Community College’s 85-foot Dan Moore vessel dove the site and recovered eight cannons, along with other artifacts, using a heavy-duty crane.
T ese artifacts, as well as anything else that is discovered this fall, will be displayed at the North Carolina Mar-itime Museum in Beaufort as part of its expansive Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit, says Fay Mitchell with the North Carolina Department of Cul-tural Resources, which is leading the excavation. Researchers hope to fully recover the site sometime next year.
A team of 20 researchers, including
staff with NCDCR’s Underwater Archaeology Branch, North Carolina Maritime Museum and interns from East Carolina University in Greenville, are participating in the recovery session this October.
T e most recent mission is the near-culmination of one of the most prized diving f nds in the country. It all started when Intersal Inc., a private research
f rm, discovered the ship on Nov. 21, 1996. T e 300-
ton Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground in Beau-fort Inlet in June 1718 near what is today Fort Macon State Park.
While Intersal still issues licenses for com-
mercial operations such as video shoots of the site,
NCDCR is in charge of recov-ery and research. Over the years, more than 16,000 artifacts have been recov-ered, including weapons, tools and instruments, gold dust, coins, and storage items.
The NCDCR has also launched several educational programs about the wreck, the most recent in June, dur-ing which more than 10,000 students from across North Carolina watched live-stream video online of behind-the-scenes recovery ef orts and emailed questions to researchers.
heALING tOuChNearly blind, Gabriel spataro
has an encounter to remember
By eric doUGlaS
The last time Gabriel Spataro
touched the “Christ of the Abyss”
statue was in Chicago, in Decem-
ber 1962. Spataro learned the
Cressi family was making the statue
to send to the U.S. He arranged
to bring the statue to Chicago,
and then eventually transport it
to Florida. After the statue left for
Florida, Spataro never saw it again.
Now going blind from macular
degeneration, Spataro told Dive-
heart president Jim Elliot about his
connection to the statue. Diveheart
arranged for two adaptive buddy
divers to help Spataro underwater,
and 51 years after his first encoun-
ter, Spataro dived it in Key Largo.
Spataro wore gloves so he could
use his hands to “see” it.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 19
curreNts
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social Networking Leads to Alabama FirstLulu becomes groundbreaking artificial reef By Brooke morton
the helicopter containing the flm crew kept circling: David W alter and his Reefmaker team just
pulled out the last sheets of plywood — the only dams keeping the sea out of Lulu, the 271-foot freighter about to become a reef 17 miles of the coast of Gulf Shores, Alabama. Most of the team got of the sinking vessel to safety on the nearby tugboat, but one remained on board. He was new and wanted to snap a few more photos before the sea claimed the ship.
Lulu started with a Facebook post announcing that the then-called Yokamu
— the largest vessel traveling that stretch of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway — would soon be towed to Gulf Shores. Local residents showed up in record numbers to cheer.
What they didn’t realize was this s upport spoke to local legislation. Te city had been a top destination for fsh-ing thanks to a successful artifcial-reef program. However, with Yokamu, the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Com-merce saw an opportunity to strengthen
the Wet Willie Band played for boat-
ers who came to witness the sinking.
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a new industry: recreational diving. A chamber member approached Walter, owner of the ship, asking what it would take to sink Yokamu in their waters.
Walter — owner of Reefmaker, a com-pany that creates artifcial underwater habitats — bought the ship in Miami and planned to down it in Florida, Texas or Mississippi.
“It took on a life of its own,” says Walter of the six-month process by which the state, cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Baldwin County Commis-sioners and private investor Mac McAleer — who owns Homeport Marina — donated the necessary funds.
Renamed Lulu as requested by McAleer, the ship became Alabama’s frst artifcial reef sunk purposely for div-ing on May 26. Te sinking was nearly perfect — happening faster than antic-ipated. Walter predicted the sea would swallow the ship in 20 to 60 minutes; it took only 16. Luckily, the newbie on the Reefmaker team got photos and a chance to hop to safety before Lulu went down.
“It was fawless,” says Walter of the sinking. Because the community was an integral part of the process, Walter wanted to ensure it had front-row seats to the action, so he made the ship’s coordinates public.
McAleer chartered the helicopter to flm the fotilla party. Te businessman intends to show footage of the sinking in his restaurant, Lulu’s.
Te Lulu videos are designed to enter-tain but could be the impetus that sparks the next wreck project. After all, Walter sunk Lulu using considerably less money than was raised for the project.
Says Walter: “I have another ship and tug on the way here. Tey’re both for sale.”da
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(2
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Brooke morton explores the Lulu
shortly after its sinking.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 21
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As someone who loves and is fasci-nated by sharks, having a chance to be in the water with one is
always an honor. But for me, one shark remained elusive — the great hammer-head (Sphyrna mokarran).
In 2010, I was on a shark expedition in the Bahamas, specifi cally looking for great hammerheads. I encountered tiger, bull, Caribbean reef and lemon sharks — but no hammers.
T en, in 2012, rumors began circu-lating that great hammerheads were
regularly being seen in the Bimini area, and in shallow water. I was invited to join a small exploratory expedition.
On our fi rst day, we dropped anchor in about 40 feet of water. All eyes began scanning. After about two hours of look-ing, someone shouted, “Hammer!” T e mythical fi sh was here.
Daylight was fading, and everyone wanted to get in the water. But due to its skittish reputation, we didn’t want to scare the shark away by overwhelm-ing it with all of us in the water at once,
Close EncounterOne diver’s dream-of-a-lifetime experience with a great
hammerhead BY STEVE HINCZYNSKI
DID YOU KNOW:
GREAT HAMMERHEAD
1 To distin-guish a great hammer from other hammer-head species, check for a large, sickle-shaped dorsal fi n.
3 Hammers can produce litters of up to 55 pups every two years; between 20 and 40 is average. At birth, pups range in
size from 20 to 28 inches.
4 Hammers feed on a variety of bony fi sh, but their favorite prey are stingrays. When
a great hammer hunts, it swings its head in broad angles over the seafl oor to pick
up the electri-cal signals of stingrays buried in the sand, via their ampullae of Lorenzini located
on the underside of the hammer.
5 The species is listed as Endan-gered on the IUCN Red List; it’s estimated that there’s been a decline of at least 80 percent in the past 25 years.
blasting it with strobes. We chose to respect its space and dive in small, two-person groups, shooting only natural light — no strobes — hoping the shark would get comfortable with our pres-ence. We drew straws — I drew the short straw. I would have to wait a lit-tle longer to meet this majestic creature.
T e fi rst group of divers quietly entered the water and headed for the bottom. As the rest of us watched from the stern, we wondered, what would the shark do? Would it stay or disappear? As the divers settled in, the shark kept its distance. Yet little by little, it came closer.
As it approached, we watched its posture change. It would go from a level-swimming posture on the bottom to a slightly sideways rolled position, several feet off the bottom, leaning away from the divers. Repeating this several times, it closed the gap a little more each time. Its next pass was right next to the divers.
Finally, it was my turn. Camera in hand, I dropped in, and settled as calmly and quietly as I could. T en I saw it, and it was heading right for me, gliding by within 5 feet. It was beautiful. It made several more passes, and then I raised my camera and waited for the next pass.
As if on cue, it came back. A few casual fl icks of its tail brought it nice and close. I must have had my biggest smile ever as I pressed the shutter and got the shot. Our time was up, and I gave a very reluctant kick toward the surface. I couldn’t have scripted a bet-ter fi rst dive with a great hammerhead.TO READ THE COMPLETE TRIP REPORT, GO
TO SCUBADIVING.COM.
2 A great hammerhead can reach 20 feet in length, or about the length of a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 22
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7 Tips for Happy EarsBy Jim Bartlett
If you’ve ever had trouble equalizing, or had ear infections after diving, these tips should help:
1 Change It Up Many divers use one technique to equalize — the Valsalva, or “ pinching and blowing.” But this doesn’t always work. Learning multiple techniques will improve your result: the Toynbee, where you swallow while pinching your nostrils; the Lowry, which combines the Toynbee and Valsalva (a gentle pinched-nose-blowing while swallowing); Voluntary Tubal Opening (tensing the muscles of the soft palate and throat while pushing the jaw forward, side-to-side and down); the Frenzel (clenching the jaw tightly while pressing the tongue against the soft palate); and the Edmonds, a combination of the “yawn” with the Valsalva.
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2 No Pressure If you experience diffculty equalizing using the range of methods listed above, do not blow harder. Blowing hard against pinched nostrils might rupture the membrane between your middle and inner ear, which can result in inner-ear barotrauma. It is better to terminate a dive than risk permanent injury — sitting out a dive might help you equalize on the next one.
3 Early and Often Start equalizing before you have any pressure in your ears, just as you dip below the surface of the water. If you wait until you feel a pressure change to equalize, the Eustachian tubes might have already collapsed, which can make it diffcult or impossible to equalize without ascending.
4 Don’t Do That Cleaning your ears with cotton swabs can lead to infections — “cleaning” can remove some or all of the natural cerumen (earwax) that our bodies produce to protect ear tissue.
5 Removing Water Resist the temptation to stick anything in your ears — try shaking your head, lying on your side or using a hair dryer on cool. Remove any remaining water using a dropper containing a mixture of 50 percent white vinegar (acetic acid) and 50 percent rubbing alcohol. The combination will kill many types of organisms, while the alcohol will act as a drying agent.
6 Prevent Infection If you plan to dive three to fve times a day, such as on a live-aboard, you can use the solution mentioned above before and after each dive. Make sure you are allowing the solution to remain in the ear canal for fve minutes before draining (standard procedure with U.S. Navy saturation divers).
7 Heads Up Studies show that most equalization techniques are more effective when you descend feet frst. s
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scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 24
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AWE-INCLUSIVE ™
People of action, devoted to
protecting the planet’s oceans
and marine life through conser-
vation, technology or by simply
helping others. If you spot a Sea
Hero, join Scuba Diving, Oris and
the 2013 Sea Heroes program
by nominating him or her at
scubadiving.com/seaheroes
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Jessica Cramp is a scientist-turned-activist who’s diligently working in the Cook Islands to promote the conserva-tion of her favorite apex predator. For her role in the establishment of the Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary and her eforts to launch the new Sharks Pacifc advo-cacy group, Cramp is our September/October Sea Hero.
What are you Working on?
I’m focused on starting Sharks Pacifc — a nonproft — to understand sharks in Pacifc communities through research, outreach and advocacy. I’ve also been speaking to groups about the work I did with Pacifc Islands Conservation Initiative, which established the Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary in 2012. I’m also working in the Cook Islands with the Te Ipukarea Society to implement a marine state park.
Why SharkS?
I call sharks the “gateway drug” for ocean issues, as studying the apex
predators gives insight into fsheries management, underwater food webs and coral reefs. Sharks allow me to com-bine my passion for the sea in an arena where I can make a contribution, and it’s rewarding to have a role in propagating a scientifc, social, and cultural case for their protection.
hoW Can DiverS help?
Don’t buy shark fns or shark-derived products, and avoid shark meat by eating an alternative fsh that’s been sustainably caught. Find out what the shark-fshing regulations are in your area, join a local campaign that could use a help-ing hand, and follow Sharks Pacifc on Facebook. We’ll add resources for you to get involved!
What’S next?
Hopefully, a successful research expedi-tion through the Southern Cook Islands, followed by the launch of an impactful shark nonproft! Ten a month of shark tagging in the Bahamas.
scubadiving.com/seaheroes Each SEA Hero featured in Scuba Diving will receive an Oris Diver’s Date watch worth $1,595. At the end of the year, a panel of judges will select one overall winner, who will receive a $5,000 cash award from Oris to further his or her work.
> s e a h e r o e s <
Jessica Cramp Creating marine sanctuaries, studying sharks and developing a
nonprofit to promote conservation in the Cook Islands
currEntS
Jess Cramp and hillary Clinton show
their support for shark protection.
> c r i t t e r h u n t <
Cute but CunningBumblebee shrimp is ready for its close-up
If a movie producer were casting a sea creature for appeal, the bumble-bee shrimp would certainly make the
cut. Dressed to impress, the pea-size crustacean sports an eye-catching outft of yellow-and-black bumblebee stripes, accentuated with a pair of gogglelike blue eyes and a wispy fan of a translucent tail — the epitome of cute.
Bumblebee shrimp inhabit tropical Pacific and Caribbean waters, liv-ing in a symbiotic relationship with echinoderms, including sea stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins.
In Indonesia they are most frequently seen scurrying across the backs of slow-moving, sausage-shaped sea cucumbers; in the Caribbean we primarily fnd them associated with sea urchins and,
o ccasionally, sea stars. Whenever they appear, the charis-
matic critters’ star quality always stops us in our tracks. Only recently we found out that our lovable little shrimp has a dark side to its nature.
Symbiosis — the state of two organ-isms living in close association — has several categories, which are not always clear-cut in defnition. In mutualism, two life-forms live together in a relationship benefcial to both.
In the instance of commensalism, one partner prospers from the association, while the other neither profts nor is harmed. Ten there is parasitism, which brings us back to our whimsical little bumblebee shrimp, which just happens to hang around its hosts in order to dine on their tiny tube feet.
Fortunately, tube feet — a hallmark of the echinoderm phylum — are numerous, numbering in the hundreds, and a few nips here or there will do little to slow the shrimps’ lumbering meal tickets. — Story and photo by Ned and Anna DeLoach
Scan thiS tag Get the free app for your phone at http://gettag.mobi.Or go to scubadiving .com/critterhunt to see the video.
scubadiving.com septemBer/octoBer 2013 / 28
currents
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 29
currents
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We drop into the year 1965, when the United States and the Soviet Union sparred in a war colder than the surrounding 50-degree water.
Bubbles foat above the “Danger: High Voltage” signs and past an emer-gency shower as we descend more than 100 feet.
Te Titan I missile silo, deemed oper-ational in 1963 and deactivated a few years later, sits underground in central Washington. Pumps meant to defect groundwater were shut down, causing
w h a t i t ’ s l i k e t o …
... Dive a Titan Missile Silo
�A By KimBerly BowKer
partial fooding that preserved a moment of American history as a dive site.
Our dive group drives past brown hills and barren winter trees, by a grave-yard of cars, to a rusted tube twisting up from the ground. Te dive entrance is an opened emergency hatch leading to an underground system that once housed multi-ton intercontinental ballistic missiles. We are 150 miles from Puget Sound.
Transporting gear and nitrox tanks, we enter the hatch and climb down the
ladder to a dry, subterranean staging area. Each diver must carry two lights and an advanced certification to dive with UnderSea Adventures, the company leasing the silo.
We then walk from the staging area into a large, rusting, half-submerged corrugated tunnel. Purposefully plac-ing feet on unseen smaller pipes and stepping over underwater obstacles, we shufe more than 300 feet through the tunnel with safely infated BCs.
We dive two fooded silos and one equipment room, our lights dancing with shadows. Dropping to the bottom and corkscrewing up, we pass rusted beams and crossbars, wiring panels and elevator buttons, maps and labels, dan-gling doorknobs, and lights hanging by frayed wires threatening defeat.
Looking through a mask of cold water (and Cold War) adventure, we witness a time never meant to be underwater, a time when the future was dangerously uncertain and, as always, unknown.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 30
Diving That CountsWhether you’re a seasoned diver or the new kid on the boat, reeF surveying could change the way you dive
�A BY KERI KENNING, REEF
COMMUNICATIONS AND AFFILIATE
PROGRAM MANAGER
CURRENTS
OCEAN PLANET
A dozen divers spread across the site, slates in hand, pointing at f sh and f ashing animal hand signals: horse-eye jacks, yellowhead jawf sh, spotted eagle rays, colorful chromis. Scanning the reef for new species and recording them on waterproof checklists, the survey-ors leave nothing unexplored. As each diver climbs back on the boat, the group begins the post-dive show and tell.
“Did you see those juvenile jackknives? They were the size of
ReeF thROUGh the YeaRS
mosquitos!” one exclaims. “S eventy-six … 77 … 78! I found 78 diff erent species this dive!”
T is scene is repeated on countless dive boats and beaches throughout the Caribbean, North and Central America, Hawaii, and the South Pacif c. Increas-ing numbers of citizen scientists are participating in one of the longest-standing marine-conservation programs for divers and snorkelers: Reef Envi-ronmental Education Foundation’s
Volunteer Survey Project. T ey learn to identify f sh and invertebrates, record those species while diving, and add their surveys to REEF’s database.
Twenty years ago, REEF began the Volunteer Survey Project because basic information on marine f sh populations was lacking. Since 1993, REEF volun-teers have completed more than 170,000 f sh surveys at more than 10,000 sites — creating the world’s largest collection of marine-life sightings. T is extensive
A diver counts a red Irish lord
in the Olympic Coast National
Marine Sanctuary, Washington.
1990 After releasing Reef Fish Identification, Humann and DeLoach found REEF
2006 REEF begins Invasive Lionfish Program
2011 REEF begins live, online fish-ID “Fishinars”
1997 REEF member Ken Marks finds the first (living) yellow garden eels
2006 REEF database reaches
100,000 surveys
2002 REEF begins Grouper Moon Project to protect Nassau grouper
2009 NOAA uses REEF data to protect rockfish under Endangered Species Act
1996 First of 45
scientific papers
published using
REEF data
1999 REEF develops PADI Project AWARE Fish
Identification Specialty
1993 REEF begins surveying
and hosts first Field Survey Trip, Key Largo
1997 REEF joins the World
Wide Web — REEF.org
launched
’90s ’00s
2013 REEF
database reaches 170,000 surveys
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scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 31
volume of data enables researchers and marine-resource managers to detect changes in ecosystems and implement conservation measures.
REEF data have been used to assess biodiversity, monitor changes in fsh populations and evaluate the effec-tiveness of marine-protected areas and artifcial reefs. Surveyors document new species and track the spread of exotic (non-native) species. REEF provides free access to its database, which helps scien-tists, policymakers, and the public better understand and preserve oceans.
Specifc successes include: evaluating populations of rockfsh in the Pacifc Northwest and goliath grouper in
Florida to ensure sustainable fsheries for these keystone species; monitoring and protecting one of the Caribbean’s largest and last-known spawning aggregations of Nassau grouper in Little Cayman; and documenting occurrences of non-native fsh, including invasive lionfsh.
Many divers take up fsh-watching because they are curious about nature and want to actively conserve oceans. Others survey because it makes diving more interesting. Learning the names, behaviors and characteristics of under-water creatures enhances the diving experience. When surveying, every dive feels like a treasure hunt — making even mediocre dives unforgettable.
If you know just one fsh, you can start surveying. Grab a slate and a water-proof species checklist at reef.org/store. Go diving, and remember to keep an eye out for camoufaged critters and speedy swimmers. Record only what you can positively identify; leave out the rest, and submit the data online. Learn new spe-cies by reading a marine life guidebook or attending a “Fishinar” — REEF’s free online seminars.
Te key to becoming a successful “afishionado” is to practice. REEF leads Field Survey Trips throughout the world each year to increase divers’ identifcation competence and conf-dence. Tese trips are led by some of
the world’s best underwater naturalists and photographers, including Ned and Anna DeLoach, founders and pioneers of REEF’s Volunteer Survey Project and Scuba Diving magazine’s monthly Critter Hunt columnists.
In this issue, you can read about Ned and Anna’s passion for identifying marine life in the Critter Hunt featuring microscopic bumblebee shrimp on page 28. Te DeLoaches are leading a REEF Field Survey Trip to Dominica in Feb-ruary 2014. Join them and learn to really “see” underwater. You might even fnd a bumblebee shrimp or two.
make it happenREEF is a grass-roots
conservation orga-
nization that relies
on volunteer support
and the generosity of
its donors. Here are
some ways you can
help; visit reef.org
for more.
> Join ReeF
Become a free mem-
ber, receive monthly
updates, access
Fishinars. reef.org/
user/register
> Donate Contri-
bute to REEF’s
research and educa-
tion programs that
benefit ocean con-
servation. reef.org/
contribute
> Learn Pick up a
fish-ID book from
reef.org, attend an
online Fishinar, or
take an ID class at
your local dive shop.
> Volunteer
Underwater
Don your mask and
fins, grab a water-
proof slate and
a REEF species
checklist, and start
surveying species
— then submit the
data online.
> Dive with Us
Make your next dive
vacation a REEF Field
Survey Trip and learn
about marine life
from the pros.
reef.org/trips
> Get Social
“Like” REEF and
REEF Invasive
Lionfish Program
on Facebook and
follow on Twitter.
Volunteer data collection yields valu-
able information on fish populations,
including Nassau grouper (below).
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 32
live-aboard
Clockwise, from top left: A pygmy seahorse blends in with a fan coral; Pindito at anchor; a pink anemone shrimp; a diver explores
a channel laden with colorful sea fans. Opposite: a reef manta ray and its attendant yellow pilotfish at Manta Sandy.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 33
In January we saw a post on Facebook: two spots available on the Howard and Michele Hall cruise on Pindito in Indonesia. Since we were familiar with the excellent work of this award-winning couple — best known for their IMAX productions — we decided to take the plunge. Pindito’s owner, Edi Frommenwiler, would also join our trip from Sorong to Ambon. As a fer-vent videographer and passionate diver, Frommenwiler was one of the frst to explore the region of Raja Ampat, long before this area became popular.
Our itinerary would be a full one: a 700-nautical-mile crossing from the islands of Raja Ampat to the Banda Islands — Indonesia’s “Spice Islands” —and wrapping up with an introduction to muck diving in the port of Ambon.
Manta Sandy
Making a back roll in open ocean with the promise of mantas is a great beginning. Manta Sandy and Manta Ridge are two dive spots where mantas congregate to be cleaned by wrasse and even butterfyfsh. Both sites are in the Dampier Strait in the center of Raja Ampat, West Papua. Tis is the epicenter of the Coral Triangle, where
currents meet in all directions, bringing nutrient-rich waters, and the best chance to encounter pelagic life and big schools of fsh.
Because the currents can be ripping, we are brought to the easiest manta dive: Manta Sandy. As we descend, we under-stand why — although there is only a mild current, nutrients in the water limit the visibility to a mere 25 feet. Our dive-master guides us to a line of rocks and dead coral where we wait — and wait. After 40 minutes, the frst manta arrives, and it is pure magic. It halts in front of the rock formation and hovers easily, not bothered at all by us, and the cleaners start their housekeeping. While we focus on the long-awaited giant, another manta surprises us and joins the action, and then another. We are mesmerized, at least until our bottom time is up.
While Franz, our Indonesian dinghy captain, stows our gear and gets ready to return us to Pindito for a delicious break-fast, we persuade our divemaster Rafael “Rafa” Sauter to take us a little farther into the open ocean, where we watch the wings of mantas breaking the surface. (It was Rafa’s frst trip as a cruise director for Pindito, and his kindness and fexibility
Into the WildDriven by the elements, Pindito surveys the wonders of raja Ampat and the banda sea �A By EllEn CuylAErtS
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800-345-4807 808-329-7585
www.jacksdivinglocker.com
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HAWAII DIGITAL DIVE GUIDE,
with maps, dive sites, photos
and travel information you’ll need
for your next Hawaii getaway!
Maui
Two tank Dives to Lanai daily. Small groups our specialty. 12 Divers Max. Digital underwater camera rentals and instruction available. We shoot pictures on every Dive. Nitrox buy 1 fill get the 2nd for free.
www.Hawaiianrafting.com
808-661-7333
Toll Free 1-866-529-2544
really added to our trip.) Masks and fns are back on in no time, and we glide into the water. Our group of four disperse to make room so the mantas will not feel threatened in any way. Te strategy works and they swim toward us, always keeping a distance, as if teasing us. Tis encounter is the highlight of our trip. To have this interaction — which lasts for more than 30 minutes, in the middle of paradise, with the sun rising above — is a memory we will treasure.
Lava FLow
Our trip continues farther south to the famous Spice Islands in the Indonesian
province of Maluka, where Banda Neira is nestled among 10 small volcanic islands. After spending the night shel-tered between Banda Neira and Banda Api islands — enjoying a good night’s rest in our teakwood-paneled cabin — we wake to our “frst breakfast”: fresh fruit, oatmeal, a cheese platter and excel-lent espresso, which is served starting at 6 a.m. (“Second breakfast” — accord-ing to each person’s individual order — is a more substantial meal and is always waiting after the morning’s second dive: omelettes, scrambled eggs with toast or delicious Indonesian noodles.)
From top: Ganung Api; tomato anemone-
fish. Opposite: a Banda Sea sea fan.f
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After our early-morning breakfast, we take a speedboat to Lava Flow, a dive site of coral-covered basaltic boulders created by the 1988 eruption of the still-active Gunung Api volcano.
T e cone-shaped volcano is a landmark here — it is covered in lush vegetation that is broken by a wide highway of black lava paved like a road from the top down to the sea, where it entered the water. Given that the eruption was only 25 years ago, it is mind-blowing to see the incredible abundance of huge hard cor-als and an occasional soft coral. On the entire underwater lava stream, there isn’t a square inch unoccupied by corals.
At f rst glance, it looks like there isn’t much f sh life compared with other Banda dive sites. But once we get close to the cor-als, we can see thousands of juvenile f sh. Hundreds of youngsters are playing hide-and-seek, triggered by our presence. Our attention is quickly drawn toward a small school of tiny catf sh, its constant 3-D motion beautiful to observe. It is encour-aging to see the recovery power of nature when conditions are right.
twILIGHt ZonE
Much too soon our trip brings us to the vicinity of Ambon, our f nal destination. But before we disembark, we experience some shallow muck diving in search of crazy critters. T e Coral Triangle is known for its incredible number of f sh species (more than 3,000), corals (600 and counting), nudibranchs and mol-lusks, so our expectations are high. Any critter would be a treat. Twilight Zone is
NEED TO KNOWWhen to go Pindito offers the sorong-Ambon or Ambon-sorong
cruise from November until may on a regular schedule (pindito
.com).
Dive conditions currents in this region are hard to predict; pay attention to dive
briefings and be prepared. Water temperatures vary between 80 and 86 degrees F
(3 mm full wetsuits and hoodies kept us warm). Viz ranges from 25 to 120 feet,
and can change very quickly in the raja Ampat area.
Operator Pindito has 20 years of experience; its loyal crew takes excellent care
of the phinisi, a traditional wooden Indonesian motor-sailer. the ship has been in
continuous use since 1992.
Price tag prices start at $4,990 for an 11-day cruise, with nitrox and drinks (except
wine) included.
✲
bay islands, HONDURAS
For a great deal on a scuba diving vacation in one of the world’s most beautiful places, visit Utila in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Surrounded by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Utila features spectacular turquoise water,
and abundant sea life. This authentic Caribbean Island is still a largely undiscovered and unspoiled tropical paradise. Escape the stress and busy lifestyles of
the mainland and get a feel for the laid-back attitude of Utila.
ph
oto
by
: Wally
Die
hl/
Blu
e O
cean
In
k
For more info 800-410-9608
LetsGoHonduras.com
Photography, Workshops, Social Events, Education, Courses & Prizes!
www.mango-inn.com www.utiladivecentre.com
This resort & PADI 5-Star CDC Centre
is the perfect, economical Western
Caribbean getaway. Dive miles of
uncrowded reefs, the Turtle Harbor
Marine Reserve & famous Black
Hills, snorkel with whale sharks,
& enjoy cocktails around the pool.
Make it a dive vacation to remember.
MANGO INN & UTILA DIVE CENTRE
623-217-4557shara@utiladiveventures.comwww.lagunabeachresort.info
Book a vacation for travel during Aug
31 - Sept 28 and Oct 5 - 12 and receive
50% off the second person! Special valid
for all dive, snorkel & vacation packages.
Dive packages include: 3 meals a day,
3 boat dives a day, 2 night boat dives a
week, unlimited shore diving, horseback
riding & kayaking, r/t transfers Utila
airport/resort and hotel taxes.
LAGUNA BEACH RESORTHALF-OFF DIVE SPECIAL!
1-800-282-8932 [email protected]
Cast away your worries and dive into
your adventure with an all-inclusive dive
package! Offering an intimate setting with
eight spacious over-water rooms with
relaxing screened porches. Onsite PADI
training facilities and just a 5 min walk into
town for shopping and exploring. Optional
guided eco island tours available.
UTILA LODGE BAY ISLANDS COLLEGE OF DIVING
bay islands, honduras
[email protected] www.DeepBlueUtila.com
A beachfront resort set in its own
grounds surrounded by indigenous
plants and animals. Spacious, rooms
with A/C and private balconies overlook
the Caribbean. With a max capacity
of 20 guests, our resort makes for a
real get-away-from-it-all hideaway. 3
boat dives per day and unlimited shore
diving only 40 feet from your room.
DEEP BLUE RESORT
www.utilascubadiving.com
5-Star PADI IDC Resort located in Utila
town. Experience stunning sunsets from
our large waterfront dock or play volleyball
in our dockside beach yard. Meals and
cocktails are never far away at our onsite
restaurant serving local specialties and
international cuisine. Learn to dive or
continue your dive education, snorkel with
whale sharks or just relax.
UNDERWATER VISION
live-aboard
to be our last dive site, in Ambon harbor. Te ride to the dive site gives us an idea of what to expect: Te water is heavily pol-luted; plastic bags, polystyrene-foam food containers and oil spills cover the surface.
We descend to 20 feet to start our dive and are surprised by the amount of life among the garbage: eels everywhere, reef pipehorses, mantis shrimp, cuttlefsh, colorful nudibranchs, and anemones with diferent species of shrimp on them. We don’t know where to look frst.
As if the small stuf isn’t enough to keep us busy taking pictures and shooting video, out of the depths appears a huge school of catfsh, swimming out in the open, since the rocky muck doesn’t pro-vide the coral we usually see them hiding behind. Divemasters Rafa, Marian and Amil point out little gems to the divers who stay close to them. For those who wander or fall behind, it’s not hard to spot
the plethora of creatures here. Tis place is little-critter paradise.
Back on the boat, we settle in for the evening’s entertainment, provided each night on the Hall cruise. Earlier pro-ductions by the couple are shown on a fat-screen television in the dining room, covering the making of their IMAX flms, as well as reports of their earlier weeks aboard Pindito working on their new movie.
Our last evening on Pindito was flled with joy and laughter: Te “house band” — formed by the entire Indonesian crew — gave an excellent song-and-dance performance. A sumptuous feast — including sambal udang (prawns in a red sauce), sawi putih stir fry and ayam peynet (“smashed” fried chicken) — was presented, with all the best the Pindito kitchen had to ofer. We knew that night we would miss those excellent dishes, second breakfasts and the afternoon dive snacks — along with the diving and new friends we had made.
5 reasons to dive raja ampat and the Banda sea
1 a b u n d a n c e
Sticking your
head under-
water in Raja is
simply mind-
blowing: There’s
just much more
of everything.
2 c o l o r Not
only the soft
corals come in
the most beau-
tiful colors, but
fish, nudibranchs
and all manner
of crazy critters
have more color
than what you’re
likely used to.
3 c r i t t e r s You
think you’ve seen
funky stuff?
Think again.
Wobbegong,
ribbon eel, man-
darinfish, pygmy
seahorse, sea
snake, mimic
octopus, blue-
ringed octopus
(below) — you
name it; it’s here.
4 p e l a g i c m a g i c
Ever had a school
of mantas cast
a shadow over
you? It could
happen here.
5 p e a c e Many
fly in to dive here,
but because
the region is
so vast, you’re
nearly always
diving virtually
alone with
your buddy or
small group.
Above, from left: juvenile catfish and
nembrotha nudibranch.
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, f
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scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 38
drive and dive
Straits of MackinacHistory comes alive diving michigan’s Lower peninsula wrecks
�A By Erica BlakE Photos By andy Morrison
Ask a Straits of Mackinac diver to name a favorite shipwreck, and there will likely be a pause — an indication of the quantity of quality dive sites.
Not so with veteran diver Dan Friedhof. A member of the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve Council and longtime shipwreck diver, Friedhof has a standout favorite: the Cedarville.
A 588-foot steel freighter, Cedarville met its demise during a dense fog on May 7, 1965, after being struck broad-side by another ship. Te collision sent the steamer to the bottom of Lake Huron, along with 10 of its 35 crew.
Friedhoff ’s father, William “Bill” Friedhof, was among the survivors.
“He was sucked down by the lake three times,” Friedhof said, recounting how his father was thrown into the icy waters but survived to share the details with his then 7-year-old son. “Every year on May 7, my dad would raise a glass for the boys who didn’t make it.”
Located at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the Straits of Mackinac is home to the Mackinac Bridge, the third-longest suspension bridge in the world. While many travel to the area for a ferry ride to Mackinac Island or to explore the Upper Peninsula, scuba divers have earmarked it as a premier shipwreck destination.
Te Cedarville is among more than two dozen known shipwrecks in the area, and one of 12 that are moored in an underwater preserve with buoys placed by the shipwreck council.
When it sank to a depth of 105 feet, the Cedarville cracked in half and over-turned, leaving its underbelly reachable within about 40 feet from the surface.
you need serious dive cred to explore the
former steamer Eber Ward.
the mast of the massive former steel freighter Cedarville.
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 39
NEED TO KNOW
WHEN TO GO:
The diving season
in the Great Lakes
usually begins in
early June and lasts
through September,
but because the
lake can really act
up, be prepared for
the small chance
that the charter
is canceled.
DIVE
CONDITIONS: There
are 12 moored ship-
wrecks in the Straits
of Mackinac
Shipwreck Preserve,
ranging from 40
feet at the top to
150 feet at the
lakebed. The water
is usually cold (40 to
65 degrees F), so a
drysuit is reco-
mmended; visibility
can range from 20 to
50 feet. This is an
active shipping
channel; be aware of
your surroundings
and any current, and
always ascend on
the buoy line. For
more information
on wrecks, visit
straitspreserve.com.
CHARTERS:
Straits Scuba
Center in St. Ignace,
Michigan (straits
scuba.com), offers
one-day, two-tank
dive charters for
$120. Abyss Dive
Charters out of Ada,
Michigan (abyss
divecharters.com),
also offers dive
charters. Regular
air fills are also
available at Straits
Scuba Center.
T is ship is huge — divers can choose whether to descend to the bow, stern or at the cracked middle, all of which have mooring buoys placed by the preserve council.
Also resting on the Lake Huron side of the bridge is the William Young, a 138-foot wooden three-masted schoo-ner barge that began leaking due to old age and weather; it’s at about 118 feet.
T e Young’s discovery is almost as interesting as its demise. T e ship was accidentally discovered in 2002 by
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Rates are US dollars, per person, based on dbl. occ. unless otherwise stated. Please call or email for airfare, for single/triple/other occupancy, non-diver rates, kids rates and prices for dates other thanspecified. Taxes are included. Rates subject to availability & subject to change; other restrictions may apply. Not responsible for typographical errors. Call for group, dive club and dive shop rates!
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The wheel on the William Young.
MICHIGAN
Lake HuronLake Michigan
Mackinaw City
St. Ignace MackinacIsland
Round Island
St. Helena Island
Bois Blanc Island
EBER WARD
SANDUSKY
WILLIAM A. YOUNG
CEDARVILLE
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 40
drive and dive
To fnd the best dive sites, shops, operators and more near you — all on a handy loca-
tor map — visit scubadiving.com/dive-local.
Michigan State Police divers looking for a missing person believed to have jumped from the Mackinac Bridge.
We spent most of our air at the ship’s stern, where an intact ship’s wheel still stands upright. Just feet away was a ceramic jug, perhaps holding some s ailor’s hooch.
Like all Great Lake shipwrecks, those
in the Straits are protected by laws prohibiting the removal of any objects. Divers looking to take a “souvenir” will face fnes and likely criminal charges.
Tese regulations unfortunately didn’t come in time to safeguard the scrolled fgurehead of the Sandusky. A 110-foot wooden brig, Sandusky foundered in an 1856 storm, killing seven men. It now
sits in about 83 feet of water on the Lake Michigan side of the bridge.
Easily explored in one dive, the Sandusky ofers plenty to see, including impressive deadeyes along the railings and below the bowsprit, as well as a kedge anchor on the front deck. But its showstopper is the fgurehead: a replica.
Nearby is the Eber Ward, a wooden steamer that sank on April 9, 1909, when it was struck by ice, causing the deaths of fve men. Te top deck of the ship is at a depth of about 110 feet, but the 213-foot Eber Ward is considered an advanced dive because it hit bottom in about 140 feet of water.
Sitting upright with its pointed bow intact — complete with hanging anchors — the Eber Ward ’s demise can be under-stood by the gaping hole in its portside front hull. Te arm of a lone davit hangs empty where a lifeboat once hung.
I know my answer to the question of a favorite Straits shipwreck: the Eber Ward. But after hearing Friedhoff ’s story, it’s hard not to feel a kinship for the Cedarville. As I peered into the Cedarville’s tilted pilothouse, I recalled
how Bill Friedhof’s wish was to return to the ship that almost killed him.
After his father’s death, Friedhof donned his gear and made his way to the cabin where his father once lived. While there, he left behind a container engraved with his father’s name, which held his ashes.
“You’re a real community on a boat,” Friedhof explained. “Tere’s a connec-tion that you will always have.”
Sandusky is a former brig that was sent
to the bottom during an 1856 storm.
a bathtub on the Eber Ward’s deck.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 41
Fr
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to
p:
Gl
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Sh
ut
te
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to
ck
; A
nd
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or
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on
; A
nd
re
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or
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n;
Joh
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cc
or
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ut
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to
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Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas
Manta Scuba Diving
PADI 5 Star Dive Resort specializing in quality dive instruction and custom scuba diving. Dive
w/ Hammerheads, Whale Sharks, Sea Lions and Rays at the Sea of Cortez.
1-877-287-1120 [email protected]
www.caboscuba.com
Nautilus Dive Tech
We are Cabo’s Premier Diving Facility specializing in rebreathers and technical diving. Come visit
the depths of the submarine canyon and join our of shore adventures!
011-52-624-143-0067info@nautilusdivetech.comwww.nautilusdivetech.com
Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos All Inclusive Resort
Live the legend at the new All Inclusive Resort located in the “Heart and Soul of Cabo”. Ocean and Bay
view Suites, 4 great pools, private beach, short walk to Marina, dive centers, shops & night life.
www.sandos.com
Cabo San Lucas
Valentina Live Aboard / Fun Baja
NEW! 130ft. Valentina Live Aboard diving in Sea of Cortez. Socorro Island diving begins November 2013. FUN BAJA of ers Day Trips, Camping, Snorkeling & Diving Certifi cations.
www.fun-azulfl eet.net • www.funbaja.com
La PazCabo San Lucas
Wyndham Cabo San Lucas
In the heart of the Downtown Cabo Marina, next to the top Cabo diving and water
activities operators, many of them located in or around our ground-fl oor plaza.
www.wyndham.com
Old Style MEXICOOld Style
MEXICO BajaBaja{ YOU A R E H ER E. }
For Dive Deals visit: www.scubadiving.com/baja
DAY
1Ask to
dive ship-
wrecks on the
lake michigan
side of the
Straits of
mackinac,
giving you an
awesome view
of the under-
side of the
Mackinac
Bridge. Back at
St. ignace, visit
Timmy Lee’s
Pub for drinks
and dinner. if
you’re lucky
enough to be
there on a
Saturday
night, order
the prime
rib. Be sure
to come
hungry; it’s
massive.
DAY
2if you have
an after-
noon charter,
be sure to get
up early and
take one of
several ferries
available
from either
mackinaw city
or St. ignace to
Mackinac
Island, where
cars are forbid-
den. the island
is enjoyable to
walk around
and features
the Grand
Hotel, made
famous by
the movie
Somewhere in
Time. while
you’re there,
grab some
fudge.
DAY
3After
breakfast
at Java Joe’s
Café — where
the coffee is
great and
ordering a giant
sundae will get
your photo
permanently
displayed —
dive the side of
Cedarville you
haven’t seen.
At nearly
600 feet long,
the Cedarville
offers amazing
views at both
the bow and
the stern.
Straits of mackinac
ItInerary
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 42scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 42
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 43
G R A N D P R I Z E
ELS VAN DEN BORRE
Roosdaal, Belgium
BEHIND THE SHOT I took this picture in Lembeh, Indonesia, during a safety stop. I saw an anemone with its usual clownfish, and spent my five minutes on them. After a while, I saw one of the small males with its mouth always open; I thought it was yawning, but then I noticed it had a parasite completely visible.
CAMERA INFO Gear Nikon D90, Hugyfot housing, Nikon 105mm lens, two Inon Z-240 strobes ISO 200 F-Stop f/18 Shutter Speed 1/250
PRIZE $1,000 cash and a seven-night trip for one aboard Thailand Aggressor (aggressor.com)
THROUGH YOUR LENS
N i n t h A n n u a l P h o t o C o m p e t i t i o n
Advances in technology are rapidly
making the joys of underwater pho-
tography available to just about any
diver. But capturing a prizewinning image
takes so much more than just a grasp of
the tools. To create images that challenge
the mind and touch the heart — of read-
ers and our panel of 10 judges, who sorted
through nearly 700 submissions this year
— takes a special way of seeing the world
around us. From the quiet beauty of Alan
Lo’s octopus (page 54) to the thrill of Zach
Ransom’s lemon shark (page 56) to Wil-
liam Goodwin’s wondrous shot of nothing
at all (page 46), these 23 photographers
indeed showed us new worlds through
their lenses. We hope you enjoy the show.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 44
CHIA-CHI CHANG // Taipei City, Taiwan
BEHIND THE SHOT It’s usually very difficult to find an emperor shrimp on a nudibranch, but I was lucky to find two that day. I patiently waited for them to move to a good spot, changed the flashlight to the top, and got this shot.
CAMERA INFO Gear canon powershot G15, recsea housing, two Inon Z-240 strobes ISO 80 F-Stop f/8 Shutter Speed 1/200
PRIZE Five-day, two-tank dive package for two from stuart cove’s Dive bahamas (stuartcove.com)
MACrO
[ t hro u g h yo ur l ens ]
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 45
AMIR STERN // Haifa, Israel
BEHIND THE SHOT the Inon “bugeye” lens is one of the most unique lenses out there, giving neither a normal wide-angle nor a purely macro perspective. Instead, it’s a hybrid: a dedicated fisheye macro lens. the lens allows the user to photograph a smaller subject, while also includ-ing more of the environment than would be possible with a traditional macro lens — the lens can basically focus as close as you can get without scaring away the subject. this means you can make a tiny nudibranch look as big as a buffalo in the frame.
CAMERA INFO Gear canon powershot s100, Ikelite housing, Inon bugeye lens, single Ikelite Ds51 strobe ISO 80 F-Stop f/8 Shutter Speed 1/400
PRIZE scUbApro mK25/s600 regulator (scubapro.com)
LUC ROOMANKieldrecht, Belgium
BEHIND THE SHOT
this shot of an amphi-poda was taken at the Netherlands’ Lake Grevelingen. this little animal is a parasite on the jellyfish. the shot was taken in June, when we have many jellyfish in the lake, when the temps reach about 57 degrees F.
CAMERA INFO
Gear Nikon D300s, sealux housing, Nikon 60mm lens, subsee +10 diopter, two subtronic pro 160 strobes ISO 160
F-Stop f/32 Shutter
Speed 1/250
PRIZE $200 gift certificate to backscatter Underwater Video & photo ( backscatter.com)
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 46
divers
[ t hro u g h yo ur l ens ]
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 47
WILLIAM GOODWINBirmingham, Alabama
BEHIND THE SHOT
the seemingly empty expanse of sand that separates tori’s reef, bonaire, from the ironshore contains an abundance of life, including razorfish col-onies, a large resident barracuda, graceful palometas, bonefish, spotted eagle rays, a rare black brotula — and my wife and dive buddy, Donna.
CAMERA INFO
Gear sony Alpha NeX-5N, Acquapazza housing, sony 16mm lens, natural light ISO 100 F-Stop f/8 Shutter
Speed 1/500
PRIZE Four nights of accommodations plus diving for two at the Hotel cozumel & resort (hotelcozumel.com.mx)
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 48
MARK FULLER // Eilat, Israel
BEHIND THE SHOT This image was taken in Papua New Guinea on a calm morning dive. My dive buddy was photographing a school of barracuda, so I decided to get below and shoot straight up to capture the photographer at work, thus getting a great silhouette of the diver and barracuda; the calm sea with the clouds made for a nice Snell’s window.
CAMERA INFO Gear Nikon D7000, Aquatica housing, Nikon 10.5mm lens, natural light ISO 200 F-Stop f/13 Shutter Speed 1/160
PRIZE Cressi MC9/Compact reg and octo set (cressi.com)
DIVERS
[ T HRO U G H YO UR L ENS ]
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 49
FILIP STAESMechelen, Belgium
BEHIND THE SHOT
I was taking pictures of the sunlight enter-ing the canyon at Dahab, egypt, in the red sea, when a free diver passed me between the nar-row walls. Despite his long fins, he was in no hurry, as I watched him slowly continue his way to the surface.
CAMERA INFO
Gear Fujifilm Finepix s5 pro, seacam housing, tokina 10-17mm lens at 17mm, natural light ISO 200 F-Stop f/4.5 Shutter
Speed 1/60
PRIZE $200 gift certificate to backscatter Underwater Video & photo (backscatter.com)
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 50
ALEKSANDRA BARTNICKA // Warsaw, Poland
BEHIND THE SHOT It was a clear day in Raja Ampat’s Misool area. We were diving the famous Magic Mountain, a manta cleaning station. We were lucky that day, with mantas cruising up and down the ridge. This manta was heading straight at me, and I braced myself for the photo opportunity. At the last minute, it changed its course and swam straight up, toward the surface. I had to quickly change the settings to adjust for the new level of light, and I managed to get this photo, the most graceful pose of this magical creature.
CAMERA INFO Gear Nikon D300S, Ikelite housing, Tokina 10-17mm lens at 10mm, natural light ISO 200 F-Stop f/9 Shutter Speed 1/125
PRIZE Seven nights plus diving for one at Utila’s Deep Blue Resort (deepblueutila.com)
WIDE-ANGLE
[ T HRO U G H YO UR L ENS ]
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 51
LUIS JAVIER SANDOVAL // Cancun, Mexico
BEHIND THE SHOT some of the cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula have wide-open entrances, allowing sun rays to enter. this light creates amazing gardens full of life; some of the cenotes host different species of freshwater turtles, fish and, if you are lucky enough, you might come across a morelet’s crocodile. this young croc was hiding among the plants on the edge of the water — when it felt the camera come close, it opened its mouth, creating the moment for the perfect shot as its body was reflected on the water’s surface.
CAMERA INFO Gear Nikon D7000, Aquatica housing, tokina 10-17mm lens at 16mm, two sea & sea Ys-120 strobes ISO 100 F-Stop f/9 Shutter Speed 1/200
PRIZE Aqua Lung Legend LX regulator (aqualung.com)
FRANCIS PÉREZCanary Islands, Spain
BEHIND THE SHOT summer is the best season in the canary Islands because the water is clear, with beautiful morning light. For this shot, I want-ed to be alone with sea turtles — after only a few minutes, they appeared as if from the sunbeams.
CAMERA INFO Gear canon eos 5D, seacam housing, canon eF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens, two Ikelite Ds125 strobes ISO 100 F-Stop f/18 Shutter Speed 1/160
PRIZE $200 gift certificate to backscatter Underwater Video & photo (backscatter.com)
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 52
MARCELLO DI FRANCESCO // La Spezia, Italy
BEHIND THE SHOT the secret to achieving a shot of a male cardinalfish brooding eggs inside its mouth: a lot of patience! this kind of fish is quite friendly and not afraid of humans; we have only to wait for the right time when we have a good vantage point, and catch it with its mouth open.
CAMERA INFO Gear canon eos 60D, Nimar housing, canon eF 100mm lens, two Inon Z-240 strobes ISO 320 F-Stop f/14 Shutter Speed 1/200
PRIZE seven-night live-aboard trip for one on Aqua cat cruises (aquacatcruises.com)
BeHAviOr
[ t hro u g h yo ur l ens ]
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 53
J. GREGORY SHERMAN
Tucson, Arizona
BEHIND THE SHOT
On the way back to the Rocio Del Mar live-aboard after a dive, I spotted a group of boo-bies feeding. The panga dropped me off, and I spent my surface inter-val among the birds, trying to get close enough to get a shot, while simultaneously keeping my dome port away from their curious beaks. This one seemed intrigued by its reflec-tion, and I was able to capture this frame before it flew away.
CAMERA INFO
Gear Canon EOS 50D, Sea & Sea housing, Canon EF 8-15mm fisheye lens, two Inon Z-240 strobes ISO 100 F-Stop f/20 Shutter
Speed 1/200
PRIZE Mares Instinct 12S regulator and Dragon BC (mares.com)
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 54
ALAN LO // Kowloon, Hong Kong
BEHIND THE SHOT The coconut octopus is one of the most fascinating and intelligent creatures, with its own personality. To capture this “stretching” moment in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, a spotlight effect was created by using a snoot on the strobe light.
CAMERA INFO Gear Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sea & Sea housing, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L II lens, Inon UCL-165M67 close-up lens, Inon Z-240 strobe with snoot ISO 200 F-Stop f/18 Shutter Speed 1/200
PRIZE $200 gift certificate to Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo ( backscatter.com)
BEHAVIOR
[ T HRO U G H YO UR L ENS ]
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 55
PRIZES [ T HRO U G H YO UR L ENS ]
F I R S T P L A C E
M A C R O
STUART COVE’S DIVE BAHAMASOur winner and a guest will
enjoy five days of two-tank
morning dives with one of the
Bahamas biggest and best dive
operators, with the chance to
visit legendary spots like Shark
Alley or the James Bond wrecks.
stuartcove.com
F I R S T P L A C E
D I V E R S
HOTEL COZUMELOur winner and a guest will
be treated to an all-inclusive
five days and four nights at
the four-star Hotel Cozumel &
Resort, including three days
of two-tank morning dives
and two days of one-tank
afternoon dives.
hotelcozumel.com.mx
F I R S T P L A C E
B E H A V I O R
AQUA CAT CRUISESOur winner will experience a
week in the Exumas, the most
pristine area of the Bahamas,
diving shark feeds to blue
holes, high-speed drifts, walls
and shallow patch reefs dur-
ing a seven-night cruise for one
aboard Aqua Cat Cruises.
aquacatcruises.com
F I R S T P L A C E W I D E - A N G L E
DEEP BLUE RESORT, UTILAOur winner will enjoy seven
nights plus diving at all-inclu-
sive PADI Five Star IDC Deep
Blue Resort on the Bay Island
of Utila, perfectly situated for
unlimited shore diving, with a
reef that starts at the shore-
line, and the chance of whale
sharks passing nearby.
deepblueutila.com
S E C O N D P L A C E
M A C R O
SCUBAPROThe SCUBAPRO MK25/S600
regulator, an easy breather
under normal conditions, offers
tremendous reserve capacity
for extreme diving.
scubapro.com
S E C O N D P L A C E
D I V E R S
CRESSIThe Cressi MC9/Compact reg
and octo set, with its mini first
stage and featherlight second
stages, is an ideal package for
traveling divers.
cressi.com
S E C O N D P L A C E B E H A V I O R
MARESThe Mares Instinct 12S
regulator and Dragon BC team
a hydrodynamically shaped
breather with one of the
most comfortable and stable
BCs around.
mares.com
S E C O N D P L A C E
W I D E - A N G L E
AQUA LUNGThe Aqua Lung Legend LX
regulator’s overbalanced first
stage and pneumatically bal-
anced second stage delivers
top breathing performance.
aqualung.com
T H I R D P L A C E
A L L C A T E G O R I E S
A $200 gift certificate to
Backscatter Underwater
Video & Photo, the world’s
leading supplier for underwater
imaging equipment.
backscatter.com
Our 10th Annual Photo Competition begins Oct. 1. It’s open to all levels of underwater photographers, and you have until May 1, 2014, to enter. For categories and official rules, go to scubadiving.com/photocontest.
Scuba Diving magazine would like to thank our 2013 contest donors, without whom these prizes would not be possible.
THAILAND AGGRESSOR
Our winner will spend seven nights
diving from a luxury live-aboard plying
the famed Andaman, Similan or Phi
Phi Islands. aggressor.com
honorable mentions
[ t hro u g h yo ur l ens ]
Charlotte SamSMackerel, Marsa Shagra, Egypt
luiS Javier SandovalTurtle, Akumal Bay, Mexico
Pietro FormiSCave, Ras Mohammed, Egypt
Craig dietriChSchooling fish, Socorro Islands, Mexico
JaCqueline JongenelenHermit crab, Moalboal, Philippines
ZaCh ranSomLemon shark, Tiger Beach, Bahamas
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 56
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 57
Karen doody
Chac Mool Cenote, Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
gooS van der heide
Peacock mantis shrimp, Ambon, Indonesia
eduardo aCevedo
Pilot whales, Canary Island, Spain
hamid rad
Mangroves, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
marCello di
FranCeSCo
Nudibranch, Argentario, Italy
david valenCia
Humpbacks, Roca Partida, Mexico
for dive deals visit: scubadiving.com/florida-gulf-coast
PE N SACOL A
PA NA M A
C I T Y
GU L F B R E E Z E
C RY STA L
R I V E R
TA R P ON
SPR I NG S
Driftin’ and Dreamin’….of Visiting Citrus County. Citrus County is home to more than 29 freshwater springs, the highest concentration of freshwater springs in the state of Florida. Citrus County, located North of Tampa and West of Orlando, is truly the water lover’s Florida. The clear, crisp, 72-degree spring-fed rivers keep snorkelers & divers warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Freshwater springs attract Citrus County’s most famous resident, the West Indian manatee. Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge preserves the last unspoiled and undeveloped habitat in Kings Bay, including the famous Three Sisters Springs. Experience a whole new world of beautiful saltwater fish in a fresh water environment. Come share with us our little piece
of paradise in “The Water Lover’s Florida”. Call for a FREE visitors guide at 800-587-6667 or visit us online at http://visitcitrus.com for more information.
BIRD’S UNDERWATER, INC
Crystal River, Florida
» Bird’s Underwater, Inc. offers manatee snorkel tours and Kayak rentals from our waterfront location on the Crystal River.
» Bill “Bird” Oestreich has taught tech diving for over 25 years and is an instructor trainer for Side Mount, Cavern through Cave, and mixed gases Nitrox through Tri-Mix.
» Full service dive center, Scubapro PLATINUM Dealership, all levels of instruction through SDI and PADI.
352-563-2763, 800-771-2763 [email protected]
PLANTATION ON CRYSTAL RIVER
Crystal River, Florida
» The Nature Coast’s only Full Service Dive Shop and Resort located directly on Kings Bay.
» Swim with the manatees – if they were any closer they would need room keys!
» Make us your diving head-quarters; from snorkeling to cave diving, we can fulfil l all of your diving needs.
352-795-4211 800.632.6262 www.plantationoncrystalriver.com
AMERICAN PRO MANATEE SNORKEL & DIVING CENTER
Crystal River, Florida
» Guided Manatee snorkel and Dive tours. Dive all year round at a 5 Star PADI facility.
» Onsite indoor pool for dive Instruction. Referrals also welcome.
» Dive our world famous Springs to see Caverns & Drift Dives. The whole family will enjoy this vacation experience together with American Pro Diving Center.
352-563-00411-800-291-DIVEwww.americanprodiving.com
EXPLORE THE BEST OF
FLORIDA’S GULF COAST DIVING
DIVE LOCKERPanama City Beach, Florida
» You haven’t had a great boat dive until you’ve taken a charter on Fintastic or Narcosis!
» For beginners or experienced divers, Panama City Beach offers an abundance of excellent dive sites with over 50 artificial reefs, including ships, barges, bridge spans and hundreds of natural limestone reefs.
» Dive Locker is easy and inexpensive. When you learn to dive with us, you get the highest standards in dive training, safety and customer service.
GULF COAST DIVE PROSPensacola, Florida
» Experience counts! Serving Florida Panhandle divers since 1988 with our award winning SCUBA Training Programs and well stocked Retail Center that features products by SCUBAPRO, AQUA LUNG & ATOMIC.
» The highest quality rental equipment designed for the Gulfs most challenging dives and a custom gas blending facility capable of fulfil l ing any technical or recreational gas needs.
» Hundreds of wrecks and natural reefs including the 900ft. carrier Oriskany, the San Pablo, the battleship Massachusetts, Aircraft, Tugboats, Dive Tenders and the newly sunk Patti Built Art Barge in less than 60 feet of water.
1-866-DIVEPRO, [email protected]
NARCOSIS SCUBATarpon Springs, Florida
» Narcosis Scuba is a Full Service PADI 5 Star Center located in the historic Sponge Docks of Tarpon Springs, Florida.
» Our Charter Boat can bring you out to see the abundant marine life, ledges and wrecks of the Gulf of Mexico.
» Family owned and operated since 1996-If it happens on, under or around the water-we are the ones to see!!
BAY BREEZE DIVE CENTERGulf Breeze, Florida
» Home of the largest Artificial reef in the world the USS Oriskany and the oldest US Battleship wreck the USS Massachusetts.
» 100’s of dive spots including natural limestone bottom, bridge rubble and wrecks ranging from 25-130”.
» Spearfishing and recreational diving trips offered daily.
850-934-8363 or book online www.baybreezescuba.comwww.thescubageek.net
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scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 59
It’s a VIsIon thIngScubaLab teSt-diveS
new maSkS
Diving is all about the visuals. That’s why it’s critical to have a mask that keeps water out, is comfortable
and provides an optimal viewing platform for all the cool stuff. For some divers, it’s easy to find the perfect
mask. For others, it’s a never-ending search. That’s why each year ScubaLab asks manufacturers for their
newest and coolest, so we can test-dive them and share the results with you. This year, 21 masks arrived:
Fourteen are spotlighted here; seven more can be found at scubadiving.com. We divided them into three
standard categories: Single-Lens, Dual-Lens and Three-/Four-Lens, then took them into the water to test
field of view, volume, function and features. Here’s the rundown. by john brumm photography by elly wray
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 60
tiPS FROm tHe eXPeRtS
What to LooK FoR In a MasK
1F IELD OF VIEW Optimizing your fi eld of view, both horizontally and vertically, is the primary goal of
a good mask. But having a good down-ward view is of particular importance. After all, downward is where you’ll fi nd your gauges, buckles, D-rings, BC pockets, weight ditch handles and just about everything else you’re going to want to grab. T e better your down-ward view, the easier it is to see and to access your gear.
2
LOW VOLUME Low-vol-ume masks require less breath to clear. T ey also create less drag
when cruising through the water col-umn, and they tend to provide a wider fi eld of view because the front lenses sit closer to your eyes.
3
BUCKLE/STRAP SYS-
TEMS Some buckles are easy to operate and make strap
adjustment a dream. Others are simply a pain in the ass. T e buckle systems on most modern masks mount on the skirt rather than the frame. T is off ers a number of advantages, including improving the range of motion for strap positioning, and enabling the buckles to be folded fl at against the lens for stowage or packing.
4 SKIRTS All mask skirts are made out of silicone, but the thickness and suppleness var-
ies. Some skirts mold to your face like a second skin, creating a comfortable, watertight seal. Others seem to just butt up against your face, with stiff edges
that dig into your skin. Some manufac-turers add diff erent surface textures in the forehead and cheek areas to increase comfort and to improve the seal. Liquid-Skin, TruFit and High Seal are among the top skirt designs worth investigating.
Skirts also come in clear and black, typically. Clear skirts maximize the amount of available light they allow into the mask. T is can be a real plus when diving in shadowed or green water. However, when diving in bright tropi-cal waters over a white-sand bottom, all that refl ective light streaming through a clear skirt can be blinding. Black skirts, while a bit more claustrophobic, are great at blocking this refl ective light, which is why underwater photographers love them.
5
PURGE VALVES For divers who just can’t get a mask to seal, buying a model with a purge valve
might be the only solution. Mounted in the bottom of the nose pocket, a purge valve is designed to keep water from building up inside a leaky mask. T e best purge valves will drain without any eff ort; at worst, all you have to do is blow gently through your nose to get it going.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 61
aQua lung LINEA this Italian-made, lightweight dive mask was
designed for a woman’s face, but testers found you
don’t have to be a female to get a good f t. the lens,
skirt and euro-sleek frame are molded as one rather
than assembled or pressed together. this allows the
lens to be positioned very close to the eyes, result-
ing in excellent f eld of vision as well as low volume
— the lowest in this category. the Linea is built with a
large, comfortable skirt with bands of different tex-
tures around the edge of the skirt for a better seal.
the mask features Aqua Lung’s full-swivel cardanic
Joint buckles that hold fast but allow for quick micro
adjustments. the buckles also have guards built in
to prevent hair entanglements, and the strap has a
wide headband for added comfort.
atomiC aQuatiCS VENOM this high-concept mask performs as good as its
looks. built a bit larger than others in this test — with
its reinforced internal frame and double-layer, dual-
color silicone skirt — the Venom is really comfortable
on the face. but what’s immediately noticeable is the
excellent horizontal view it provides, by far the best
in this group. this is due to a large lens that f ares out
on its outside edges, made from a high-quality glass
imported from Germany called schott superwite,
which allows more light in to brighten the underwater
view. the squeeze-button buckles are soft mounted
to the mask skirt, providing f exibility in strap posi-
tioning, plus they can be folded f at for packing. It’s
a winning design that earned the testers’ choice in
the single-lens category. the Venom is also available
with an antiref ective coating (Arc).
Lab resuLts
Lab resuLts
Sp
eC
S
Sp
eC
S
horizontal view 90°
upward view 35°
downward view 50°
volume UltralowColorS Twilight, Pink, Arctic White
Skirt Cleardry weight 6.5 oz.warranty 2 yearspriCe $90aqualung.com
horizontal view 95°upward view 40°downward view 50°volume MediumColorS Black/Gray, Black/Blue, Black/Red
Skirt Blackdry weight 9.5 oz. warranty Lifetime (frame); 1 year (buckles/skirt)priCe $199; $249 w/ ARC atomicaquatics.com
SCU
BA
LAB
2013TESTERS’
CHOICE
SinGLe-LenS maSkS
Simple designs that provide a broad, uninterrupted view, the absence of a solid nose bridge enables you to maintain binocular vision when looking to the side — a plus for some divers.
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 62
SCubapro FRAMELESS MINI
the Frameless mini takes its cues from scUbApro’s
original frameless mask, which has been around for
close to a quarter-century. While offering many of
the same features as the original, the mini is smaller
and lighter, with a sleeker design and a more modern
inverted-teardrop-lens shape. It offers pretty much
the same horizontal f eld of view as the original, but its
vertical view is substantially better, due to the shape
of the lower portion of the lens and how it sits closer to
the eyes. the mask’s double-edge seal feels good on
the face. the buckles are basic but effective; they’re
soft mounted on the skirt so they can be folded into
the lens for easy packing. It’s an ideal mask for divers
with small or narrow faces.
Lab resuLts
Sp
eC
S
horizontal view 75°upward view 35°downward view 40°volume MediumColorS Black, Clear
Skirt Black or Cleardry weight 6.5 oz.warranty 1 yearpriCe $79scubapro.com
Subgear GHOST Although available in two colors, the white version
of this low-volume frameless mask attracts all the
attention. this unusual mask color pops on the sur-
face as well as at depth, making it easy for a diver
to be identified, even when fully enclosed in neo-
prene. the lens sits close to the eyes, offering a
better-than-average f eld of view, and it’s made from
ultraclear glass to enhance light availability. A handy
feature is the quick-release buckle system that allows
you to attach or remove the strap without having to
thread or unthread. simply depress the buckle’s cen-
ter button, and the strap releases; to reattach, click
it back into place. the strap-adjustment tabs work
pretty well too. testers found the f nished edges of
the skirt to be a bit rough, but nobody complained
about the price.
Lab resuLts
Sp
eC
S
horizontal view 80°upward view 30°downward view 45°volume LowColorS White, Black
Skirt White or Blackdry weight 7 oz.warranty 1 year priCe $55subgear.com
SinGLe-LenS maSkS
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 63
TILOS VERSA M990
Our test Versa, with its large, unobstructed lens,
clear frame and clear silicone skirt, offered one of
the most open and airy underwater views in this
year’s shootout. The translucent skirt allows lots
of light in, making it a great choice for diving in dark
water or low-light locales like kelp forests. The lens
offers good fi eld of view at all angles, and because
the space over the bridge of the nose is so substantial
— the largest of all the masks tested — you can max-
imize the binocular effect for close-up viewing. The
mask comes with nonslip rubber strips on the frame
corners to provide some shock absorption, and con-
venient quick-release buckles are mounted on the
skirt, with fl exible swivel tabs for fi ne-tuning fi t. The
headband is large and comfortable.
LAB RESULTS
SP
EC
S
HORIZONTAL VIEW 80°UPWARD VIEW 35°DOWNWARD VIEW 40°VOLUME MediumCOLORS Blue, Yellow, Clear, Black
SKIRT Clear or BlackDRY WEIGHT 7 oz.WARRANTY 1-year limitedPRICE $69.95tilos.com
TUSA M-111 KLEIO II
For divers with small faces — and those with not-
so-small faces — the compact Kleio II can be a
surprisingly comfortable mask. Its relatively large
skirt is made of soft crystal silicone, which features
rounded edges that lie against the skin without
digging in too much. This makes for a more comfort-
able fi t and helps to minimize those face creases
that occur after a day in the water. The nose pocket
is easy to grab for equalizing, even while wearing
gloves. Tusa’s Quick-Adjust Buckle System features
push-button strap adjustment. The buckles are
mounted on soft tabs built into the skirt, allowing
limited up-and-down swivel action; they can also
be folded into the lens for low-profi le packing. Lots
of color choices let you match the mask to the rest
of your gear.
LAB RESULTS
SP
EC
S
HORIZONTAL VIEW 70°UPWARD VIEW 30°DOWNWARD VIEW 40°VOLUME MediumCOLORS Black, Blue, Yellow, Red, Pink, Green, Clear
SKIRT ClearDRY WEIGHT 7 oz.WARRANTY 3 yearsPRICE $72tusa.com
SINGLE-LENS MASKS
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 64
CreSSi NANO
Divers who like small and simple won’t find a
better low-prof le mask than the cressi Nano. this
super-compact mask is feather light, it f ts close to
the eyes, and it boasted the lowest volume in this
year’s go-round. It came as no surprise to hear that
the Nano was designed for free diving and spear-
f shing. What was a surprise was how well it works
for scuba divers. the angled, tempered-glass lenses
feature an inverted-teardrop shape that delivers
solid f eld of vision in all directions. buckles attach
to the frame via f exible tabs, allowing them to swivel
up and down, and in and out. the buckle mechanism
is designed for quick strap adjustment: pull on the
strap end to tighten, lift up on the tab to loosen.
Lab resuLts
Sp
eC
S
horizontal view 80°upward view 35°downward view 45°volume UltralowColorS Blue, Black
Skirt Black or Cleardry weight 5 oz.warranty 2-year limitedpriCe $119cressi.com
iSt SportS SMP204 SPEAR the spear is a nice-f tting, all-purpose mask that
delivers very functional f eld of view. It’s relatively
lightweight, and its thin and soft hypoallergenic
crystalline-silicone skirt molds comfortably to the
face. the sides of the nose pocket provide tex-
tured patches that are easy to grab with wet hands
or gloves, plus there are pleats in the silicone that
expand as you squeeze the nose pocket, so you
can equalize without breaking the mask’s seal. the
quick-release buckles are a great convenience fea-
ture, allowing you to separate the strap from the
mask with the push of a couple of buttons. they
attach to the skirt and fold flat but don’t swivel.
the strap also adjusts easily for f ne-tuning f t, and
includes a split headband for maximum comfort.
Lab resuLts
Sp
eC
S
horizontal view 80°upward view 35°downward view 40°volume MediumColorS Blue, Yellow, Black
Skirt Black or Cleardry weight 6 oz.warranty 3 yearspriCe $50istsports.com
duaL-LenS maSkS
Ultracompact with lenses positioned close to the eyes — widening the view while decreasing volume — they’re also better suited for the installation of prescription lenses.
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 65
SP
EC
S
HORIZONTAL VIEW 85°UPWARD VIEW 40°DOWNWARD VIEW 50°VOLUME LowCOLORS X-VU: Blue, Yellow, Black, Black/White, Pink/White, Blue/White; Sunrise: White, Blue/
White, Pink/White, Light Blue/WhiteSKIRT Black or ClearDRY WEIGHT 6.5 oz.WARRANTY 2 yearsPRICE $84mares.com
MARES X-VU LIQUIDSKIN
A lot of attention went into the making of the frame
and skirt on the X-VU. The result is a mask that testers
found to be super comfy, with better-than-average
fi eld of vision, especially looking down. The skirt uses
Mares’ Bi-Silicone LiquidSkin technology, which incor-
porates two types of silicone: fi rmer around the frame
for structural support, and softer along the edges for a
snug seal. Soft silicone is also injected in the nose area
to act as an antishock bumper. The buckle system
offers full swivel range for perfect strap alignment,
and the large dual-compound headband is comfort-
able. The X-VU is also available in a Sunrise LiquidSkin
version with a smaller nose pocket and a wider skirt.
LAB RESULTS
SCUBAMAX MK-219 ARC
The Arc is one of the smallest and lightest masks in
this group, yet it offers above-average horizontal fi eld
of view. It helps that the lenses sit so close to the eyes;
this also cuts down on interior volume — some of the
lowest-volume measurements in this year’s test. The
company says its direct-injection technique makes
the mask’s construction stronger. Acting almost like a
frameless mask, the dual-seal skirt can deliver a com-
fortable, leak-free fi t on a variety of face shapes. Test
divers liked the textured nose pocket that lets you get
a fi rm grip for equalizing. The strap is pretty standard,
but buckles are soft-mounted on the skirt, and offer
easy push-button strap adjustment. Offered at a very
good price, the Arc can be a primary or backup mask.
LAB RESULTS
SP
EC
S
HORIZONTAL VIEW 85°UPWARD VIEW 35°DOWNWARD VIEW 40°VOLUME UltralowCOLORS Black
SKIRT BlackDRY WEIGHT 5 oz.WARRANTY 1 yearPRICE $48scubamax.us
DUAL-LENS MASKS
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 66
SCUBAPRO SPECTRA TRUFIT
Divers will have to look hard to fnd a mask as soft,
sealable and comfortable as the truft. A series of
ribs molded into the silicone skirt create the per-
fect balance of softness and shape. testers rated
the view it provided as excellent, second only to the
Venom in horizontal feld of view, and among the
best in vertical feld of view. An effcient buckle sys-
tem attaches to tabs on the skirt to optimize range
of motion when dialing in ft; this also enables the
mask to be folded fat for easy packing. the frame
features a unique paint process that creates a cool
powder-coat effect. the truft was the undisputed
testers’ choice in this year’s Dual-Lens category.
Lab resuLts
HORizOntAl view 90°UPwARd view 40°dOwnwARd view 50°vOlUme LowCOlORS White, Blue/Silver, Black/Silver
SkiRt Clear or BlackdRy weigHt 7.5 oz.wARRAnty 1 yearPRiCe $99scubapro.com
SHeRwOOd SCUBA ONYX With its stealthy black-matte fnish, the onyx might
look all business, but its soft skirt and near-custom
ft reveal a comfortable, lightweight, low-volume
mask with pretty good all-around feld of view at
depth. Able to provide a leak-free ft for a wide range
of divers, the onyx comes with effective push-button
buckles and an ultranarrow strap that incorporates
a stretchy split headband. testers rated it one of the
most versatile masks of the group, well suited for all
underwater activities from scuba diving to free div-
ing. In addition, its minimalist frame and foldability
make it the perfect choice for a backup mask that
fts neatly in many bc pockets. It’s a lot of mask at a
pretty good price, which prompted testers to give it
the best buy nod for this year’s go-round.
Lab resuLts
SP
eC
S
HORizOntAl view 85°UPwARd view 30°dOwnwARd view 40°vOlUme LowCOlORS Black
SkiRt BlackdRy weigHt 6 oz.wARRAnty 2 yearsPRiCe $70sherwoodscuba.com
SP
eC
S
SCU
BA
LAB
BE2013
ST
BUY
SCU
BA
LAB
2013TESTERS’
CHOICE
DUAL-LENS MASKS
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 67
THREE- AND FOUR-LENS MASKS
Using side windows to let in light and increase peripheral vision, the intersection of front and side lenses can create distortion at depth — a minor irritant or a major aggravation, depending on the diver.
Horizontal view
80°/140°Upward view 40°downward view 45°volUme MediumColors Blue, Yellow, Black
skirt Black or Cleardry weigHt 7 oz.warranty 2 yearspriCe $92 LiquidSkin; $75 Sunrisemares.com
mares I3 LIQUIDSKIN
the i3 Liquidskin uses three lenses to create its
expanded view. the front lens provides an 80-degree
horizontal view; the side lenses increase this to 140
degrees. refraction creates about 20 degrees of
dead space between where the front lens leaves off
and the side lenses pick up; however, if you can deal
with that, you’ll radically increase what you can see
on your fanks. the i3’s skirt uses two types of sili-
cone — frmer near the frame for structural support,
ultrasoft where it comes in contact with the skin.
New push-button buckles allow for easy adjustment
of the dual-silicone strap. Also available in a sunrise
version with a smaller nose pocket and wider skirt,
the i3 earned the testers’ choice in its category.
Lab resuLts
sp
eC
s
tUsa M-41 FREEDOM QUAD
the Freedom Quad is a four-window mask with
a large skirt that’s built with a series of small dim-
ples strategically placed along the edges. Also
built in are stability ridges and a variety of thick-
nesses in the silicone. this is all intended to create
what test divers found to be a pretty comfortable
mask that seals well, feels good against the skin
and minimizes face creases from extended wear.
the mask provides average field of view out the
front lenses, but when you add the small side win-
dows, this expands to about 140 degrees, allowing
for about a 30-degree separation due to refraction.
the lenses are made from crystalView optical glass
to maximize light transmission, and the push-button
buckles are mounted on soft tabs on the skirt for
easy adjustment of the mask strap.
Lab resuLts
sp
eC
s
Horizontal view 75°/140°Upward view 35°downward view 40°volUme MediumColors Black, Blue, Yellow, Clear
skirt Clear or Blackdry weigHt 7 oz.warranty 3 yearspriCe $89tusa.com
SCU
BA
LAB
2013TESTERS’
CHOICE
FIRST LOOKWHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF CAMERAS
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 68
SEALIFE DC1400 MA XX DUO
The Maxx Duo combines a diver-friendly design with still-shot and high-defi nition-video capability. The system is ready to use straight out of the box, with an easy setup mode that guides you through the set-tings in plain language. Depth rated to 200 feet, it offers six underwater modes accessed by large “piano key” controls fl anking the LCD screen. Included is a 14-megapixel camera, a fi sheye wide-angle lens, a strobe, and a video light for taking either still shots or HD video, and a tray and arms. It’s all packaged in a carry-on-size hard case, making it an ideal system for divers who like to travel. MSRP $1,700; INFO sealife-cameras.com
LIQUID IMAGE CAMERA /MASK
MODEL 324-325
The Model 324 (small/medium) and Model 325 (large/extra-large) are dive masks that do double-duty as combi-nation wide-angle 12.0 megapixel still cameras and 1080 fps HD video cam-eras. They are depth rated to 130 feet, and set up to add optional lens fi lters and lights that screw into the sides of the mask. The camera/mask comes with a 4 GB micro SDHC card that can record about two hours of video (32 GB cards that can hold up to eight hours of video are sold separately). Also included are four rechargeable lithium batter-ies, along with a plug-in charger, a USB cable, AV cable and plastic storage box. MSRP $299; INFO liquidimageco.com
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 69
GOPRO HERO SYSTEM BY BACKSCAT TER
The Hero3 Black Edition is the smallest, most advanced GoPro yet. Weighing a little more than 2.5 ounces, it’s 25 percent lighter and 30 percent smaller than previous models, and can shoot 12 mp stills or 1080p video at 60 fps. This package includes camera, housing and Flip3 fi lter with new Top Flip accessory. The Top Flip allows you to fl ip between two different fi lters for different depths and lighting conditions. Pictured here are the Dive and Deep fi l-ters. Waterproof to 197 feet, the Black Edition is compatible with all GoPro mounting accessories. MSRP $399, camera/housing; $69, Flip3; $59, Top Flip INFO backscatter.com
CANON S110 SYSTEM BY REEF PHOTO
This system includes a Canon Powershot S110 camera with a Nauticam NA-S110 housing, Inon S-2000 strobe with fi ber-optic connection, plus a Nauticam tray, arms and clamps. Canon emphasizes portability with the Powershot S110. The camera weighs less than half a pound and is just over an inch thick, making it easy to carry. The housing is designed to minimize additional bulk, and because of that can easily be gripped with one hand. The aluminum housing is high qual-ity and offers a 67mm threaded port for use with wide-angle and close-focus wet-lens options. Ultracompact, it can be stowed in a BC pocket when not in use. MSRP $399, camera; $900, housing INFO reefphoto.com
WATERSHOT PRO iPHONE 5
HOUSING KIT
This new housing kit offers everything you need to capture images using your iPhone 5. The kit includes a rugged injection-molded polycarbonate hous-ing that’s depth rated to 195 feet, a removable grip, two lenses (a fl at port and a wide-angle that increases fi eld of view to 110 degrees), an integrated universal tripod mount, a lens bezel for external fi lters and lenses, an adjust-able lanyard, lens desiccant, and a free app available at t he App Store or on iTunes. An ultracompact light with brightness from 180 to 550 lumens and an adjustable arm completes the package. MSRP $189.99, hous-ing kit; $139-$199 , light kit INFO watershot .com
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 70
FIRst LooK WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF CAMERAS
aCCEssoRIEsCOOL TOOLS
TO MAKE YOUR
NEXT SHOOTOUT
YOUR MOST
PRODUCTIVE
Xit 404 port-mount kitFeaturing one fi xed mount for attaching
diopters, lights or other accessories to
your fl at port; seven other positions for
adding extra mounts. $230, with two
diopter mounts; xit404.com
OLYmPuS SYStem bY
backScat teR
This system includes the Olympus PEN E-PL5 camera with Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens and an Olympus PT-EP10 housing. Accessories include Ultralight Control Systems tray, arms and clamps, plus a Sea & Sea YS-01 strobe. The Olympus PEN Series is a leader in interchangeable-lens mirrorless cameras. The E-PL5 offers the image quality and lens fl exibility of a DSLR in a body the size of a compact camera. The large micro four-thirds sensor delivers excellent image quality. The polycarbonate PT-EP10 housing is depth rated to 140 feet, keeping the entire system to a luggage-friendly size and weight. mSrp $699, camera and lens kit; $747, housing inFo backscatter .com
nikOn Pack aGe bY ikeLite
Consisting of a Nikon Coolpix L28 camera and Ikelite ultracompact housing, this simple camera and housing package delivers high-quality 20-megapixel digital still shots as well as 720p HD video. The housing offers easy drop-in camera loading and full access to camera functions. Depth rated to 200 feet, the housing is compatible with wide-angle lenses, and the addition of an external strobe or video light allows for great results at all depths and light levels. The perfect system for beginner and intermediate divers. mSrp $400 inFo ikelite.com
ikelite manta StrobeFeaturing prefl ash recognition technol-
ogy to automatically adjust to camera
and exposure modes, the Manta sup-
ports fi ber-optic cables to connect with
most housings. n/a; ikelite.com
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 71
ULCS HOT-SHOE ADAPTERThis updated adapter uses a thumb-
screw to tighten ball and plate to the hot
shoe, creating an extra mounting loca-
tion for lighting accessories or a GoPro.
$35; ulcs.com
POLAR PRO CUBE FILTER 3Made of strong acrylic for GoPro’s Hero
3, this snap-on fi lter is designed to
improve underwater video colors when
shooting in tropical locations. $29.99;
polarprofi lters.com
SEALIFE AQUAPODThis monopod adds 18 to 53 inches to
your reach. Made of sturdy polycarbon-
ate, it will fi t standard tripod mounts on
most housings; includes a GoPro camera
mount. $69.95; sealife-cameras.com
SONY SYSTEM BY REEF PHOTO
With this system you get Sony’s NEX-5R camera and Nauticam NA-NEX5R hous-ing with a Sony 16mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens, Sony VCL-ECFL1 fi sheye conver-sion lens for SEL 16mm f/2.8, Nauticam E Mount 4.33-inch fi sheye dome port, an Inon Z-240 strobe with a fi ber-optic con-nection, plus Nauticam tray, arms and clamps. The camera features the same APS-C sensor size found on many full-size DSLRs, delivering high resolution and sensitivity. The housing is depth rated to 328 feet and is built of machined alumi-num. Its features include a single rotating housing latch and patented port locking system. Dual fi ber-optic sync ports are standard. MSRP $649, camera body; $1,450, housing INFO reefphoto.com
OLYMPUS SYSTEM BY BACKSCAT TER
This compact system includes the Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS camera, UWL-28 wide-angle lens and PT-053 housing. The TG-2 is built rugged. Shockproof and crushproof, by itself it’s depth rated to 49 feet; put it in the PT-053 housing, and you increase your diving range to 147 feet deep. The system comes ready for the addition of an external fl ash via a fi ber-optic port to illuminate subjects while reducing back-scatter. The housing allows for complete control over all camera functions, including zoom and fl ash mode. By add-ing the UWL-28 wide-angle lens, you get what equates to an ultrawide 168-degree shooting angle. MSRP $380, camera; $399, lens; $310, housing INFO backscatter .com
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 72
training l e ss o ns f o r life
im agin g+
s c u b ad i v i n g .co m
Rex was on the plane headed home and didn’t understand why his left arm felt so strange. It felt odd after his last dive but had felt normal within an hour or two. But now, the numb feeling in his arm was worse and seemed to be moving. THE DIVER
Rex was 41 and had recently gotten his open-water certifcation at a local lake.
During training, Rex booked a Carib-bean dive trip and was excited about it.
THE DIVE
Rex made nine dives during four days, but he never went deeper than 70 feet. On every dive, he performed safety stops and used his new dive computer. He never entered decompression status.
Rex’s last dive was to a shallow reef at
42 feet. He didn’t note any problems. Within 30 minutes of surfacing, his left hand and forearm were numb. He thought his arm was asleep. He also had some numbness around his right index fnger, but it lasted only about fve min-utes. About an hour and a half later, everything seemed normal. He went sightseeing and then relaxed. He didn’t fy home until the next afternoon.
THE ACCIDENT
Twenty-six hours after his last dive, Rex boarded a commercial fight to go home. Just after takeof, Rex’s left arm felt numb again. Tis time the unusual feeling extended to his upper arm. His entire arm felt heavy, and he had pain in the joints in that arm.
On his second fight, the pain in his joints and the numbness in his arm didn’t change. Rex was tired, so he took some over-the-counter pain relievers.
Te next morning, Rex woke up feel-ing lightheaded, and his elbow continued to hurt. Rex quickly got an appointment with his personal physician. His doc-tor ordered an ECG and a chest X-ray. When both came back normal, Rex was referred to a local hyperbaric physician, who determined it was likely Rex had decompression sickness.
Approximately 55 hours after his last dive, Rex was treated with a U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6 with two extensions. His symptoms gradually resolved, and he was symptom-free at the end of the six-hour treatment. He was advised not to dive for a month.
ANALYSIS
Decompression sickness happens when bubbles form in tissues or blood after diving. Typically these are nitrogen bubbles, but they can also be helium bubbles if the diver is diving on a spe-cialized breathing gas. How the body reacts, or what problems they cause, depend on the size of the bubbles, their quantity and the locations where they form. Symptoms of decompression
Doing It Right Can Still Go Wrongstaying within no-decompression limits doesn’t guarantee 100 percent safety �A By Eric Douglas
jo
ri
bo
lt
on
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 73
sickness might appear within 30 minutes or take as long as 24 hours to appear.
Te only way to completely eliminate the risk of decompression sickness is to not dive. Most dive tables and com-puter algorithms are designed with approximately 1 percent of risk of decompression illness, so even if you stay within the tables, you have a small risk of decompression sickness on every dive. Also, tables and dive computers can’t take human variables into account, such as how rested the diver is, hydra-tion levels, alcohol use or other factors that might increase the risk. Tey do not monitor heart rate, oxygen uptake or exercise levels, or even a diver’s ftness.
When a diver reports symptoms of a dive-related injury, a physician trained in diving medicine performs a neurological assessment to see if there are any other signs of weakness, numbness or tin-gling. It is likely the doctor would have found other problems during a detailed physical exam that Rex didn’t notice.
Rex had some symptoms and then few home. Te standard recommendation
about fying or ascending to altitude after multiple days of diving is to wait 18 hours after the last dive, as long as no symptoms are present. Any ascent to altitude after diving can cause problems for a diver. Te reduced pressure on the body allows more nitrogen to come out of the blood or body tissues. While com-mercial airliners are pressurized, they are not pressurized to sea-level pressure. In Rex’s case, the reduced cabin pressure of the airplane made his symptoms worse.
Rex’s symptoms resolved completely. While decompression sickness is rare, it often takes multiple treatments to resolve or sometimes, it might never resolve com-pletely. Recognizing common symptoms, reporting them and seeking treatment are all crucial.
Often, divers are embarrassed by decompression illness. They think they’ve done something wrong or vio-lated a rule, but that’s not always the case. If a runner sprains his or her ankle, it requires rest and treatment to return to active training. Decompression sickness is no diferent.
Lessons for Life1 Understand the common signs
and symptoms of decompression
sickness.
2 Immediately report any symptoms
of decompression sickness.
3 Seek training in diving-accident
first-aid care.
the most frequently reported signs
and symptoms of decompression
illness, according to Divers Alert
Network, are:
C pain, especially joint or muscle
C Numbness/paresthesia
C Fatigue/malaise, nausea
C Vertigo/dizziness
C muscular weakness
C Altered mental status
C bowel and bladder problems
Eric Douglas co-authored the book Scuba
Diving Safety, and has written a series of
dive-adventure novels and short stories. Check out
his website at booksbyeric.com.
aquacatcruises.com
thearenui.com
BVIDiving.com
blackbeard-cruises.com
EXPERIENCE
L I V E - A B O A R D D I V I N G
Get more details at: ScubaDiving.com/Liveaboards
scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 74
TRAININGIMAGING+
Demystifying SettingsFor a new shooter, DSLR settings can be beyond confusing. Here are tips to
quickly improve your results �A BY JIM DECKER
AF ILLUMINATOR OFF You don’t need to light up the inside of your housing with the built-in focus light of the camera. AF DRIVE I prefer single AF rather than continuous because it’s easier to lock focus on a single point.
SINGLE-POINT FOCUS (CENTER) T e center focus point is the strongest focus point in the camera. When the action is getting hot, you don’t have time to move focus points around. Focus on the nearest point of your subject, then lock focus and recompose your shot.
LCD BRIGHTNESS TWO CLICKS DOWN Underwater is a dark environment. Having a screen too bright can make you think your image is exposed correctly only for it to be too dark when you see it on your computer screen.
METERING EVALUATIVE/MATRIX You want to meter the whole scene, not center or center weighted.
SHOW HISTOGRAMS AND HIGHLIGHT WARNING T is is critical to tell if your exposure is correct when you review the image in playback.
An underwater photographer and videographer, Jim Decker is CEO of Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo. In the Imaging+ column, he tackles
practical problems in underwater photography and videography.
Let’s face it: While today’s DSLR cameras have tons of features and menu items for customization, that can be overwhelming to the new shooter, or to one who makes only a couple of dive trips a year. Worse yet, some settings could give the false impression that your equipment is faulty, when a simple setting change solves the problem. While not all cameras call settings the same name, they will be similar. Here are some of my favorite settings:
REASSIGN AF TO AF-ON ONLY Reassign autofocus controls from a half-press of the shutter release to the AF-ON button. This disables the shutter button’s ability to autofocus, allowing it to act solely as a shutter release. With AF-ON enabled, your lens will stay in manual focus mode (focus-locked) until the AF-ON button is pressed, which will activate your autofocus.
PRIORITY RELEASE, NOT FOCUS Setting to priority release will allow the shutter to release whether or not the camera thinks it’s in focus. T is can be handy when you have enough depth of fi eld for a sharp image and don’t want to risk missing the shot because the camera refuses to fi re.
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scubadiving.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 / 75
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“Talk about decompressing!”
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SHOOT RAW If you’ve read this column before, you know that we’ve been beating this one to death. RAW is an uncom-pressed fi le format, and will yield much better results and more color tones than shooting in JPEG.
COLOR SPACE ADOBE RGB This is a wider color gamut (color range) than sRGB, and is better for printing.
AUTO WHITE BALANCE When shooting with strobes, AWB will be accurate 99 percent of the time. If you shoot RAW, you can non-destructively change white balance in postproduction. If you are shooting ambient light, refer to the July column, “Solar Power,” for more details on how to set white balance.
AUTO ISO OFF Auto ISO automatically adjusts your ISO based on the camera’s meter. If you make any adjustments to shutter speed or aperture for exposure, your eff orts will be defeated by Auto ISO.
PICTURE STYLE NORMAL OR STANDARD Don’t be tempted to pick something like “vivid.” Of course we want vivid pictures, but those adjustments are better handled in post.
METER OFF/SLEEP Set as long as possible so you don’t need to wake up the camera. T e meter barely uses any battery power, so you won’t be taking a hit there.
FILE NUMBERING — CONSECUTIVE T is will avoid having images with the same name that could possibly get overwritten on your computer.
REAR CURTAIN SYNC/RED EYE Do not use these fl ash s ettings if you are using a TTL converter. It will make your strobes act wacky. Use only fi ll-in fl ash with a TTL converter.
LIMIT SWITCH ON MACRO LENS Make sure your macro lens is not set to “limit.” If it is, you won’t be able to focus any closer than about 18 inches.
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Atlantic Caribbean and Latin America
Avalon Cuban Diving Centers – Gardens
of the Queen - Cuba’s Gardens of the
Queen: the ultimate sharks paradise. P.
www.cubandivingcenters.com P. 77
Bay Adventures offers one-stop
shopping for air, lodging & diving in
Cozumel, Belize, Bonaire, Cayman,
Curacao, Turks & Caicos, and Roatan. P.
39 www.bayadventures.com
Bermuda - Explore lively coral reefs, 650
species of marine life and five centuries of
shipwrecks. See why Bermuda is so much
more. P. 15 Visit GoToBermuda.com
Bonaire Tourism - Bonaire, long-known
as the Diver’s Paradise, offers the ease of
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Bruce Bowker’s Carib Inn - Bonaire -
Carib Inn is a smaller resort catering to
the vacationing diver. P. 6
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Buddy Dive Resort - Premium dive resort
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78, 6 www.buddydive.com
Capt. Don’s Habitat - Bonaire’s original
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Cardonna – Cozumel - Best vacation
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Cave Training Mexico - Riviera Maya’s
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Deep Blue Resort – Utila - Oceanfront
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Den Laman Condominiums – Bonaire -
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P. 36 www.letsgohonduras.com
Laguna Beach Resort - UTILA BAY
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fishing and beach getaway. P. 37
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Little Cayman Beach Resort
- Unsurpassed wall diving and an
unparalleled dive resort. It’s the dive
vacation of your dreams, only better.
P. 21 www.littlecayman.com
Mango Inn / Utila Dive Centre - Bay
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the place for you! P. 36
www.utiladivecentre.com
Manta Scuba - Custom Scuba diving in
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P. 41 www.caboscuba.com
Nautilus Dive Tech - Cabo’s full service
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P.41 www.nautilusdivetech.com
Palace Resorts - The all-inclusive
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Plaza Resort Bonaire – The resort that
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villas and great restaurants. P. 6
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Presidente InterContinental Cozumel
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Sand Dollar Condominiums - Bonaire’s
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located on the #1 Reef in the Caribbean.
P. 6 www.sanddollarbonaire.com
Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos All Inclusive
Resort - Live the legend at the best Resort
for divers located in the ”Heart and Soul
of Cabo” P. 41 www.sandos.com
Scuba Club Cozumel – Mexico - Spanish
colonial-style, located on the waterfront
one mile south of downtown, built by
divers for divers. P. 20
www.scubaclubcozumel.com
Tobago - Clean, green and serene. The
Capital of Paradise! P. 18
www.visittobago.gov.tt
Underwater Vision @ Hotel Trudy - Utila
staple with over 30 years of experience,
delivering top instruction & diving to
adventurous travelers.
P. 36 www.underwatervision.net
Unexso Grand Bahama - When you
dive with Unexso, you dive the
Best! Experience diving and dolphin
adventures on Grand Bahama!
P. 21 www.unexso.com
Utila Lodge -- Your little resort with
HUGE diving! All inclusive dive resort
and training facility. Whale shark trips.
P. 36 www.utilalodge.com
Vacation Connection/Dive With
Martin - Islands fastest boats & best
Divemasters, NO crowds, approximately
8 divers per boat! P. 20
www.vacationconnectionnrh.com
Wyndham Cabo San Lucas by Tesoro
Resorts - Located in the downtown Cabo
San Lucas Marina steps from top water
sports and activities. P. 41
www.wyndham.com
United States
American Pro Diving Center - Experience
guided manatee tours with all the
comforts that our five star facility has to
offer. P. 38 www.americanprodive.com
Bay Breeze Dive Center - Full Service
Dive Shop in Gulf Breeze Florida Located
Directly on the Water P. 58
www.baybreezescuba.com
Bird’s Underwater, Inc - Full Service Dive
Center Located on the Water in Crystal
River, Florida. P. 58
www.birdsunderwater.com/index.php
Citrus County, Florida - Find Florida’s
soul in our warm Gulf waters, spring-fed
rivers, gentle manatees, fantastic fishing
and bountiful lakes. P. 58
http://visitcitrus.com/
Dive Locker - Diving Instruction and
Charters in Panama City Beach, Florida .
P.58 www.divelocker.net
Dive Oahu - PADI Gold Palm Dive Center
just 3 min. from Waikiki. We dive all the
major wrecks. P. 34 www.diveoahu.com
Gulf Coast Dive Pros - Full Service
Recreational and Technical Dive Center
on the Gulf Coast of Florida. P. 58
www.florida-divepros.com
Gulf Shores Tourism & Orange Beach
Tourism - Dive & discover Alabama’s Gulf
Coast on the area’s newest reef wreck,
The LuLu. P. 73 www.gulfshores.com
Hawaiian Rafting Adventures - The
best Maui has to offer with dive shop in
Lahaina offering a range of tours and
services. P. 34 www.Hawaiianrafting.com
Jack’s Diving Locker - Kona, Hawaii -
Jack’s Diving Locker is the right place to
take your IDC training. P. 34
www.jacksdivinglocker.com
Kona Honu Divers, Inc. - Kona - Hawaii -
Committed to providing the highest-
quality experience and value. P. 34
www.konahonudivers.com
Narcosis Scuba - Full Service, PADI 5-Star
Dive Center Located in Tarpon Springs,
Florida. P. 58 www.narcosisscuba.com
Plantation on Crystal River - Full Service
Dive Shop and Resort Located Directly
on Kings Bay. P. 58
www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/
Seasport Divers - Kauai, Hawaii - Full-
service dive shop specializing in local
Kauai scuba diving tours, snorkeling
tours and scuba certification courses.
P. 34 www.seasportdivers.com
Pacific and Exotic
Akima’s Quality - Quality Wild & Marine
Animal Photography Guided Tours. P. 78
http://AkimasQuality.com
Sam’s Tours - Palau’s #1 ranked dive
operation, we specialize in amazing
diving. P. 79 www.samstours.com
Dive Travel Specialists
Caribbean & Pacifc Dive Vacations - Full
service dive travel wholesaler – fast,
personal service anywhere to dive in
the Caribbean! P. 20
www.caribbeandivevacations.com
Travel Masters -Travel Masters is a dive
travel wholesaler specializing in exotic
dive and adventure travel. P. 24
www.travel-masters.net
United Vacations - Scuba diving vacations
from the experts for the “diver’s airline”
serving the world’s top dive destinations.
P. 8 www.caradonna.com
Instruction/Training
DAN - Leading dive safety through
research, education, emergency
assistance and insurance programs for
30 years. P. 9 www.dan.org
The Ocean Corporation - Offering
commercial diver training, under water
welding, ROVs & NDT weld inspector
training since 1969. C3
www.oceancorp.com
Live-aboards
Aggressor Fleet & Dancer Fleet - The
largest fleet of live-aboards in the
world serving 11 destinations. Providing
professional service for 25+ years. P. 7,
23 www.aggressor.com
Aqua Cat Cruises - Weeklong All
Inclusive Luxury Liveaboard Diving
Adventure Cruises Depart Nassau,
Bahamas to the Exuma Cays. P. 79
www.aquacatcruises.com
Trimarine - Sail, dive British Virgin Islands
on world’s largest trimaran operated by
most experienced live-aboard company.
P. 73 www.bvidiving.com
Truk Odyssey- Live-aboard in Truk
Lagoon, Micronesia. 132’ vessel for 16
divers. Nitrox included. World’s finest
wreck diving. P. 79 www.trukodyssey.com
Photography/Video
Backscatter East & West Underwater
Video and Photo - Now with 2 locations &
the most experienced staff to serve your
underwater imaging needs. P. 76 www.
backscatter.com
Ikelite - Manufacturer of underwater
camera housings, strobes, mounting
arms and flashlights. C2
www.ikelite.com
Polar Pro Filters - Designed specifically
for the Scuba Diving market, Polar Pro
Filters instantly improve under water
video colors for GoPro® cameras. P. 76
www.polarprofilters.com/
SeaLife Cameras - Underwater cameras
and accessories to help you explore the
underwater world. P. 16 www.sealife-
cameras.com
Shooting Underwater Photo & Video -
Complete line of underwater cameras,
housings, strobes, video lights, arms,
ports, accessories, and packages. P. 78
www.ShootingUnderwater.com
Ultralight Control Systems -
Manufacturers of trays and arms for your
cameras, lights & strobes for digital,
video or film. P. 76 www.ulcs.com
Watershot, Inc. - San Diego, California
based manufacturer of innovative DSLR
housings and LED lighting products. P. 76
www.watershot.com
Scuba Accessories
Dark Fin - Dark Fin Gloves – the most
advanced webbed glove on the planet.
P. 76 www.darkfingloves.com
ORIS - Maker of fine Swiss mechanical
timepieces since 1904 including a full
line of professional divers pieces. P. 26,
27 www.oris.ch
Spare Air - Smallest redundant
breathing device to get you to the
surface in an emergency. P. 35
www.spareair.com
Uzzi Amphibious Gear - Wholesale
Distributor and Retailer of Dive Apparel
& Accessories. P. 79 www.uzzi.com
Scuba Equipment
Atomic Aquatics -Before Atomic, there
was no ”Best” in scuba diving. P. 3
www.atomicaquatics.com
Cressi – A company close to its Italian
sea-loving heritage providing superior
designs for discriminating divers. C4
www.cressisubusa.com
H2Odyssey - Redundant systems is our
specialty but we have now added ”FUN”
with the Torid Pulse. P. 76
www.h2odyssey.com
IST Sports - Manufacturing and
wholesaling quality SCUBA and
watersports equipment worldwide for
33 years. P. 77 www.istsports.com
Thermalution - Still feeling cold even
with wetsuits and drysuits? Try
Thermalution power heated undersuits
NOW. P. 40 www.thermalution.us
advertiser directory
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 81
ArizonA
Mesa - Saguaro Scuba 877-837-7637 www.saguaroscuba.com
Nogales - Alexander’s Dive Shop Too 520-287-5103 divetoo.com
CAliforniA
Sacramento - Scuba World Sacramento 916-332-8294 scuabworldsacto.com
Santa Clara - Diver Dan’s, Inc. 408-984-5819 diverdans.com
Santa Monica - Scubahaus 310-828-2916 scubahaus.com
ColorAdo
Littleton - A–1 Scuba & Travel Aquatic Center 800-783-7283 a1scuba.com
ConneCtiCut
Wallingford - New England Dive 203-284-1880 www.newenglanddive.com
floridA
Boynton Beach - Boynton Beach Dive Center 561-732-8590 boyntonbeachdivecenter.com
Destin- Scuba Tech of NW Florida 850-837-2822 scubatechnwfl.com
Fort Lauderdale - Lauderdale Diver 954-467-2822 lauderdalediver.com
Fort Lauderdale - Scuba School And Dive Center 954-566-6344 www.scuba-school.com
Fort Lauderdale - Sea Experience 954-770-3483 diveFortLauderdale.com
Islamorada - Key Dives 305-664-2211 keydives.com
Jupiter - Jupiter Dive Center 561-745-7807 jupiterdivecenter.com
Key West - Southpoint Divers 305-292-9778 southpointdivers.com
Marathon – Abyss Dive Center 305-743-2126 abyssdive.com
Miami - Austin’s Diving Center 888-665-0636 austindiving.com
Miami Beach - South Beach Dive & Surf 305-531-6110 southbeachdivers.com
Orlando, FL - Dayo Scuba 407-292-9727 dayo.com
Orlando - Dive & Surf/Calypso Dive Charters 407-603-7060 diveandsurfworld.com or calypsodivecharters.com
Oviedo - Castaway Scuba 407-658-9464 www.castawayscuba.com
Panama City Beach - Dive Locker 850-230-8006 divelocker.net
Panama City Beach - Diver’s Den 850-234-8717 diversdenpcb.net
Pompano Beach - Pompano Dive Center 954-788-0208 pompanodivecenter.com
Ponce de Leon - Vortex Spring, Inc. 850-836-4979 vortexspring.com
Riviera Beach - Pura Vida Divers 561-840-8750 puravidadivers.com
St. Petersburg - Jim’s Dive Shop 727-393-3483 www.jimsdiveshop.com
St. Petersburg - Suncoast Dive Center727-320-0201facebook.com/pages/suncoastdive-center
Stuart - Stuart Dive Shop 772-600-8288 www.stuartscuba.com
GeorGiA
Athens - Dolphin Dive Center 706-548-3483 dolphindiveathens.com
Macon - Divers Supply 800-999-3483 divers-supply.com
HAWAii
Haleiwa - Deep Ecology Hawaii 808-637-7946 deepecologyhawaii.com
Koloa - SeaSport Divers 808-742-9303 seasportdivers.com
Lahaina - Lahaina Divers Inc. 808-667-7496 lahainadivers.com
illinoiS
Glenview - D.D. Dive Shop 847-657-3483 dddive.com
Grayslake - Big Kahuna Scuba 847-223-5600 bigkahunascuba.com
Kankakee - Haigh Quarry 815-939-7797 haighquarry.com
Orland Park - Scuba Emporium 708-226-1614 scubaemporium.com
New Lenox - A Visibility Unlimited Inc. Scuba Center 877-460-9515 visiblityunlimited.com
KentuCKy
Louisville - Louisville Dive Center 502-368-8427 louisvilledivecenter.com
louiSiAnA
Baton Rouge - Seven Seas Scuba Center 225-761-0333 sevenseasbtr.com
MAine
Auburn - Barclay’s Skindivers Paradise 207-784-7300 www.skindiversparadise.com
MASSACHuSettS
Southwick - Westfield Water Sports/Wilderness Experiences 413-569-1287 weu.com
MiCHiGAn
Farmington Hills - Sea the World Scuba Center 248-478-6400 seatheworld.us
Shelby Twp - Great Lakes Divecenter 586-254-7670 greatlakesdivecenter.com
MinneSotA
Detroit Lakes - Tri-State Diving 1-888-SCUBADO tri-statediving.com
Faribault - Adventure Specialties, LLC 888-771-6466 adventurespecialties.com
MiSSiSSippi
Jackson- Deep South Scuba 601-957-3483 deepsouthscuba.net
MiSSouri
Brighton - BonneTerre/West End Diving Centers 888-843-3483 2dive.com
Joplin - Extreme Sports 417-659-9009 extremesportsscuba.com
nevAdA
Las Vegas - GR8DIVN 702-367-3484 gr8divn.com
neW jerSey
Cherry Hill - The Dive Shop 856-751-0308 www.thediveshopnj.com
neW yorK
Auburn - Finger Lakes Scuba 315-252-8683 fingerlakesscuba.com
Brooklyn - Stingray Divers 718-384-1280 stingraydivers.com
Buffalo - Dip ‘N Dive 716-837-3483 dipndive.com
Carle Place - Scuba Network 516-997-4864 scubalongisland.com
East Rochester - Pisces School of Dive, Inc. 585-381-2842 piscesdivers.com
Depew - Discover Diving 716-685-4557 ddwny.com
Syracuse - National Aquatic Service, Inc. 315-479-5544 nationalaquatic.com
oKlAHoMA
Edmond - Frank’s Underwater Sports 405-478-0040 franksunderwatersports.com
Enid - Into The Blue Dive Shop, LLC 580-747-6044 www.intothebluediveshop.com
oreGon
Grants Pass - Coral Sea Scuba 541-472-8111 coralseascuba.com
pennSylvAniA
Bethlehem - Lehigh Valley Dive Center 610-746-4016 lvdive.com
Erie - Divers World of Erie, Inc. 814-459-3195 scubaerie.com
Lancaster - Lancaster Scuba Center 717-397-2822 lancasterscuba.com
Williamsport - A Water Odyssey Scuba 570-326-2091 awaterodysseyscuba.com
SoutH CArolinA
Myrtle Beach - Nu Horizons Dive & Travel, Inc. 843-839-1932 southcarolinadive.com
teXAS
Carrollton - Scuba Toys 972-820-7667 scubatoys.com
Lancaster - Divers Isle Training Center 214-454-4894 diversisletrainigcenter.com
Universal City - Duggan Diving 210-658-7495 duggandiving.com
utAH
Salt Lake City - Neptune Divers 801-466-9630 neptunedivers.net
St George - Adventure Plus 435-674-0082 adventurepluslc.com
virGiniA
Alexandria - Splash Dive Center 703-823-7680 splashdivecenter.com
Charlottesville - University Dive Center & Hobby 434-296-6306 universitydivecenter.com
Woodbridge - Woodbridge Scuba 703-878-4365 woodbridgescuba.com
WiSConSin
Appleton, WI - Diver’s Realm, Inc. 920-831-0126 diversrealm.com
Green Bay - Aqua Center of Green Bay, Inc. 920-468-8080 aquacntr.com
Brookfield - Aquatic Adventures, Inc. 262-938-6827 dive-aai-com
Chippewa Falls - Inland Divers Supply 715-723-9408 inlanddiverssupply.com
internAtionAl
Dorado, PR - Kalichee Surf Shop 787-796-3852 kalichaesurfshop.com
Lajas, PR - Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center 787-899-7611 paradisescubasnorkelingpr.com
Mahahual-Coasta, Maya, Mexico - Maya Palms Beach Resort 888-843-3483 mayapalms.com
Nassau, Bahamas - Stuart Cove’s Dive South Ocean 800-879-9832 www.stuartcove.com
St Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies - Indigo Watersports 784-493-9494 indigodive.com
CAnAdA
Calgary, AB - Aqua Sport Scuba Ctr, Inc. 403-686-6166 aquasportscuba.com
Edmonton, AB - The Dive Outfitters 780-483-0044 thediveoutfitters.ca
Fredericton, NB - Surf-N-Scuba 506-450-9559 surfnSCUBA.ca
Langley, BC - Langley Diving, Inc. 604-514-8190 langleydiving.com
Golden Tank Retailer Partner Directory
For information on participation in the
Golden Tank Retailer Partner Directory
call Linda at
888-259-6753, ext 4511.
CALL LINDA AT 888-259-6753 ext.4511
scubadiving.com september/october 2013 / 82
look
Destin, FloriDaP h o t o B y R e B e c c a h e w e t t
For one last image
from Scuba Diving’s
2013 photo contest,
we chose rebecca
Hewett’s Honorable
mention shot. says
Hewett: “I was on my
local dive charter about
7 miles offshore on
a hard-bottom reef
called White Hill, one of
my favorite dive spots
because of the diver-
sity of sea life. You can
see anything, from bull
sharks and loggerhead
turtles to macro life
such as frogfish. As
I began my ascent, I
noticed a 3-foot purple
coral head I had seen
at the beginning of
the dive. this time I
was on the bottom
and could see a large
frogfish masked by the
coral. I had adjusted
my strobes and start-
ed shooting when I
noticed the second,
orange frogfish in the
background. they were
nicely hidden away, and
I was very fortunate
to have captured
this moment.”
» how I Got the Shot
Nikon D80, Nikon
60mm lens, Ikelite
housing, two Ikelite
Ds160 strobes, Iso
100, f/11, 1/200
» Go Now scubatech,
scubatechnwfl.com
italians do it better
…americans dive it best.
MADE IN ITALY
leonardo da vinci1452 – 1519
italian Painter, sculptorand architect
“Simplicity iS the ultimate
SophiStication”
Giottodi bondone1266/7 – 1337
italian Painter and architect
“the peRFect ciRcle”
leonardo computer available in wrist,
2 and 3 gauge console (psI or Bar)
gIotto computer available in wrist,
2 and 3 gauge console (psI or Bar)
f a c e b o o k . c o m / c r e s s i u s aw w w. c r e s s i . c o my o u t u b e . c o m / c r e s s i v i d e o
