Dive into the Red Sea

Cairo - Warm, gin-clear water. Silence. Coral reefs and crazy fish. Perpetual blue sky, blue sea. Evening stars and lullaby waves.
There’s nothing quite as chilled or as picture-postcard perfect as a liveaboard scuba diving holiday, especially when it’s in the unspoilt St John’s National Park in the deep south of the Red Sea.
Our itinerary read: “It’s a remote, spectacular virgin wilderness where reefs rise up from an enormous undersea plateau, sheer walls plunge away sharply, teeming with shoals of fish and masses of soft corals. Sharks are commonly encountered, including hammerheads, threshers and oceanic white tips.”
What it didn’t say was how totally spoilt you are. How for six glorious days the most you have to do is dive four times a day, if you like. Or, if you prefer – after a raucous night toasting the rising moon on the top deck – do absolutely nothing at all.
The beauty of a diving holiday on a luxury liveaboard is that everything gets done for you and everything is included. So for six days you get a slap-up breakfast, hearty lunch and a delicious dinner, with snacks in the late afternoon and tea, coffee and soft drinks served all day.
Your tanks get filled, your gear is always ready and waiting for you, and the most effort required is to stand still long enough for a dive assistant to strap on your fins before you step off the boat’s dive platform into the azure blue of the Red Sea.

Sheer walls plunge away sharply, teeming with shoals of fish and masses of soft corals.
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And that’s where life as you know it stops and a whole new world starts. It’s a strange, beautiful world of kaleidoscope corals on reefs that appear out of nowhere. One minute you’re diving through pinnacles followed by inquisitive raccoon butterfly fish and then you’re in an amphitheatre swimming through schools of blue-striped snapper. Out in the “deep blue”, barracuda torpedo past you shadowed by a stealthy white-tip shark.
In the coral garden at Abu Galawa Soraya, moray eels come out to play, in stark contrast to the glass fish swarming over the wreck of a private sailing boat. Parrot fish pose for pictures and boxfish flitter about while a turtle takes a lazy cruise in search of an afternoon coral cocktail.
At most of our safety stops we were joined by friendly Napoleon wrasse and even the resident triggerfish were unusually laidback.
It’s hard to choose a favourite, but of the 12 sites we dived St John’s Caves wins by a whisker. Cracks in the coral plate have created intriguing tunnels and gullies that meander through a wonderland of shade and light, almost like a mini underwater maze. It’s a shallow dive so you have time to explore all the nooks and crannies, each one unearthing another small wonder.
And did I mention that you can do all this in baggies or a bikini (if you’re really brave)? With the water averaging around 30ºC, no wetsuit required – not once during the entire holiday, and that includes night dives and the deeper wreck dives.
These you do on the last day as you head for an overnight stay in the bustling seaside city of Hurghada. The early morning dive is on the Salem Express, a ferry that sank after hitting the Hyndman reef on December 17, 1991. The ferry was carrying passengers returning from Hajj and while the official loss of life was 470, it is believed about 200 more people died on the overcrowded ferry.
With so much still preserved on the ocean bed – suitcases, children’s toys, TVs, radios and life rafts – it is a poignantly eerie dive and treated with deserved respect by the local dive guides.
With the mosque on the shores of colourful Hurghada in sight, the last dive is on the wreck of the El Minya, a minesweeper that was bombed by Israel at the start of the Six-day War.
Both wrecks are teeming with corals and sea life, but it is their tragic history that leaves a haunting memory.
Our trip, organised by the ever-efficient Durban Underwater World and facilitated by Pro Dive (Port Elizabeth), began with an Air Egypt overnight flight from OR Tambo International Airport to Cairo, where we spent a day in a five-star hotel before leaving on a domestic flight to Marsa Alam.
Arriving at midnight, we were very happy to meet our guides, Hanni and Mohammed, from the Excellence, one of the luxury boats in the Sea Serpent fleet, for our bus transfer to the marina.
The somewhat chaotic transfer from the bus to the inflatable boats which delivered us to the Excellence raised a few red flags. But the 21 tired tourists who stepped on to the boat and were immediately relieved of their shoes for six days, were soon placated.
Toasted cheese sandwiches and coffee – or ice for those celebrating their arrival with harder tack – set the scene for a quick safety and “housekeeping” briefing before blissful bed.
And in the morning, with the rising sun streaming through our cabin portholes, it was time for the adventure to begin. A new day heralded by dolphins frolicking in the boat’s wake. Smiles. And coffee. And anticipation. - The Mercury

Phuket Diving: Out of the shadows ye self-reliant scuba diver

PHUKET: Ten years, five years, even two years ago, any conversations approaching the idea of "solo" diving were held in hushed voices in the back of small bars between experienced divers, or in the depths of online cave-diving forums. ‘Buddy diving’ was a philosophy heralded by Jacques Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso as early as the writing of The Silent World. It was established as a fundamental pillar to safe recreational diving – at the time it was an absolute.
But, divers did and do dive alone, either by choice, as photographers, spear-fishermen or tech-divers; or effectively alone as dive masters or instructors leading a group of Discover Scuba students. Others find themselves alone after buddy separation. Most have never trained to be alone or have merely put together their own safety protocol from the bits and pieces gathered by sifting through backroom advice and forums.
In the eyes of PADI "solo-diving" is still not on the table, but the conversation has changed. The hushed whispers have become audible voices and the voices have been heard.
In broad daylight, aboard Kamala Dive Center’s Similan Queen, I listen to Kevin Black from Kiwidiver brief two students for the new PADI "Self-reliance Diver" course. This course represents a fundamental shift in the way recreational divers and professionals perceive the way they dive.
PADI Worldwide’s position has changed. It now states that: "responsible independent scuba diving is not for everybody; however, it does have a place." This acceptance takes that "place" out of the shadows and caves and puts it back into the public forum – a safer space.
Dive instructors Matt O’Connor and Spencer Felton are geared up and on deck. They do a self-buddy check. An extra mask is tucked into a pocket, an extra cutting tool is clipped to a BCD, an extra torch is properly stowed away and they double-check that their redundant air supply is ready to go.
"There are many, many problems where we rely on our buddy to sort them out for us. So, if our torch fails, it’s okay because our buddy’s got one… I’ve got an air-supply problem? No problem. I’ve got a buddy; we can share that air supply, not to continue the dive but to safely abort the dive.
"When it comes to having a problem, you can abort a dive using your buddy’s resources to get you safely to the surface. If you don’t have a buddy, you must have a spare set of resources," says Kevin, who is just one of a handful of instructors in Thailand currently qualified to teach the course.
Though currently a student, Spencer has now completed the extra work needed to become a certified instructor in the course.
"A large percentage of the people taking the course with me right now are instructors of all levels, who see not only the benefit of being a self-reliant diver, but also see it as something their customers, the average diver, will be interested in doing," Kevin added.
Under water, Spencer and Matt seem to be comfortable with the extra gear. The side-slung pony bottle, one of the many ways of establishing a redundant air supply, hangs under their arm and everything else is tucked away neatly.
Down to 20 meters and they start taking notes on their air consumption – something that will later be calculated to allow them to plan future dives on sites they are less familiar with .
Despite both of them being comfortable without their masks while underwater, their air consumption jumps during the 18-meter no-mask swim.
After closing our third dive, and diving into a third plate of Kamala Dive Center’s pancakes, Spencer and Matt admit that so much of the value of the course is that it asks you to think about things differently. In some ways, the course is a 'what-to-do-if…' list. Knowing the answer to these questions before facing them under water could make all the difference when under pressure.
"This course is for the people who are like the backpacker who decided to drive 100 miles in a direction and spend a week in a small village to get to know the locals, because that’s Thailand; that’s the Thailand no one else gets to see," Kevin says.
Though the course offers a new level of freedom for experienced divers, both professional and recreational, (course requirements include a minimum certification level of a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and 100 logged dives) PADI doesn’t absolve participants of the increased amount of risk.
"A self-reliant diver not only has to accept the increased risk that comes with choosing to dive alone, but also the responsibility to ensure that family and loved ones understand this choice," PADI establishes in the course material.
However, understanding that risk and having a place to openly discuss and plan dives where you are separated from your buddy, instead of quietly disappearing into the shadows, can only make the diving world a safer place for us.

Crater Lake Temporarily Off-Limits To Scuba Divers

Crater Lake is an appealing dive for scuba aficionados, but the lake will be temporary closed to them until Crater Lake National Park officials can formulate protocols for keeping invasive species out of the water.
In a release park officials said they anticipated the protocols would be in place before the beginning of the 2013 season and would require divers to take precautionary measures before entering the lake.
"We have seen the devastation to ecosystems and economies caused by the inadvertent introduction of invasive species from Lake Mead to Lake Erie," said park superintendent Craig Ackerman."We want to prevent it from happening at Crater Lake rather than deal with the aftermath.The increasing popularity of the lake for scuba diving also increases the opportunities for divers and their gear to carry microscopic 'hitchhikers' into the water.They may be small, but damage that can be caused by aquatic invasives is enormous and oftentimes irreversible."
Crater Lake is world-renowned for its crystal clear water and purity and is considered by some scientists to be the most pristine naturally occurring large body of water on the planet. Minor changes in the hydrologic conditions of the lake could permanently affect both purity and clarity.
Aquatic invasive species like quagga mussels, spiny water flea, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus cause severe and permanent damage to the habitats they invade by reducing the abundance of native species and altering ecosystem processes. They rank among the most severe threats to biological diversity and are among the leading causes of extinctions.
Aquatic invaders can range from microscopic bacterial and viral pathogens to plants and animals. In their native environments these species are often controlled by interactions with predators, parasites, pathogens, or competitors. However, when introduced to new environments, like Crater Lake, the same natural checks are often absent, giving invasives an advantage over native species and making them very expensive and difficult, if not impossible, to control. Consequently, focusing on preventing introduction of harmful invasives is key to reducing the risk.

Scuba Diving & Free Diving in Australia

Friday, 21 September 2012 
Scuba diving is unquestionably one of the most popular recreational sports. It is the most exhilarating form of underwater sports that involves the use of scuba sets and other scuba diving accessories. However, free diving is experimenting to dive into deep sea and enjoying the adventures of sea life. Here the divers go to that deep sea, where they are totally not connected with the outer world, or the world which is on the land. They can realize, feel and touch the fishes, sea life and watch entire living creatures, which were fantasies for them. To learn scuba and free dive, it is absolutely important to find someone who can take you through the sports and various equipments used very patiently. Just like other adventure sports, scuba diving and free diving also necessitate the need for the right equipment and gear. The importance of choosing the right scuba and free diving accessories cannot be underestimated. Whether you are diving for professional reasons or for pleasure, you need to invest in the right accessories to enjoy the safest and most professional diving experience. Scuba diving and freediving are exciting activities that everyone can enjoy with the proper equipment and appropriate training. At Lets Go Adventures, 5 time National record holder, Alana Caskey-Wells, leads the freediving activities in Australia. Whether you want to experience your first breaths on scuba, are an experienced diver looking for pleasure dives or wish to further your diver training; you, your friends and family are assured professional, friendly service and unforgettable underwater adventures with PADI's highest rated dive centre in Port Stephens.

SSI brings dive training online

PHUKET: Scuba Schools International (SSI) is the second largest school-based diving certification agency in the world, and it’s growing at a rapid rate. It’s one of only two diving agencies that holds a global ISO rating, it has been training divers for over 40 years, and it’s the only diving agency that offers free online training. Operating in over 130 countries and with more than 2,400 SSI Dive Centers, SSI training materials are available in over 25 languages, including Thai.

Their commitment to service is more important to them than brand marketing. SSI have, as a result, seen an annual growth of over 35 per cent year-on-year across the region, and, since opening an Area Office in Thailand in 2002, they now employ 25 staff in five full service centres (two in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia), and also have certification card printing facilities in 18 locations across eight countries with at least six more planned before the end of the year.

SSI Thailand has grown to 11 full-time staff, plus four experienced Dive Medical Technicians who emphasize and ensure diver safety. In fact, they regularly visit dive operations under the SSI umbrella and conduct assessments in all areas to ensure that safety standards are maintained.

High quality operators are critical to their success – they already work closely with 20 dive operators in Southern Thailand who have all had to comply rigorously with SSI standards in order to be part of the SSI network.

Sea Bees Diving, in Chalong, was the first dive operator in Thailand to be awarded the prestigious SSI Diamond Instructor Training Centre. With over 20 years experience in recreational diving, through day trips and liveaboard safaris, it’s also a training center for those who wish to become professional instructors. They have dive centers in Phuket, Khao Lak, Pak Meng and Koh Phi Phi.

Gary Hawkes, SSI International Training Director, states: "Sea Bees Diving reflects the quality of diving operations that SSI likes to partner with. They ensure SSI divers new and old are given the very best in service and standards available in the diving industry."

"For Sea Bees Diving, SSI allows us to link our philosophy of diving together with an agency that has an established and reliable worldwide network and is a relationship that benefits all – whether they’re customers or dive professionals" says Holger Schwab, Managing Director of Sea Bees Diving.

Their free online training  is part of the social networking features of SSI's global website and online divers network which has over half a million regular users.

Earlier this year they advertised their free online training to gap-year students across Europe using the slogan "Start online today... do your dives in Paradise". Several thousand signed up, a few thousand of whom have already completed their courses in the region and they expect SSI dive centres in Phuket and across the west coast to benefit from this new influx during the coming high season.

But it’s not always about diving – supporting and funding locally based ecological projects directly is an equally important part of their operations. Assisting with illegal wildlife trading, beach and dive site cleanups on Koh Phi Phi, artificial dive sites in Koh Tao and environmental projects involving local schools throughout Thailand are just some of the projects SSI are actively involved with.

Bottom time is now family time

HUKET: Everyone can learn to dive, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Diving is like everything worth doing, there are obstacles to overcome. Sometimes those obstacles are mental, sometimes they are physical and sometimes they are both. For Emil Engahl aged 10 it was no different.

For years Emil has been coming to Phuket with his parents Mette and Lars Engahl. While they’ve been are off exploring the incredible underwater world resting on Phuket’s doorstep, he’s been shore bound, pleading, “I want to dive too. I want to dive too.”

This year when the family landed on Phuket things were supposed to be different. Emil, a member of the PADI Seal Team (pool “adventure” diving for children above 8), was prepared to take the next step and get his Jr PADI Open Water certificate, which would allow him out into the open water.

Clearing the theory and pool skills without a hitch Emil was ready for his first open water “fun” dive. It was time to see sharks, turtles, whale sharks and everything else he had been dreaming of seeing for years.

Cold in the wetsuit too big for is 135 cm frame and perhaps unsettled in the unfamiliar environment, Emil was unable to equalize, stopping him from descending more than a few meters below the surface. After a few days he dropped out of the course.

“So he dropped out of the course and everyone was sad about that,” Michael Wallentin, General Manager at Kon-Tiki explained. It was clear that Emil’s original excitement and charm had affected everyone on the dive boat and the shop.

“They came back and I couldn’t see any reason why he wouldn’t because I know he was already a diver,” Mr Wallentin said.

Emil wasn’t sure if he should get back in the water this holiday or wait a couple years to try again.

After talking with his parents and getting plenty of encouragement, and wetsuit that fitted, Emil was willing to give it another shot.

“It’s very uncomfortable when you can’t clear your ears. I think Michael did a good job convincing Emil that he could do it,” Mr Engahl said.

Michael took Emil to the calm, shallow waters of Kata beach – it was the turning point.

Then it was his parents who had to let go, as Emil nonchalantly informed them “I just go diving with Michael”.

Like a knight being hoisted onto his stead Emil, perhaps as heavy as the equipment he was wearing, was carried to the back of the boat by the Kon-Tiki’s dive staff and helped into the waters off of Ratcha Noi.

“He was very excited. He grabbed me and was like ‘look’ and was putting his ‘shark fin’ on his head,” Mr Wallentin said, recounting Emil’s first shark experience.

“He’s a good buddy. I say stay close and he stays close the whole time. He was even swimming around trying to find things – that’s actually my job,” Michael joked.

With eight dives logged there is no limit to Emil’s ambition. He corrects his mother: he doesn’t want to be a Master Diver, he wants to be at the very top – a Course Director. Wreck diving and cave diving are both on his quickly growing dive to-do-list as well as seeing manta rays and whale sharks.

Smiling from ear to ear Emil listed some of the marine life he had already seen: sea snake, dragon fish, scorpion fish and turtles.

Emil already has a job offer from Mr Wallentin to work at Kon-Tiki as soon as he gets his Dive Master certification.

In his parent’s eyes Emil, as a diver, is an adult.

“When I dive with Emil I rely on him. That’s my life depending on him doing the right thing and the other way around. There is a trust. That responsibility brings a family closer,” Mr Engahl said.

Though Emil and his family have already returned to the cold waters of Denmark, the diving isn’t going to stop. Emil plans on logging 15 more dives before he returns to Thailand. He will no doubt be pushing his parents to get him a 7mm wetsuit and splash into some of the stunning dive sites scattered off of the many islands of Denmark.

Camera rolling, regulator in

PHUKET: Toweled dry and eating a pile of pancakes on Andaman Ocean Safaris’ boat, my dive buddy and I head to the upper cabin with lackluster enthusiasm to watch the video from the day’s dive. I had seen these sorts of videos before.

They usually came off as gimmicky and, let’s be honest, I had just been on the dive so I remembered what I saw and how it looked – but this time I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Henrik Konradsal’s video had me laughing before the divers finished suiting up, as a little playful editing made each awkward diver dance to the 1990s classic Mambo Number 5.

But it wasn’t until the camera went under water that Henrik’s magic took hold of everyone watching, and we were sold.

A blue spotted ray wafted from the sandy bottom, it’s colors vibrant against the blue water – it was all vastly more beautiful than I remembered it. I caught myself thinking, "I want to be on the that dive!" Yet, there I was on the television staring at a cuttlefish.

Almost all the exciting marine life spotted, some of which we had only heard about from other divers, was in the video. All this footage came from one camera, and one man, who had been able to not only shoot the approximately 20-minute video, but also to complete all the post production.

I had to find out how he did it.

Phuket Gazette: How do you incorporate the sense of discovery into your videos?

Henrik Konradsdal: I’m always looking for new things to put in the video. The more interesting fish and corals I find, the more interesting the video is going to be for the guests. So if I can see a leopard shark that’s going raise the value of my DVD, I shoot it.

PG: What are you looking for when you shoot the film?

HK: First of all, I want the nice shots. The shots that are going to make people say, "Wow, is that actually the dive we did?" I know where to go and I have my spots. I figure out which angle is good for a particular shot, try to go to my spot, do the shot I normally do and then I try to look for something special to see.

Instructors and Dive Masters know what I’m doing, so if they’ve seen something special they always point it out to me – "shark over there" or "octopus over here". I find all the special things and people are sometimes surprised about how much I find. But I may only find half of it, while the instructors show me the rest. They, of course, want me to see whatever they saw, so that I can film it, and they can tell their customers later, "Oh, that’s the shark we saw."

PG: Do you use any stock footage outside of the intro, where you are introducing the staff?

HK: Yeah, it happens. Sometimes I’ll see something and I’m not able to get a good shot of it. Then maybe I’ll have to use footage from a previous day or the day before that. But if it’s a day with bad visibility, I won’t suddenly put 20 meters visibility into the film. I mean I would use stock footage of bad visibility of the same fish, crab or whatever. But I try to use as little as possible.

PG: I was very impressed by the way the camera and you move through the water. What kind of camera angles do you look for when you are shooting?

HK: If I’m following the subject I try to be below it, shooting up, or at least on the same level. I try not to shoot from the top for the same reason you want to shoot a fish from the front. You actually want to see the fish, its expression and its face. You want to see how the fish interacts with the camera.

PG: It looked like you were working nonstop on the boat. How does that editing process work for you on the boat?

HK: My set up for the video is the same every day. I have the morning part; I have the funny part; I have the diving part; and the afternoon part. And in each section there is something I’m looking for. And I always know right away when I have it. So when I sit down to edit, I just go straight to that part. It saves me time, not having to look through everything.

PG: So if lunch is late you don’t get to eat, right?

HK: Yeah, as soon as I come out of the water from the first dive and start importing footage I need the food to be ready. I can start eating while the files are importing. As soon as my files are imported, I start editing.

PG: Are you able to jump to exactly where you want to be when editing?

HK: Yeah, and I try not to keep the camera rolling too much. I just shoot the film I need and then stop. For other videography projects you would continue filming a little bit longer, just in case, but I don’t have time for that because it’s going to take longer to import and longer to find the footage that I need.

PG: Earlier we were talking about how your videos look better than real life. The water looks clearer, the colors are a little sharper. How do you do that?

HK: I do some color editing. Underwater, I basically set up my white balance correctly. That’s how I get the blue effect. It doesn’t matter how green the water is. I want the water to be blue, so I do the white balance accordingly. Then, if I don’t think it’s blue enough, I add some blue during the edit and maybe take away some green. Most of the effects for the film I create underwater, with the angles. I have a bit of a wide-angle feature on the camera, so I can get a bit closer to the object and it will still fit inside the frame. On the TV it might look like I’m three meters away, but in reality I might be just a meter away. So that makes the water look clearer than it is.

PG: What kind of advice do you have for a hobbyist or someone just starting underwater videography?

HK: Get to know your equipment before you get into the water. You need to know where the buttons are. Also, learn how to do white balance on your specific camera. I’ve never really had any success with the underwater mode, which many cameras have.

Really, the key to being an underwater photographer or videographer is your buoyancy. If you are new to diving, but you are an experienced photographer you’ll have problems. You need to learn to dive properly before being able to take good shots.

PG: So before we bring this to a close, what’s your favorite dive site to work on?

HK: I love Shark Point, which is beautiful. The tops of pinnacle two and pinnacle three are just amazing to film. There’s so much marine life and, on top of that, there are all the colors of the soft corals. I just can’t fail at shooting there [laughs].

Gear and skills part the waters

PHUKET: When was the last time something truly fresh hit the dive market? Yes, every year we get niftier regulators, more swanky dive watches and new fin designs that we can’t resist at least window-shopping for. But, when was the last time something was put on the market for recreational divers that really parted the waters – changed the way we thought about diving?

In an activity that is becoming more and more relaxing and accessible to the general public, those wanting to "push the limits" without doing the heavy lifting of tech-diving books, have found themselves at a loss.

Those of us with full time, non-dive industry jobs still want that sense of discovery; to end up in the footnotes of a history book; or, at the very least, to be more than 50 minutes down on a dive trying.

This year PADI has finally gotten the ball rolling with the launch of three new specialty diving courses: recreational rebreathers, sidemounts and self-reliant diving.

But, this isn’t tech diving.

Kevin Black from Kiwidivers in Chalong, one of only four recreational rebreather dive instructors currently in Thailand, explained that PADI was bringing the "Wow" factor back to scuba diving. The new certifications let recreational divers safely push the boundaries of what they consider sports diving.

The only closed-circuit rebreather currently available on the recreational market is Poseidon’s MKVI. This is one of those bits of gear that guys piecing together their tech kits in their garage years ago would have dreamed of, and now it’s here, safe and actually designed for sports divers.

Before sitting down with Kevin, my understanding of rebreathers was fairly simple – they don’t make bubbles.

Well, I wasn’t wrong, but I was missing just a little bit of the point too. Yes, they don’t make bubbles as the air you breath out is cycled and scrubbed through a closed system, and then has pure oxygen from one of the two tanks in the kit automatically blended with the oxygen-depleted air, making it good for another breathe, time and time again. Sounds complicated, but I was assured that they were dummy proof – so I wouldn’t have any issues.

However, by focusing only on not blowing bubbles and disturbing the fish, I missed the point. Rebreathers don’t just add a couple more minutes to your dive, as I thought. They don’t just double your dive time. They actually can turn a one hour dive into a three hour dive, Kevin explained.

That means, you are the first to jump, and then after everyone has come up, had lunch, geared up and booked a second dive, you are the last to come up – and still don’t have decompression time, unlike a tech-diver.

Recently PADI ran an event showcasing both the Poseidon recreational rebreather and sidemounts on Koh Phi Phi.

For many of the 30 to 40 divers on Phi Phi who attended the event, this was their first time strapping a tank under each arm for the sidemount configuration and feeling the new diving "flow". Sidemount configurations have been around for a long time, first reportedly being used in England for cave diving, and subsequently used all over the world for cave diving and penetration dives.

The weightlessness and balance that sidemount divers gloat about is enough to make me sign up for the course, just to join the club. And the redundant gas supply and reduced lower back strain are both advantages that I’m looking forward to.

Though the course is geared toward recreational diving, it also provides a nice view of the tech-diving world. It’s a little step that leaves you totally comfortable when you start shooting for your ultimate goals, from exploring cave systems to just feeling like you're part of the ecosystem when you hover above the corals and snap a stellar photo.

Different from the recreational rebreather course and the sidemount course, the PADI self-reliant course isn’t about becoming comfortable with new equipment; it’s about becoming comfortable with yourself.

PADI has, since time immemorial, preached (and perhaps rightly so) that divers should never dive without a buddy. Though that philosophy has not changed, PADI is now willing to admit that it does happen, either intentionally or unintentionally. And let’s be honest: who is a dive instructor relying on in an emergency when they are taking two "Discover Scuba" divers on their first dip into the big blue?

PADI's position is clear in their released statement: "Diving without a Dive Buddy, by choice, while not advocated, is something which PADI recognizes to be occasionally either necessary or preferred by some divers."

This recognition is in many ways a new frontier for experienced recreational divers (100 plus dives is necessary to take the course). Those who have only been loosely following the buddy system, or ignoring it completely while taking photographs, spear fishing or lobster hunting, can come out of the closet.

Not only can they now stop hiding in some murky underground social circle, but they have the opportunity to be trained in "self rescue", to be tested so that they can at least engage in a more risky activity in the safest possible way.

"One of the key things you learn is how to deal with running out of air when you don’t have a buddy to rely on. You also learn a lot about calculating just how much air you use in different circumstances, and how to plan dives around your estimated consumption," Kevin explained to me.

Yes, I’m stoked about this and over the next several months plan on taking the opportunity to check out these courses, log some stunning dives and shoot for the foot notes of someone else’s history book.

Out of the shadows ye self-reliant scuba diver

PHUKET: Ten years, five years, even two years ago, any conversations approaching the idea of "solo" diving were held in hushed voices in the back of small bars between experienced divers, or in the depths of online cave-diving forums. ‘Buddy diving’ was a philosophy heralded by Jacques Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso as early as the writing of The Silent World. It was established as a fundamental pillar to safe recreational diving – at the time it was an absolute.

But, divers did and do dive alone, either by choice, as photographers, spear-fishermen or tech-divers; or effectively alone as dive masters or instructors leading a group of Discover Scuba students. Others find themselves alone after buddy separation. Most have never trained to be alone or have merely put together their own safety protocol from the bits and pieces gathered by sifting through backroom advice and forums.

In the eyes of PADI "solo-diving" is still not on the table, but the conversation has changed. The hushed whispers have become audible voices and the voices have been heard.

In broad daylight, aboard Kamala Dive Center’s Similan Queen, I listen to Kevin Black from Kiwidiver brief two students for the new PADI "Self-reliance Diver" course. This course represents a fundamental shift in the way recreational divers and professionals perceive the way they dive.

PADI Worldwide’s position has changed. It now states that: "responsible independent scuba diving is not for everybody; however, it does have a place." This acceptance takes that "place" out of the shadows and caves and puts it back into the public forum – a safer space.

Dive instructors Matt O’Connor and Spencer Felton are geared up and on deck. They do a self-buddy check. An extra mask is tucked into a pocket, an extra cutting tool is clipped to a BCD, an extra torch is properly stowed away and they double-check that their redundant air supply is ready to go.

"There are many, many problems where we rely on our buddy to sort them out for us. So, if our torch fails, it’s okay because our buddy’s got one… I’ve got an air-supply problem? No problem. I’ve got a buddy; we can share that air supply, not to continue the dive but to safely abort the dive.

"When it comes to having a problem, you can abort a dive using your buddy’s resources to get you safely to the surface. If you don’t have a buddy, you must have a spare set of resources," says Kevin, who is just one of a handful of instructors in Thailand currently qualified to teach the course.

Though currently a student, Spencer has now completed the extra work needed to become a certified instructor in the course.

"A large percentage of the people taking the course with me right now are instructors of all levels, who see not only the benefit of being a self-reliant diver, but also see it as something their customers, the average diver, will be interested in doing," Kevin added.

Under water, Spencer and Matt seem to be comfortable with the extra gear. The side-slung pony bottle, one of the many ways of establishing a redundant air supply, hangs under their arm and everything else is tucked away neatly.

Down to 20 meters and they start taking notes on their air consumption – something that will later be calculated to allow them to plan future dives on sites they are less familiar with .

Despite both of them being comfortable without their masks while underwater, their air consumption jumps during the 18-meter no-mask swim.

After closing our third dive, and diving into a third plate of Kamala Dive Center’s pancakes, Spencer and Matt admit that so much of the value of the course is that it asks you to think about things differently. In some ways, the course is a 'what-to-do-if…' list. Knowing the answer to these questions before facing them under water could make all the difference when under pressure.

"This course is for the people who are like the backpacker who decided to drive 100 miles in a direction and spend a week in a small village to get to know the locals, because that’s Thailand; that’s the Thailand no one else gets to see," Kevin says.

Though the course offers a new level of freedom for experienced divers, both professional and recreational, (course requirements include a minimum certification level of a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and 100 logged dives) PADI doesn’t absolve participants of the increased amount of risk.

"A self-reliant diver not only has to accept the increased risk that comes with choosing to dive alone, but also the responsibility to ensure that family and loved ones understand this choice," PADI establishes in the course material.

However, understanding that risk and having a place to openly discuss and plan dives where you are separated from your buddy, instead of quietly disappearing into the shadows, can only make the diving world a safer place for us.

Watertown teen chosen to participate in scuba diving expedition

The New England Aquarium’s newest educational program called SEA TURTLE (Teen Underwater Research, Training, and Learning Expedition), will take Boston area teens on a scuba diving exhibition in Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Among the group of thirteen 16 to 18 year olds accepted to participate this year is rising Watertown High School senior, Isabelle Holt.
The primary mission of SEA TURTLE will be for teens to quickly master their scuba skills in an effort to find tropical fish that may have inadvertently traveled up the Gulf Stream. If found, the fish will be taken to the aquarium where they will have the opportunity to flourish in a safe environment.
After going through the rigorous application process, Holt is very excited to be a part of the exhibition, which takes place at Fort Wetherill in Rhode Island from August 19th to the 24th. The application included credentials of having been involved in another aquarium program as well as a paper application, a group interview, teamwork excerises, an essay question, a swim test and finally a one on one interview.
A lifetime sailor, Holt admits she has always had a passion for the sea, but her educational curiosity in marine biology birthed last year when she participated in a program ran by the Sea Education Association in California. She is particularly interested in the scientific fields of biology and chemistry.
Her newfound passion for marine biology led her to accept a position at the aquarium in which she volunteered on the floor working with the marine life and learning about current trends in conservation research.
“I’m not sure where my current interest in marine biology will take me,” said Holt. “For now I love the opportunity to explore the field, there are so many sciences involved within it.”
Holt is not yet sure if she will pursue marine biology when she heads to college, however, she is positive that a science track, particularly in biology and chemistry, fits her educational passion.
Though she has never scuba dived before, Holt has spent time snorkeling and is eager to test the waters and become a certified and experienced diver. Her training began last Monday with the group’s first pool session.

The Art of Living: Scuba Diving

I grew up in Laguna Beach, Calif., a small seaside community, where from sunrise to sunset I remained firmly planted on the shore with my toes deeply buried in the sand. It wasn't until sleep was unavoidable that I scurried up the gravel cliffs and departed the ocean's side. My friends called me the Pacific Bunny because I could make it up and down the dunes with frightening and fearless dexterity.

Each morning the water was full of bleach blond surfers waiting to partner with the breaking waves. While I admired their skill at balancing on skinny planks while gliding over curling liquid, surfers did not hold my attention. My gaze always fell past the whitecaps out to the never-ending vista that acted as the roof and ridge to the world beneath the surface.

I named this inaccessible place "The Invisible Residence" and longed to explore the secrets of this hidden domain. But I was afraid. After years of watching lifeguards pluck intrepid tourists from the surf I feared the ocean as much as I loved it. On busy beach days the locals would take bets on how many "in-landers" would need to be rescued. A lack of respect for the power of the sea is a dangerous thing for anyone who takes a visitors pass and crosses breakwater. I passionately wanted to learn to scuba dive, but I understood that my fears could cause panic under the water, and so I was left with an empty longing for a world that I didn't know how to visit.

We live on a planet that we call earth, but really we are a planet of water. Oceans make up about 70 percent of our world's surface. In the computer, cell, text mania of synthetic reality in which we live it becomes harder and harder to disconnect and experience the incorruptibility of nature. Scuba diving not only allows an individual to appreciate the environment, it allows them to become part of it. For those who love to explore, expanding your passport to the world beneath the sea vastly expands your options.

Years passed before I met my friend Richard. He is the kind of man that makes Indiana Jones look like a sissy. He repels from helicopters and tosses machetes with wicked precision for casual recreation. I told him of my ocean fantasies -- and fears -- and he quickly introduced me to a master dive instructor. After two years, a trip to Hawaii, several "missed boats," multiple weekends together on Catalina, and a few cases of Pinot, I had accomplished three of four basic dives and still wasn't certified.

The first rule in diving is breathe. Never hold your breath. The second (unwritten) rule should probably be: Don't sleep with your dive master. When what was a magical on-land relationship imploded, the only place that I wanted to be was deep under the ocean -- preferably inside an opaque cave. I decided that it was time to stop being such a wimp and get certified.

Step one. Find a local dive store. Channel Island Scuba (CIS) was God's way of cutting me major slack for not having thrown in my beach towel and given up.

Chris Emch, the store's owner, is a Dive Control Specialist Instructor, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and NAUI Instructor Trainer. He is qualified to teach every specialty that SSI, PADI and NAUI (the three largest scuba certification programs) offer. Chris, along with Jay Fischer, one of his core team instructors, are also members of the Ventura County Sheriff's search and rescue dive team. Having someone around qualified to rescue me sounded like a very reassuring idea.

The day I wandered into the store Jay wrapped his arms around me and assured me that he was going to do whatever it took to make me feel safe under water. Jay is the kind of man who hugs you, encourages you, supports you, looks you straight in the eye and tells you that you are doing GREAT even when you are hyperventilating.

Chris listened to my history, threw out credit for anything I had ever done and told me I was starting over. He wanted along with Jay to personally supervise all four basic dives, demonstrate comfort with beach entries, and redo every skill to his team's satisfaction. It was so absurd that I just had to laugh and agree.

My daughter decided she was taking personal responsibility for my accomplishing this little dream, so she signed up for classes as well. Because she only had five days left on her home visit to Los Angeles, Chris and Jay basically cancelled everything in their own lives to set aside the time to get us both up to speed, through the book work, into a pool for "rehearsal" and over to Catalina.


Sitting on the dock in Catalina made me feel as if I was watching my life in slow motion. I stared at the beautiful ocean wondering if the "Invisible Residence" and I might finally become friends. As I walked down to the water, I felt my fears simmering, but, rule one: breathe.

"You are the only thing in your own way, " said Chris. He gave me a hug and jumped in the water, then my gorgeous daughter followed. I leaned back and slipped into the cool surf and very slowly started swimming.

I could feel the edges of panic trying to make their way into my mind as water churned around me. Jay got hold of my attention and held on to it. "We are going to go down to the bottom and and just sit there," he said. "If you want to swim back up that is totally fine. Just like the pool. I'm right here with you." The moment I let go and glided under the surface I relaxed. I hated the choppy motion around me on the surface but melted into the calm world below.

Catalina is known for its stunning kelp forest that rises from the ocean floor up to the edge of the surface. Every direction offers a new, continually rotating vista of striking fish and completely distinctive landscape. Light from above spills down through the surface and illuminates each fragment of the ocean in it's own unique way. Schools of fish wrapped themselves around us in one moment, and then in the next we were engaged with a scurrying crab, examining a sea cucumber, or catching sight of an urchin tucked into the rocks. As we explored the underworld water garden we were joined for several minutes by a giant sea bass -- a mythical looking creature whose body was the size of a Volkswagen.

Later in the week Jay and I drove to Santa Barbara to do a beach dive off Refugio State Park. We spent the morning examining patterns of the sand under the water and he explained to me the tides and currents and how to navigate one's journey. We saw dozens of starfish with purple bellies, bat rays sailing by, and handfuls of pipefish whose pinstriped decor look as though they are wearing prison garb. At one point Jay picked up my dive computer to point out that we had been under the water for almost 40 minutes. I had not thought about anything other than how sad I would be to leave. As we swam along I noticed a tail protruding from a creature nestled under the sand, and it reminded me of how I used to bury myself along the shore as a youth. I gently reached out and skimmed my fingers over it, and a six-foot angel shark woke from his nap and darted through the water. Jay was so shocked that I had suddenly become comfortable enough under water to be petting sharks that I burst into laughter -- which is a wonderful thing to do beneath the sea.

Dive in with Scuba Club

More unique than a lanyard and more captivating than a beer cozie, students can try something new at Gobblerfest: scuba diving.

Hoping others will be able to discover the same enthusiasm they feel, the members of Scuba Club at Virginia Tech are bringing diving to the public right on the Drillfield.

Tonight at Gobblerfest, anyone who is interested will have the chance to test out the waters in an approximately 20-foot wide and four-foot deep, manmade pool in the middle of campus. Sanders said the club is working with the help of Nigel Harris, the assistant director of aquatics and instructional programs for Recreational Sports.

Scott Sanders, an industry adviser and club alumnus, still works with the club today with a major passion for scuba diving. While he was in the MBA program at Tech, Sanders also started Avalon Dive Center with Tech student, David Whitehurst.

“We invest so much time into this to change people’s lives with that first breath underwater,” Sanders said. “People can see it on TV, but until you put that regulator on and that mask on, and are completely weightless in the water just like a fish ... you can’t imagine.”

Sanders said Harris will be the certified pool operator to verify that it is safe, by overseeing the chemicals and monitoring the stability of the pool. In total, 20 people are volunteering for this event to keep things running smoothly.

Four people will be available at the front of the setup talking to individuals who are interested in signing up for classes or newsletters. In addition, volunteers will run the classroom and registration portion while others will be in charge of setting up the equipment.

After going through a classroom setup, signing medical paperwork and having a quick briefing, students can get the equipment for their diving experience. Trying this diving experience will be free of charge and bathing suits will be available for those who aren’t dressed for the occasion. Sanders said this experience typically costs $175 when the club goes to the Florida Keys.

Six participants will be able to be in the pool at one time, accompanied by one or two instructors. Each student’s dive experience will last approximately 15 to 20 minutes, and the in-water experience is planned to stop around 8 p.m.

Leah Potts, a sophomore at Tech and a Scuba Club member who recently became a divemaster, will also be present at the event to help out her fellow divers. Initially discovering diving as a junior in high school, Potts joined the club spring break of last year. After being at a low point for some time, Sanders said that they were able to revitalize everything once Potts came on board.

“It’s nice to see people doing something you love,” Potts said.  

According to Potts, once others discover scuba and decide that they want to be certified, they can submit a deposit of $100 on site and will receive their books to study before attending their first class. Sanders said five classes are scheduled with a maximum of ten people per class.

Once in the club, members will meet every two weeks and have a dinner together each semester. They can also participate in an underwater photo competition and will have the opportunity to go on trips to the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. They’ll experience the perks of diving by discovering different wrecks and reefs.

“There’s so much diversity underwater that people don’t see until they get down there,” Sanders said. “ Our motivation in leading the club and as dive professionals is to take somebody and lead them through that process of being confident and comfortable underwater. You literally change people’s lives.”

Nantwich couple search for scuba diving vicar

Sep 5 2012 by Rhiannon Cooke, Crewe Chronicle
A LOVED-UP Nantwich couple has launched a frantic search for a scuba-diving vicar to carry out an underwater marriage blessing.
Jason Hewer, 35, and Paula Davies, 30, say it would be the perfect way to celebrate taking the plunge after getting married on dry land later this month.
But first they have to find a man or woman of the cloth who’s also a qualified scuba diver.
Jason, a police officer, said: “We have been together for five years now and every year we have been on a diving holiday together.

“I suppose you could say diving is a bit of a religion for us and certainly a great passion so we really would like to have an element of the wedding celebrations underwater.
“The idea of a blessing with our diving friends, Dave and Louise, seemed perfect and the fact it is diving that has brought us all together makes it even more fitting.”
Diving is a huge passion for both couples who all met through the East Cheshire branch of the British Sub Aqua Club, (BSAC) which has more than 1,000 diving clubs across the UK.
The branch can lay claim to being the most romantic sub aqua club in the UK. Jason and Paula and Dave and Louise, from Macclesfield, are just two of at least eight couples within the club who have met and found love through scuba diving.
Paula, a police community support officer, was introduced to the sport by her husband to be who invited her on a diving holiday in Egypt shortly after they got together. “It was a very romantic holiday and I loved diving from the very first time I tried it,” she said.
“Watching the marine life, being in this different environment, it is just amazing every time you do it. It has become a great passion that we share together and it has become a very important part of our relationship.”

Saddling-up and scuba diving are my passions

By Alan Biggs
Published on Thursday 6 September 2012 12:34

When I tell Dave Jones this interview is going to be a bit different and kick off by asking his thoughts on Sheffield as a city the eyes crinkle and the dry wit crackles.

“What do you mean, the nightlife?” quips the Sheffield Wednesday boss sitting across a desk in his office at the training ground.

That’s an early glimpse of why this chat does indeed prove different. But then Jones himself is different.

It’s hard to find a manager anywhere in living memory who’s made a better start at a new club. He took over from one of Wednesday’s most popular figures of recent times, won promotion and went 17 games unbeaten before finally losing by the odd goal at Crystal Palace.

But did you know Dave Jones likes to scuba dive in what little spare time he can manage? Or that he owns and rides three horses? Just a little insight into the self-confessed “private man” who can mislead you with a slightly dour demeanour when in reality he is actually anything but.

Neither are his teams dour or dull, always reflecting his demand for “attack as the best form of defence” - right through Stockport, Southampton, Wolves and Cardiff.

Typically, he starts head-on with the initial controversy surrounding his replacement of Gary Megson - without being asked directly.

He then talks frankly about his relationship with chairman Milan Mandaric ... how the owner broke down his doubts about taking the Hillsborough job. . . and the purist footballing background that will always fashion his approach. “Since I’ve been here I’ve had nothing but best wishes from inside and outside the club,” says Jones.

“Most of the time I’m out on my own - and nobody has attacked me!

“It was always going to be a tricky situation for the chairman and when he approached me he mentioned that. But it was not my problem. The only problem I saw - as in any job - is that it’s a results business.

“Somebody asked me after promotion: Did Gary deserve 75% of the credit? All I knew was that if I hadn’t done it I’d have got 100% of the blame. So I might as well get 100% of the credit.

“But I didn’t feel on a hiding to nothing. If not me, it would have been somebody else - and, from what I gathered, the chairman’s mind was already made up. He wanted the play-offs and it was felt the top two was out of the question. If you come to a club where the manager was liked it is always a difficult thing.”

Jones has also come to be regarded with affection, though in an entirely different way. Fans can’t help but warm to a bloke who gets these sort of results and provides this level of entertainment. And he doesn’t seek popularity in any other way.

“I’m quite a private person,” he admits when I suggest he is unlike the stereotypical Scouser despite being brought up in an extrovert city famed for its humour.

“I do the job to the best of my ability. The limelight just follows you around and I’ve had plenty of that. But I don’t say things to cause harm or disturbance. Or attention.

“One thing that gets labelled against me is that it’s said I have no passion. It’s just that I don’t show emotion. But if you turned me inside out you would see it.

“I suppose it’s because I’m not a ranter and raver. I’m more studied. But if shouting and bawling got me results then I’d do it.

“I don’t think players can give you what you want if you’ve got no passion or emotion yourself. It’s just contained in my case.”

The 56-year-old family man gets his release from his hobbies - though not as often as he’d like.

“I love horses,” he says. “I’ve got three of them but haven’t ridden them for a while, which is a pain in the backside. And I play golf with Wilko (assistant manager Paul Wilkinson).”

Then comes this, almost matter-of-fact: “And I like scuba diving.” Really? “Yes, I learned to do it in Thailand while I was with Southampton. I like to go diving when I’m on holiday.”

Serious stuff, by the way, going right down to the permitted depth of 30 metres. With Jones, there is clearly a lot going on below the surface. Like his humour for a start.

“Sheffield is similar to Cardiff when it comes to water. . . with one it’s because of the sea and here it’s because of the rain!”

On a more serious vein: “I’ve always had a rough idea of the place from people like Sean Connelly, my physio at Cardiff who was born here. Then there was knowing Danny Bergara in Stockport and also the physio there, Rodger Wylde (an Owls favourite of the 1970s). What strikes me is that it’s quite a young city with the two universities.

“And of course I know that Sheffield Wednesday has had 15 or more years of hurt. And that I have 25,000 or 26,000 managers out there watching the team!”

Not that any of them are telling Jones what to do right now. But here’s where his natural humility and down-to-earth nature kick in. . . “it’s a very fine line and it could easily have gone the other way.”