Scuba Diving Sicily

Nederlandse beschrijving

Een week lang verblijven we in het Nationale Park van Komodo op een phinisi schooner. Deze liveaboard brengt ons van de ene spectaculaire duikplaats naar de andere. Onze trip brengt ons naar visrijke wateren, met een enorme biodiversiteit. De „Indonesian Throughflow“ voert warm water van de Stille Oceaan langs de eilandengroep naar de Indische Oceaan. Zichtbaarheid en temperatuur worden hierdoor duidelijk beïnvloed. Duiken rond Komodo betekent dus veel onderwaterleven, maar vooral veel stroming!

English description

For a week we are diving the Komodo National Park. A phindisi schooner is taking us from one spectacular dive spot to the next. Our trip takes us to rich waters, with an enormous biodiversity. The Indonesian Throughflow transports fresh and warm water from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean, affecting visibility and temperature. Diving around Komodo means lots of underwater life, but also lots of current!

Deutsche Beschreibung

Eine Woche waren wir jetzt im Komodo Nationalpark tauchen. Ein Schoner bringt und von einem spektakulären Tauchplatz zum nächsten. Unser Trip führt uns durch atemberaubende Gewässer mit einer enormen Artenvielfalt. Die Strömungen aus Indonesien transportieren frisches und warmes Wasser vom Pazifik in den Indischen Ozean, was die Sicht und Temperatur unter Wasser beeinflusst. In der Gegend um Komodo zu tauchen bedeutet eine Menge Leben, aber auch eine Menge Strömung!

Watch the video here!!

English description

When diving the Komodo National Park, we simply have to go on land to see the famous Komodo Dragon! Looking like giant lizards, they seem a bit slow and harmless, until you watch them devoure a full fish carcass in seconds… Not so harmless after all! Two weeks after our visit, a couple of divers got stranded on Rinca after getting lost in the current. Imagine surviving a dangerous dive, and then having to fight off these impressive monsters. The dragons are almost extinct, so it still is a privilege to see the largest monitor on the planet in it’s natural habitat.

Deutsche Beschreibung

Als wir im Komodo Nationalpark waren, mussten wir einfach an Land gehen und die berühmten Komodo Waran ansehen! Wie gigantische Echsen sehen sie etwas behäbig und harmlos aus, bis wir beobachten konnten, wie einer einen kompletten Fischkadaver in Sekunden verschlang… Wohl doch nicht so harmlos! Zwei Wochen nach unserem Besuch strandeten einige Taucher auf Rinca, nachdem sie von einer Strömung erfasst wurden. Man stelle sich vor einen gefährlichen Tauchgang überlebt zu haben und dann mit diesen Monstern auf Leben und Tod kämpfen zu müssen. Die Warane sind beinahe ausgerottet, so dass ein Besuch bei diesen Urtieren ein Privileg ist.

Nederlandse beschrijving

Bij het duiken het Komodo National Park, moeten we gewoon aan land gaan om de beroemde Komodovaraan te zien! Ze zien eruit als reusachtige hagedissen, en ze lijken een beetje traag en ongevaarlijk, totdat je ze een volledig viskarkas ziet verslinden in slechts een paar seconden … Toch niet zo onschuldig dus! Twee weken na ons bezoek, zijn een paar duikers afgedreven door de stroming, en stranden ze op Rinca. Stel je voor: je overleeft een gevaarlijke duik, en dan nog voor je leven toe moeten vechten tegen deze indrukwekkende monsters. De varanen zijn bijna uitgestorven, dus het is nog steeds een voorrecht om deze dieren te kunnen zien in hun natuurlijke omgeving.

Watch the video here

Diving Spain

Discover more about the diving in Spain and the Canaries, especially the lovely Medes Islands.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe/spain.html

Diving Turks and Caicos Islands

We’ve added more dive operators in the region, one of which – Salt Cay Divers – is offering you a “buy one get one half-price” diving package throughout November.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/americas/turks.html

More…

For regular announcements of what’s new at the SCUBA Travel site see the Diving Board at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

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Letters
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Diving Porto Ottiolu, Sardinia?

Dear Divers,

I would like to know some diving options and centers surroundings Porto Ottiolu ( 10km ) Could you recomended me some nice place,

Thanks

Roman

Can you help? E-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk or post your answers on the Diving Board at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=1

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Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink
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“Water, water, everywhere,/ nor any drop to drink…” lamented the Ancient Mariner in Coleridge’s famous poem. The sea, too, can be a desert, with its vast, flat, empty surface sparkling and bare under the sun. And so it felt, driving 250 kilometers south from Hurghada toward Marsa Alam along the Red Sea coast. The Great Eastern Desert to the right of us and the Red Sea desert to the left of us and the long black line of the road ahead.

“Wow,” I said to Anna, “I didn’t expect this.”

“I thought you would be shocked,” she replied. “It’s not at all like the tropical islands we’re used to.”

The unexpected desolation was accentuated by dozens of unfinished hotel construction projects scattered along the roadside. Bare concrete block walls, dusty courtyards, and a few frazzled palm trees seemed to be the extent of more than half of the projects waiting, unfinished, for a brighter day.

We booked at the Oasis Dive Resort just north of Marsa Alam. It sits on a bare rocky cliff overlooking the beach, the simple buildings done in traditional village architecture befitting the environment. A cluster of palm trees and aloes, and a small grove of stunted olive trees in the wadi running through the property help to create the feeling of an oasis in the desert. On the beach side, a pier juts out into the sea, reaching the dark line where bright shallow water suddenly turns dark and deep.

All activities at the Oasis turn around the dive shop. Racks of gear and shelves of books and detailed maps of local dive sites all over the wall confirm that this is a serious and well-organized operation, part of the Werner Lau system that extends through the Maldives and on to Bali. Although boat diving is offered, we opted for shore diving. It’s simple and easy, and you don’t get mal de mer. A fifteen to thirty minute minivan ride gets you to one of the many little bays that line the coast – marsa means bay. You gear up on the shore, wade in, and off you go.

Diving the Red Sea is different from other oceans. Reefs run the entire length of the coast, but the bays are shallow, making buoyancy control challenging, and the Red Sea is about 15% saltier than most oceans, so we had to add about 3 kilos of weight over what we would normally carry.

The extra weight adds a further dimension to the already strenuous task of walking down to the water from where you gear up on the beach. Tank, weights, buoyancy control vest, fins, mask and snorkel, camera; we struggled along feeling like astronauts, wearing all our gear down to the water’s edge. Once we were under water, the dives were bliss. Because the bays are so shallow, 70 minute dives are common. Free nitrox at the Oasis makes long dives even easier and less fatiguing.

The typical site is a bay with seagrass beds in the middle and coral gardens and walls on both sides. A common dive plan is to head out into the seagrass beds at first, where most life is encountered only 6 to 10 meters down, to go looking for turtles and rays and guitar sharks, and also for It, the creature whose name must not be said, or you will never see it. Dugongs were once common in these bays, but their numbers have greatly reduced recently as tourism grows. Giant sea turtles more than a meter long, however, can be found grazing in herds like cows in the seagrass beds. We never did see It.

After 20 minutes floating over the seagrass, we would head to the north shore coral gardens, which are generally richer than those on the south side of the bays. There is a great variety of hard and soft corals, reef fish of all kinds, lion fish, scorpion and crocodile fish, as well as morays and octopi, cuttlefish and squid. The sea floor drops fairly rapidly toward the mouth of the bays, providing richly colorful walls to explore for down to 20 meters and more. Going out fairly deep, but rising up to 10 meters or less on the return extends dive time and gives you a chance to find some of the Red Sea’s odder creatures.

On one such return, at Marsa Elga, I saw Anna hanging about 5 meters from the bottom a little off the wall, staring intently at the sea floor. She looked over at me, and pointed down at something. Henry, who had buddied with us that day, and I drifted over to see what she had found. Below us, something that looked like a rock was crawling across the sand among the coral heads. We all went down to take a closer look. It was hard to say what it was. It clawed slowly across the sand on insect-like black legs, and was more perfectly camouflaged than a scorpion fish. It was difficult to spot its eyes, or even to determine whether it was a fish. Henry took several photos, looking back up at me in amazement between shots as if to say, “What is this thing?”

We puzzled over it after the dive on the way back to the Oasis. I recalled having read about some kind of fish that crawls in the Red Sea. When we got back, I asked Roland, one of the divemasters, what it could be.

“Oh, that’s a Red Sea Walkman,” he replied at once, “very funny looking fish, and as toxic as a scorpion. It’s sometimes called a devil fish. Nasty fellow, don’t mess with him!”

Henry grinned. “Is that by Sony?” he asked.

But Roland was serious, and so it was. Anna had found a Red Sea Walkman (Inimicus filamentosus). That was the highlight of a series of very excellent dives, with a wonderful variety of marine creatures. The best dive site was Abu Dabab, where a herd of sea turtles grazed the sea grass beds, octopi were hiding among the corals, a cuttlefish sat tranquilly on the sand, and a squadron of squid wheeled with perfect symmetry to eye us as we passed below. Roland gently scratched an octopus between the eyes as it sat on a coral head trying to look like a rock. He was doing a pretty good imitation, but each time Roland would scratch him, he would recoil slightly and turn from mottled black and brown to pure white. He stayed put for several scratches, and we left him there when we sailed on.

Be warned, however. Even Marsa Alam is rapidly becoming overcrowded like the Red Sea dive sites further north. At one point, returning from our last dive at Abu Dabab, where we had set out almost at sunrise, we ran into a crowd of about fifteen divers coming toward us around a point. Looking up, the sea was frothy with a score of floundering snorkelers. Before long, even It will be only a memory of quieter times, so plan your visit soon.

by Greg Kruse

Walman fish photo copyright Henry Meilhac.
Dugong photo copyright Suzanne Challoner

Our thanks to Greg for his article. If you would like to write a dive report for SCUBA News please get in touch: e-mail news@scubatravel.co.uk.

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Diving News From Around the World
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Australia and Japan have most Diverse Marine Life

The Census for Marine Life has found that the most bio-diverse waters so far studied are around Australia and Japan. These each feature almost 33000 species. However, this could change as some highly diverse areas such as Indonesia and Madagascar have yet to report.

Ocean acidification catastrophic for marine life

It has been widely reported that the build up of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air, which is caused by human behavior, will likely lead to climate change and have major implications for life on earth. But less focus has been given to global warming’s evil twin, ocean acidification, which occurs when CO2 lowers the pH of water bodies, thus making them more acidic. This lesser known phenomenon may have catastrophic effects on all sea life.

Oil spill dispersant could damage coral populations

Coral populations in the Gulf of Mexico could fall because of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster – from contact not with oil but with the dispersant that’s supposed to get rid of it.

Deep oil in Gulf appears to have vanished

Just weeks after BP capped its broken Deepwater Horizon well, the plumes of oil and dispersant in the Gulf’s deep waters have gone.

Marine Recorders Being Used to Assess Ecological Impact of Gulf Oil Spill on Whales

Like giant canaries in a coal mine, whales reflect the health of their environment. Now scientists are placing marine recording units in the Gulf to listen to whales and document the state of that oil-threatened ecosystem.

Give Sharks a Fighting Chance

It’s been just over a month since Project AWARE launched the “Give Sharks a Fighting Chance” petition to demand international protection for critical shark species on the brink. In just a few short weeks more than 30,000 divers have voiced their concern. If you’ve not yet taken signed the petition to protect threatened sharks species like hammerheads, oceanic whitetip and spiny dogfish, you can do so.

How does a bowhead whale smell? Quite well, actually.

Bowhead whale brains have a fully developed olfactory system, questioning assumptions that the largest animals on Earth have a lousy sense of smell

Fish certification scheme shows its true colours

Several landmark studies have, over the past 20 years, highlighted the problem of mislabelled fish. One-third of fish on sale in the US is not the species it is sold as, and one-quarter of cod and haddock sold in Ireland is neither of these. Now an exercise in eco-forensics has found that the certification scheme run by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global not-for-profit organisation, offers a way of ensuring you get what you think you’re buying.

Fishing skews sex ratios in fish

Population crashes in many species of reef fish may be linked to an excess of males brought about by fishing – and imposing quotas won’t remedy the situation. In many species, particularly those where individuals can change their sex, each fish produces fewer young as the population density drops. The research suggests that marine protected areas are a better strategy for conserving populations than fishing quotas. Protected areas maintain the density of populations whereas quotas may still allow populations to decline, increasing the rate of sex change.

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CONTACTING THE EDITOR
Please send your letters or press releases to:
Jill Studholme
SCUBA News
The Cliff
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news@scubatravel.co.uk

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English description

Frankie Pellegrino is a cop with 20 years of experience, diving the New York waterways for 11 years as part of the NYPD Scuba Team. Today he is gearing up for a wreck diving expedition on board the Commandant Fourcault.
The policing of New York’s waterways are provided by the men and women of the NYPD Harbor Unit. The Harbor Unit is on the cutting edge of marine law enforcement. From its 3 bases and 27 boats, the Harbor Unit provides the City of New York with a marine force that is equipped to handle all water borne security, public safety and rescue concerns. This includes: enforcement of maritime laws, missing persons in the water, evidence recovery, air-sea rescues, narcotics interdiction, anti-terrorism and security for United Nations.
Within the harbor unit is the elite NYPD Scuba Team. The team is unique among police dive teams. At any time of the night or day, there is a dive boat and police divers ready to answer the call. In addition, The NYPD Aviation Unit can deploy two scuba divers into any waterway in New York City within 8 minutes. The NYPD dive team is the only police dive team in North America to have scuba divers assigned to helicopters all year through. We’re asking Frankie what kind of person it takes to do this job.
Nederlandse beschrijving

Frankie Pellegrino is een agent met 20 jaar ervaring, en duikt reeds 11 jaar in de waterwegen van New York, als onderdeel van het NYPD Scuba Team. Vandaag neemt hij deel aan een wrakduikexpeditie aan boord van de Commandant Fourcault.
De controle van New York’s waterwegen wordt uitgevoerd door de mannen en vrouwen van de NYPD Harbor Unit. De Harbor Unit is het neusje van de zalm van mariene rechtshandhaving. Met 3 bases en 27 boten, kan deze haven-eenheid de Stad New York bedienen voor alles wat te maken heeft met veiligheid op en rond het water, reddingsacties en openbare veiligheid. Dit omvat handhaving van de maritieme wetten, vermiste personen in het water, zoeken naar bewijsstukken, lucht-zee reddingen, verbod opverdovende middelen, anti-terrorisme en veiligheid voor de Verenigde Naties
In de haven is er een elite-eenheid: het NYPD Scuba Team. Het team is uniek onder de politie duik teams. Op elk tijdstip van de dag of nacht staat een boot en politieduikers paraat om elke oproep te beantwoorden. Bovendien kan de NYPD Aviation Unit twee duikers in eender welke waterweg in New York City inzetten binnen de 8 minuten. Het NYPD duikteam is het enige politieduikteam in Noord-Amerika om waar duikers worden ingezet bij helikopters het hele jaar door. We vragen Frankie welk type persoon het vergt om deze job te doen.
Deutsche Beschreibung

Frankie Pellegrino ist ein Polizist mit 20 Jahren Berufserfahrung, der in den Wasserwegen von New York seit über elf Jahren als Teil des NYPD Scuba Teams arbeitet. Heute bereitet er sich an Bord der Commandant Fourcault auf eine Tauchexpedition zu einem Wrack vor.
Die Kontrollen von New Yorks Wasserwegen werden von Männern und Frauen der NYPD Harbor Unit durchgeführt. Die Hafeneinheit ist wegweisend bei der Verbrechensbekämpfung auf dem Wasser. Die Einheit arbeitet hierbei von drei Basen aus mit 27 Booten und schützt hiermit die Stadt New York vom Wasser aus und rettet im Notfall. Dies beinhaltet: Einhaltung von Gesetzen auf See, vermisste Personen im Wasser, Bergung von Beweismitteln, Seerettung aus der Luft, Drogenbekämpfung, Antiterroreinsätze und die Sicherheit für die Vereinten Nationen.
Innerhalb der Hafeneinheit ist das NYPD Scuba Team eine Elite. Das Team ist einmalig unter allen Tauchteam der Polizei. Zu jeder Tages- und Nachtzeit sind Tauchboote und Polizeitaucher in Bereitschaft. Zusätzlich kann die NYPD Aviation Unit zwei Taucher in jedem Wasserweg von New York abspringen lassen – und das jederzeit innerhalb von nur acht Minuten. Das NYPD Tauchteam ist die einzige Polizeieinheit in Nordamerika, die ganzjährig ihren Hubschraubern Taucher zugewiesen haben. Wir haben Frankie gefragt, was für eine Art von Person man sein muss, um diesem Job gewachsen zu sein.

Watch the video here>>

English description

This episode is the first in a series about Indonesia and diving in the Komodo National Park.
Before heading out to the KNP for a week of spectacular diving, we make a trip around Bali. While the following episodes focus on underwater life, this part shows what you can enjoy on Bali when you’re not diving! The island of the Gods is mainly Hindu, and large part of the population lives off what the land and sea provides. Renowned for a rich nature, and sophisticated art forms, Bali has become popular with tourists who come to enjoy the tropical climate and wonderful beaches with luxury hotels.
We travel around the island to get a feel for the life in the streets.
Nederlandse beschrijving

Deze aflevering is de eerste in een serie over Indonesië en duiken in het Komodo National Park.
Vooraleer we eropuit trekken om een week spectaculaire duiken te maken rond Komodo, maken we een reis rond Bali. Terwijl de volgende afleveringen richten zich op het leven onderwater, laat deze episode zien waarvan je kunt genieten op Bali als je niet aan het duiken bent! Het eiland van de Goden is voornamelijk hindoe en een groot deel van de bevolking leeft van wat het land en de zee hen biedt. Vermaard voor een rijke natuur, en verfijnde kunstvormen, is Bali populair geworden bij toeristen die naar het tropische klimaat afreizen om te genieten van de prachtige stranden en luxe hotels.
We reizen het eiland rond om een gevoel te krijgen voor het leven van de man in de straat.
Deutsche Beschreibung

Diese Episode ist die erste einer Serie über Indonesien und das Tauchen im Komodo Nationalpark.
Bevor wir für eine Woche spektakulären Tauchens zum Komodo Nationalpark aufgebrochen sind, haben wir einen Trip durch Bali gemacht. Während sich die folgenden Episoden auch das Leben unter Wasser konzentrieren, zeigt diese Episode, was Sie auf Bali sonst noch genießen können, wenn Sie mal gerade nicht tauchen. Die Insel der Götter ist hauptsächlich hinduistisch und ein großer Teil der Bevölkerung lebt von dem, was Land und das Meer zu bieten haben. Bekannt für eine reiche Natur und anspruchsvolle Kunstarbeiten, wurde Bali bei Touristen aus aller Welt sehr beliebt, vor allem auch aufgrund des tropischen Klimas und der wundervollen Strände der luxuriösen Hotels.
Wir sind auf der Insel umhergereist und haben so ein tolles Gefühl für das Straßenleben erfahren.

Watch the video>>

Contents:
– What’s new at SCUBA Travel?
– Letters
– Win a a Suunto Dive Computer
– Diving News from Around the World

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What’s New at SCUBA Travel?
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Diving in India

Much of the diving in India remains isolated and unspoilt. Learn more about it at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/pacific/india.html

Philippines Photo Gallery

From pygmy seashorses to sharks, see some great underwater photos in the new Philippines photo gallery.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/photophil.html

 

Alvaro Diving Center is on the scuba diving paradise island Koh Tao. We specialise in a small-scale, personal service, a relaxed atmosphere and high standards, so you and your family can concentrate on having fun!
http://www.divingcourseskohtao.com/

___________________________________________________ADVERT:

Diving Thailand

More on the dive sites and operators of Thailand is now on the SCUBA Travel site.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/thailand/

More…

For regular announcements of what’s new at the SCUBA Travel site see the Diving Board at
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

 

Letters
===========================

Diving Jubail (Saudi Arabia)?

Is there any possibility of a diving course in Jubail (Saudi Arabia) for a female?

Mhawy

Post your answers on the Diving Board at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=1

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Win a Dive Computer and Other Prizes
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Take part in an international questionnaire about recreational scuba diving at http://diversdeltaeng.questionpro.com/, and you could win a Suunto Dive Computer, a Cressi-sub MC5 Ellips steel regulator, a Mares Prestige MRS+ stabilizing jacket or a Scubapro Titanium Divers Watch.

This questionnaire, from the Dutch Diving Federation, wants to discover your diving preferences and introduce you to diving opportunities in Zeeland.

The questionnaire is about the dive areas that you have been to, and your diving holidays.

To complete the survey go to http://diversdeltaeng.questionpro.com/

 

Creature of the Month: Three-spot dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus
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If you have dived in the Red Sea, Indian or Eastern Pacific Ocean, you will probably have seen shoals of these small fish. They live on coral and rocky reefs at depths of 1 to 55 m.

Youngsters often live in large sea anemones, alongside the instantly recognisable Clownfish. Adults, though, leave the anemone to congregate in small groups around prominant rocks or coral outcrops.

When young, the Three-spot dascyllus does indeed have three white spots: one on each side and one on the forehead. Adult fish lose the forehead spot, the side spots become less distinct and the black colour of the fish becoming less intense.

The groups of adult D. trimaculatus comprise around 10 individuals with one male to several females. When approached by an intruder, the male assumes a higher defensive position, while the females rest betwen the tentacles of the anemone. During spawning the male dances to attract females. They deposit eggs on coral branches which are watched and guarded by the male until they hatch.

D. trimaculatus is part of a complex of four species that vary in geographical ranges and colour patterns. Of these D. trimaculatus is the most widely distributed,

Further Reading:
Coral Reef Fishes Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, Lieske and Myers

 

Diving News From Around the World
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Aqua Lung America Recalls Apeks Power Inflators

Aqua Lung America are recalling Apeks WTX Power Inflators as the oral inflator button can fall off during use. This poses a leak of the buoyancy compensator contents.

Activists liberate 800 bluefin tuna

Environmental activists from the Sea Shepherd group say they have “liberated” some 800 bluefin tuna that had been caught by what they described as poachers and were being towed by two fishing vessels off the coast of Libya. Five scuba divers cut open a circular holding net filled with fish below legal weight and caught after the fishing season closed.

Right whales yell over the ocean din

To cope with the blitzing level of noise in today’s oceans, North Atlantic right whales are calling louder to each other. It is the first time a baleen whale has been observed compensating for the din in this way.

Whales and humans linked by ‘helpful grandmothers

Scientists have discovered an evolutionary reason why humans and whales both have grandmothers. As post-menopausal females age, the researchers say, they become increasingly interested and helpful in rearing their “grandchildren”. This could help explain why female great apes and toothed whales (cetaceans) have lifespans that extend long beyond their reproductive years.

Caribbean Coral Reef Protection Efforts Miss the Mark

Conservation efforts aimed at protecting endangered Caribbean corals may be overlooking regions where corals are best equipped to evolve in response to global warming and other climate challenges.

Super goby helps salvage ocean dead zone

A resilient fish is thriving in an inhospitable, jellyfish-infested region off Africa’s south-west coast. And crucially it is helping to keep the local ecosystem going.

Antidepressants in sea may damage food chain

Second-hand Prozac in waste water could be sending shrimps’ swimming patterns haywire, making them easy targets for predators. ‘Crustaceans are crucial to the food chain and if shrimps’ natural behaviour is being changed this could seriously upset the natural balance of the ecosystem.’

Submarine robots learn teamwork

Studying the deep ocean floor is cumbersome, expensive and dangerous. The majority of exploration efforts have to employ an autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUV), which works without control cables. But many AUVs are specialised, they cannot travel far alone and they can only provide a narrow range of data. Moreover, there are few AUVs and the unexplored kilometres of ocean are many. The work of one European project, however, has the potential to dramatically increase the range and functionality of the world’s AUV fleet using networking technologies and software.

Rising sea drives Panama islanders to mainland

Rising seas from global warming, coming after years of coral reef destruction, are forcing thousands of indigenous Panamanians to leave their ancestral homes on low-lying Caribbean islands.

* Copyright SCUBA Travel – http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/
* Reprinting permitted with this footer included.

Monitor tank pressure and air consumption data wirelessly from your dive computer

• Compatible with Suunto D9, HelO2, Vytec DS, and Vyper Air dive computers
• Monitor tank pressure data wirelessly from dive computer
• Monitor air consumption data wirelessly from dive computer
• Battery life is around 2 years (at 100 dives per year)

Vor dem Tauchurlaub die Zähne checken lassen

Tipps für Taucher: Tauchen mit wasserdichtem Biss

Was Zähne und Uhren eint: Nicht alle Uhren sind wasserdicht – bei Zähnen ist es genauso. Kommt Druckluft unter ein Uhrglas, findet sie eventuell den Ausgang nicht mehr und das Uhrglas springt. Denn: Gemäß dem Boyle-Mariottschen Gesetz dehnt sich komprimierte Luft beim Auftauchen wieder aus.

Hohlräume bei Kronen oder Füllungen können Zähne zerbersten lassen

Bei kariösen Zähnen oder “alten” Kronen können sich Hohlräume gebildet haben, die wie beim Uhrglas nur einen winzigen Spalt Verbindung nach außen oder mundwärts haben. Gelangt hier Druckluft beim Tauchen hinein, kann der Ausdehnungsvorgang beim Auftauchen zum Zerbersten des Zahns führen.

Panikaufstiege durch überraschende Zahnschmerzen vermeiden

Daher ist vor dem Tauchurlaub neben der tauchmedizinischen Untersuchung ein vorbeugender Zahnarztbesuch sinnvoll, rät Dr. med. Claudia Haizmann, Fachärztin für Tauchmedizin am Druckkammerzentrum Freiburg, allen Tauchsportlern “Es geht darum, möglichst jede Störung eines Tauchgangs von vornherein zu vermeiden. Überraschende, heftige Zahnschmerzen könnten einen Taucher zu einem ‘Panikaufstieg’ mit eventuell schweren gesundheitlichen Folgen veranlassen.”

Sorgfältige ärztliche Tauchtauglichkeitsuntersuchung ist ratsam

Das Druckkammerzentrum Freiburg bietet sorgfältige und umfassende Tauchtauglichkeitsuntersuchungen für Sport- und Berufstaucher. Weitere Informationen und Beratung: Druckkammerzentrum Freiburg, Zentrum für Hyperbarmedizin, Habsburgerstr. 116, 79104 Freiburg, Telefon +49 (0) 761-3820 18, Internet: www.hbo-freiburg.de

Über HBO:

Die Überdruckmedizin ist eine Therapieform mit Zukunft. Sie fördert die Regeneration im menschlichen Körper. Sauerstoff, unter Überdruck eingeatmet, löst sich um ein Mehrfaches. Der hohe Sauerstoff-Partialdruck wirkt positiv auf das Gewebe und auf die Kapillaren und führt so zur Regeneration von Sinnes- oder Knochenzellen und Gewebe. Die HBO-Therapie kann auch dann noch mit Erfolg eingesetzt werden, wenn Standard-Behandlungen unbefriedigend verlaufen sind. Bevorzugte Einsatzgebiete sind Hörsturz, Tinnitus, Knalltrauma bzw. Schalltrauma, nicht heilende Wunden, Knochenmarködemsyndrom an Knie, Schulter, Hüfte und Fußwurzel, späte Bestrahlungsfolgen bzw. Bestrahlungsschaden nach Krebsbestrahlung an Kopf, Hals, Blase oder Darm, Fazialisparese, Interstitielle Zystitis, Retinitis pigmentosa.

Die HBO ist eine wertvolle und zudem sanfte Ergänzungstherapie.

Dear Shark Advocate,

It’s been one month since Project AWARE launched the “Give Sharks a Fighting Chance” petition to demand international protection for critical shark species on the brink. In just a few short weeks nearly 25,000 divers and shark advocates like you have voiced their concern.

Are you in?

If you’ve not yet taken action – your help is needed today. Sign the petition to give threatened sharks species like hammerheads, oceanic whitetip and spiny dogfish a chance to survive.

Thank you to each of the 25,000 supporters who’ve signed the petition so far. With your help we’re preparing to deliver a clear message to CITES Party representatives and demand better shark protection worldwide. As I’ve read through the signatures and concerns from divers around the globe, one thing is clear – divers are uniting with a common goal to demand better shark protection worldwide.

Despite recent setbacks at CITES 2010, shark advocates like you have helped secure protections in Europe, Palau, Maldives and most recently, Hawaii. As we speak, the United States Senate is poised to take action on the Shark Conservation Act to strengthen anti-finning legislation and show leadership in shark conservation.

But to ensure survival for the most vulnerable and heavily traded shark species, we must persuade CITES Party representatives around the world to control international trade for the future.

Please take two minutes of action and sign the petition today. Already signed? Help spread the word by asking your family, friends and colleagues to sign. Do you Facebook or tweet? Post the petition page (www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance) to your favorite social networking sites.

Thank you for being part of this global effort.

Da oggi Capoliveri è attore principale di un record ed entra ufficialmente nel GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS per il “Matrimonio subacqueo con il maggior numero di subacquei partecipanti”

Oggi, sabato 12 Giugno 2010 a Capoliveri, sulla bellissima spiaggia di Morcone, ospiti della stuttura del Mandel, è stato battuto un record che dal 2005 apparteneva ad una cppia di sposi californiani.

Il record consiste nel raggiungimento del maggior numero di subacquei che si immergono per assistere ad un matrimonio subacqueo.
Davanti al Sindaco di Capoliveri, Ruggero Barbetti, ai due testimoni Antonella Elia e Gianluca Genoni i due sposi elbani, Viola Francesca Colombi e Giampiero Giannoccaro hanno unito il loro Amore al loro Amore per il mare, celebrando uno spettacolare matrimonio subacqueo.

Ad assistere a questo splendido spettacolo 261 subacquei appassionati e il Giudice del Guinness World Record Lucia Sinigaliesi, venuta appositamente da Londra per riconoscere ufficialmente il Record.

Nella sua bellissima muta bianca la sposa e con la sua muta nera con spaccato bianco taglio smoking lo sposo, si sono scambiati il bacio e l’erogatore sott’acqua, come ormai vuole la tradizione di Mares diving with love.

L’evento di Capoliveri fa parte infatti del tour “Mares diving with love”, una manifestazione organizzata dalla Mares di Rapallo, la nota azienda di subacquea e da Hotelplan, il prestigioso tour operator di alto livello che prevede altre due tappe: a fine Giugno San Felice Circeo e a Luglio, ultima tappa, a Zoagli.

Ad aiutare gli sposi e tutti i 261 subacquei determinante è stato l’aiuto di tutti i diving center elbani, uniti nel CED, Consorsio Elbano Diving che da mesi pianificavano il tutto.