Tag Archive
A Seaplane Rendezvous: “You Can’t Get There From Here”
I was on assignment nearly two decades ago when scheduling screw-ups got me into the airport late for a trip on Peter Hughes' liveaboard SEA DANCER, I discovered that I had literally "missed the boat". Stranded in Miami with dive model Mary Riley and a load of camera equipment and dive gear, I called my editor to see what could be worked out. "Yeah, we can get you to Provo on tomorrow's plane but the SEA DANCER sailed today and will be down in West Caicos by the time you get in. And there's no airport, no roads and no scheduled boat service. We'll make some calls and get back to you." I hung up with that inspiring promise. Just trying to find a hotel room within a 50-mile radius of Miami in the aftermath of the 1992 hurricane was enough challenge. Watching a blistering cold front whip up white caps in the hotel pool forced us to take shelter in front of Spectra-vision to ponder how many times you can watch Home Alone or 3-D Prison Girls in Bondage. (Answer: twice if you have popcorn, three times if you have the IQ of a weight belt.) The mood was sour. We were out of quarters for the Vibra-Bed and tonight's feature was Wayne's World. Help! Then the phone rang. It was David at the magazine office sounding like the squadron commander from an old Gregory Peck war movie. "We found this guy down in Provo and he's got a vintage seaplane sitting there looking for charter business. The weather's a little stiff but he thinks he just might be able take off from the airport and then land in the ocean next to the ship. Want to give it a shot?" Words like "vintage" and speculative phrases including "he thinks" are not major... More »
Fortress America: Heightened Security for Flights to the USA
In the first three months of this year I have travelled from the UK to the farthest reaches of Indonesia via Singapore and Manado, to Cebu via Hongkong, to Marsa Alam in southern Egypt, to Malta and to Spain, so I guess you could say I was well travelled even if you didn't include the countless trips I have made in a twenty year career as a travel writer. Nobody in their right mind wants to be blown up during a flight especially happily-married old-age pensioners with paid-up mortgages like me but we are all aware that there are very gullible people that are preyed upon by evil men, so we all happily subscribe to airport security measures as and when they are developed. We now have to take off our shoes at airports thanks to the half-witted Richard Reid who attempted to set fire to his plimsolls on a flight to America. He had obviously failed to eat sufficient burgers and beans to make his farts potent enough to cause an explosion and carried on into history as the man he had always been, a dismal failure. Last year, a young Nigerian, one Umar Mutallab, feeling disillusioned and emasculated presumably because he had failed to get anyone to respond to his e-mailed entreaties to send him the contents of their bank accounts in return for a share of the money a dead relative had embezzled, decided to try to emasculate himself by setting fire to his shorts. This was during another flight to the USA. We now have to endure the close examination of the inside of our trouser waistbands by security people who themselves would have problems if were they to introduce racial profiling. None of us would mind any of this if it were effective but alas the quality and training... More »
Dive Travel Tips for 2010
It never ceases to amaze me what level of useless stuff people will bring on a dive vacation. You're going to be on a boat or a resort for a week or two where the uniform of the day is shorts, bathing suits, and tee shirts. Keep it simple. One pair of running shoes, sneakers, or sandals will pretty much make it in the footwear department. Once aboard a vessel, you probably won't wear them anyway unless you go ashore to explore or walk about a local town or village. A sweatshirt or pullover for a cool evening and maybe a pair of jeans can pretty well round out your wardrobe. A good rule of thumb is if you can't completely pack your clothes in a light soft-sided duffel bag that will fit in an overhead compartment on an airplane, then you're probably bringing too much. For those prone to seasickness, I recommend consulting your regular family doctor for his advice on over-the-counter and prescription medications. Triptone, Bonine, Marazine, etc. seem to work fine for most folks and the Scopolamine transderm patches have about an 80% success rate among adults. Yes, Scopolamine was one ingredient in the notorious World War II "truth serums". This may be a consideration for some divers... given the potential for spoiling some perfectly good sea stories over dinner. Govern yourselves accordingly. Only kidding, folks. International travel is notorious for luggage "problems". A non-descript plain dive bag with TSA-approved lockable zippers is preferable to one in neon pink with dive flags sewn on each end that fairly screams "steal me" to some Third World baggage handler. Likewise, plain appearance camera cases are less likely to end up in the "Halliburton" twilight zone. A carry-on soft camera bag is a smart idea for your most valuable components. Extras can... More »
The Weighty Matter of Flying with Dive Gear
A friend was a board director of British Airways. I asked him if he could give me a letter to show at the airport check-in, telling his staff to look after me and to waive excess-baggage charges. He said it was more than his job was worth to do that, and that I'd do better to make friends with someone who worked at the airline's check-in desk. That encapsulates the problem of travelling with dive and underwater photography equipment. It's a totally hit-and-miss system unless you are prepared to pay up. You take your chances and hope the check-in staff will be lenient. I recently traveled to the Maldives and copped a painful $400 excess charge at Heathrow - - that's after the first 20 pounds above the limit had been waived. On the return leg, the check-in woman responded to my announcement that it was diving equipment by charging me nothing - - but it could as easily have been $800 extra, and there would have been nothing I could do about it. Traveling via the U.S. used to be simple. They let you check in a maximum of two pieces, neither of which could be more than 70 pounds. A massive total of 140 pounds usually takes care of my requirements. Now the airlines have reduced that to two bags, neither of which can weigh more than 50 pounds. One bag weighing 55 pounds and the other 46 pounds will see you repacking your bags on the airport floor. I've had to do just that, on my way to Houston with Continental Airlines! I approach the check-in staff with my Gold Card within reach. I wear my most charming smile. I ask if they are having a tough day. I never lose my cool. I smile resignedly if and when they tell... More »
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