Undercurrent Online Update
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For David Denson Whiteside (with username 'dwhitesi', exp: 2024-08-20, at dwhite95815@hotmail.com )
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May 17, 2018

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Win a Free Spectacular Liveaboard Trip Aboard the French Polynesia Master

Here is a great deal offered only to Undercurrent subscribers and a few friends: Just visit the website of Bluewater Photo & Travel and enter their free raffle for an opportunity to win a seven-night diving trip aboard the French Polynesia Master. It’s a $4,525 prize! Furthermore, if you join any of their four special trips, you get a $500 cash rebate. Or you can save $500 on photo/video gear from Bluewater Photo. But, you must act fast. To enter the raffle go to www.bluewaterdivetravel.com/undercurrent

Another Cocos Tiger Shark Attack

A lucky 30-year-old German male diver escaped intact after being attacked by a tiger shark near Manuelita Island, Isla del Cocos, Costa Rica on April 28. The animal bit into his tank and BC but he managed to free himself from his rig and swim to the surface while the shark ripped his gear to pieces as other divers look on. He was shaken but unhurt. Last November, an American, Rohina Bhandari, died after a tiger shark attacked her at the same location (Undercurrent January 2018). This is the sixth confirmed unprovoked shark attack in Costa Rican waters since records began.

Undercurrent Travel and Weather Planner

We have updated the Seasonal Planner and Overview sections of the Undercurrent website to reflect the change in popularity of many resorts and changing climate conditions. Go to our diving destinations page and choose the section devoted to the area you are interested in or click on the destination on the map. We’ve also updates our Seasonal Planner with this information.

Buoyancy Cell Failure

Despite conflicting reports, the death of an Australian diver, Andrew Kilbride, in the Philippines on May 2 is being attributed to the buoyancy cell of his wing detaching. Look for more information in the next issue of Undercurrent.

Boracay Scuba Centers Fight Back

Up to 40 scuba divers led by divers from the Boracay Association of Scuba Diving Schools took part in a clean-up drive to rehabilitate the waters during early May after Philippines President Duterte called the island a cesspool and ordered it closed for six months in April. Each collected a sack of trash.

World Ocean’s Day Online Auction

In support of Shark Angels, a US-based non-profit, you will be able to bid on scuba diving trips around the world, an underwater camera system, and more. Bidding starts on May 21. Shark Angels raises awareness to the critical issues affecting sharks and educates children about their importance to the ocean. www.charitybuzz.com/support/1865

Florida Underwater

John Englander, whom older readers might remember in association with UNEXSO on Grand Bahama, writes in his blog Sea-Level Rise is the Defining Issue of the Century, “Of the 25 American cities most vulnerable to sea-level rise, 22 are in Florida...not all along the coast, either. Along with New York City and Miami, the inland cities of Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs and Miramar round out the top five.” And that means goodbye to the Florida Keys.

But you still Have Time to Dive the Keys

So, if you’re diving there in the next few weeks, wear a rash guard or wetsuit to protect yourself from the microscopic larvae of the sea thimble, the common springtime jelly. It’s responsible for ‘sea itch,’ that unpleasant skin rash. After diving, flush your skin with clean water, pat it dry and wash out your diveskin or wetsuit before you don it again.

Your Travel Reports

Resorts and liveaboard operators that aren’t performing well don’t like it, but your honest appraisals of dive trips are unique in the diving media and form the backbone of what Undercurrent has to offer. Sharing your experiences and reporting the good and the bad gives your fellow divers an honest view of what they may expect. And, we’ve even made it easier for you to file a report using the online form here.

Coming Soon in Undercurrent

How Fit Are You? . . . When Maldives Diving Disappoints . . . Possible Solutions to Coral Reef Bleaching . . . A Costa Rican liveaboard that doesn’t go to Cocos Island . . . .Why Sea Water Can Be Hazardous to Health . . . Out of Air Scenarios and Solutions . . . In Praise of Liveaboards . . . That Regulation Threat . . . A trip on Belize Aggressor III . . . How Do You Feel About Spearfishing? . . . Philippines and Indonesia land-based operations . . . and much, much more.

Thanks for being a loyal subscriber.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
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