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

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Can’t See that Computer Display?

For many divers, reading the tiny numbers on a wrist- mounted dive computer display can be a chore. A simple cure is to get a mask with plus-diopter lenses fitted instead of plain glass. The TUSA Freedom Ceos is almost unique in that it is available with a range of lenses up to Plus 4.5 diopters in strength. Or you can opt for a bifocal solution. tusa.com/us-en/TUSA/Masks/Freedom_Ceos

Last Minute Offer to Tag Turtles and Sharks in Costa Rica

Can you get away Aug 9-19 for a largely tax-deductible Cocos Island trip to tag sharks and turtles? Turtle Island Restoration Network has two discounted spots available on their trip aboard the Argo for $6,285 and include meals, nitrox, marine park fee and transfers from hotel to the dock -- it’s largely tax-deductible because you're on a legitimate research expedition. For details, go to http://seaturtles.org/events .

Spotted: Blue Whale in the Gulf of Aqaba

Bystanders were initially thrilled after spotting a blue whale in the northern tip of the Red Sea, but then became concerned, because there’s typically no krill for whales in the warm waters at the end of the Gulf, sandwiched between Israel and Jordan. It is the first recorded sighting of a blue whale there, and scientists are baffled. The visit may be a result of the underwater dead zone the size of Maine that was recently discovered in the Arabian Sea, 1,500 miles to the south, where there is a total absence of life.

Coming Soon in Undercurrent

A less-than-perfect liveaboard in Egypt’s Red Sea . . . Deadman diving update . . . Who’s rude – those who stay down longer or those who complain about it? . . . A new Grand Cayman dive hotel . . . .Out-of-air solutions and panaceas . . . Carriacou, a hidden Caribbean gem . . . . The Ups and downs of diving in currents . . . Sunscreen and its effect on coral . . . Can you be too fit for diving? . . . Over-weight or over-weighted? . . . and much, much more.

Check-In or Carry-on?

Some divers fret about the effects of pressure on their dive computers and other more delicate equipment when they fly, so they carry it on, rather than check it. But, there is no need because the pressure in the aircraft hold is identical to the cabin pressure -- although there might be other reasons to avoid checking-in your more valuable gear.

Divers We Can Do Without

A New Zealand instructor working in Egypt’s Red Sea told Undercurrent recently he has seen many Russian and Chinese divers not only showing no concern about damaging coral, but using knives to break off coral to take home as souvenirs. Egyptian authorities do nothing to prevent this, he believes, because revenue from the divers has become so important.

Paralenz Wrinkle

If you use a Danish-built Paralenz POV camera, the one especially designed for divers that automatically adjusts white balance according to depth down to 200m (656 feet), be careful not to over-tighten the plastic end cap because it will almost certainly split. Paralenz is replacing these with aluminum caps, but you might have to remove that replacement cap when linking by WiFi to your smart phone to download the footage. www.paralenz.com

Deepest Museum in the Highest Lake

If you’ve dived in Bolivia or Peru’s Lake Titicaca, you’ll know that there’s not much to look at – until now. The Bolivian government is to construct an underwater museum to exhibit archaeological objects from the Tiwanaku culture, the oldest in the Americas. Thousands of incredible artifacts discovered by a Belgian research team, deep in the lake, prompted the idea. The pre-Columbian archaeological site of the city of Tiwanaku is thought to have been the cosmological center for the Tiwanaku empire from 300 BC to 300 AD. At 12,506 feet (3812m) above sea level, be aware of the deco ramifications of diving at altitude.

Your Travel Reports

Driven by advertising revenue, most diving media is rather coy about telling it as it is. Not so Undercurrent – the independent appraisals of dive trips we get from you, our readers, are unique in the diving industry. They form the backbone of Undercurrent’s value to other subscribers. Sharing your experiences and reporting the good and the bad gives them an honest view of what they may expect in their travels, and help them pick the best destination for their next trip. And we’ve even made it easier for you to file a report using the online form here.

Thanks for being a loyal subscriber.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
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Website News
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A Plea: Report a website problems you encounter

As you probably are aware, the Undercurrent website is a very large site with lots of information available. We frequently update the site to enhance its utility for you and sometimes to fix any "bugs" that somehow have cropped up. Though we do check the site thoroughly after making any modifications, sometimes a problem slips by us. We strongly prefer to fix any such, but we can't fix them if we don't know about them.

And that's where you come in -- please report any significant website problems to me Dave Eagleray at problems@undercurrent.org or, better yet, using our contact form, and I will try to fix them. Too many times I've somehow found out about a simple but significant website problem that had existed for a long time, and so had caused difficulties for many users. So please send me details (enough so I can reproduce the problem) and I'll get back with you. Your help in doing such will be greatly appreciated by other Undercurrent readers as well.