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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August 16, 2018

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The Sculpture Coralarium

Following his extensive underwater sculpture parks in London, Cancun, Nassau, Grenada and the Canary Islands, British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor’s latest venture is in the Maldives. The Coralarium is a semi-submerged tidal art gallery in a lagoon on the island resort of Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi. Accessed by a submerged staircase, the structure itself is a stainless steel cube, and visitors must snorkel or swim 500 feet to it, following an underwater path paved with planted corals.

Been In a Washing Machine?

Currents don’t always go horizontally. Sometimes they go up, sometimes they go down. Sometimes they do both in short order -- notably where big ocean currents meet constrictions of channels, or are blocked by underwater obstructions, or the tidal flow is forced to divert around small islands. Have you enjoyed the experience and how did you cope? We’d like to hear. Write to BenDEditor@undercurrent.org and tell us all about it. Don’t forget to give us your town and state.

Earthquake Disaster in Lombok and the Gili Islands

Jared Herb of Manta Dive in Gili Trawangen, reports that the damage on those islands is severe. The 6.9 magnitude quake last week killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands. All dive operations are closed and many staff had their homes destroyed, but they’re focused on raising money to buy supplies for families and cleaning up. You can help by donating to https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/indonesia-earthquake-relief-fund/ or https://pennyappeal.org/news/indonesia-earthquake

A "Must Read" Thriller for Divers

That’s what Scuba Diving says about Tropical Ice. Set in Belize at a rundown dive resort called Captain Jack’s Rum Point Inn, it’s a fast-moving scuba thriller written by the founder of Undercurrent. The opening chapter will knock your booties off. It’s followed by a dangerous night dive, shark fins secretly stowed on a remote key, and the beautiful owner of a rainforest lodge with her own deep secrets. Click here to order an autographed copy (we will email you to see how you want it inscribed). Or get the paperback, E-book or Kindle version from Amazon by clicking here. It’s a great diving yarn.

Sore Feet from Diving?

Doing back-to-back diving as one might on a liveaboard trip, your feet can get sore when you walk around because the water has softened your skin. A good trick is to wear either a pair of ordinary nylon socks, or the disposable socks they give you on an overnight flight, inside your wetsuit boots. The same pair can last you all week.

Illegal Drones?

Privately owned camera drones are ever more popular, but regulations in many countries limit their use. Subscriber William Domb (Riviera Beach, FL) wrote to tell us he was cautioned by park rangers in the Dry Tortugas and threatened with a big fine. The reason? “Drones might disturb the delicate corals.” Who knew?

News for Sherwood Avid BCD Divers

We’re still hearing from divers who have had their tanks break away from their Avid BCs during a dive, with possibly disastrous consequences. Have you had a problem? More info in September’s Undercurrent.

Your Travel Reports

Unlike most diving magazines that are driven by advertising revenue, Undercurrent is unique in that the reports of dive trips we get from you, our readers, form the backbone of Undercurrent’s value to other subscribers. Sharing your experiences and reporting both good and bad gives them an honest view of what they may expect in their travels, and help them pick the most suitable destination for their next trip. File your report online. https://www.undercurrent.org/members/UCnow/SubRRTopMA.php

Fake News on Computers in Airplane Holds

Many traveling divers carry their computers and regulators in their carry-on luggage because they believe an airplane’s hold isn’t pressurized, and the pressure changes will harm their devices. Not so. The pressure is the same as the cabin, equivalent to approximately 7,000 feet of altitude equivalence. Any warnings found in a computer manufacturer’s manual applies equally, whether carried on or checked in.

Coming Soon in Undercurrent:

Carriacou, a quiet place with some of the Caribbean’s best diving . . . Sunset House on Grand Cayman . . . diving the Japanese War fleet in Truk Lagoon . . . Siladen in Indonesia . . . overweighted divers . . . is your regulator mouthpiece causing pain? . . . the scuba divers who are most at risk for heart attacks . . . ups and downs of tropical currents . . . in praise of liveaboard diving . . . disappearing Florida blacktips . . . and much, much more.

Thanks for being a loyal subscriber.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
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