U N D E R C U R R E N T O N L I N E U P D A T E
F O R N O N - S U B S C R I B E R S
If you have trouble reading this email:
it means that your email reading program cannot properly handle HTML formatted email. If so, please update your preferences to receive TEXT messages by going to this link
Undercurrent — Consumer Reporting for
the Scuba Diving Community since 1975
www.undercurrent.org
Dive News
November 10, 2008
Lone Diver Rescued After a Night in Fiji Waters: There has been nearly a dozen incidents this year of divers getting lost at sea. This time, it was in Fiji, where Thomas Holz, 40, of Berlin, Germany spent 12 hours battling currents in the Somosomo Strait overnight and swam six miles before reaching land. On October 26, Holz and three other divers went with Bubble Divers for a late-afternoon dive on Rainbow Reef at Vanua Levu. Running out of air after 25 minutes, he ascended at about 5 p.m. The divemaster told him to wait at the surface while he fetched other divers below but currents were too strong for Holz to reach the boat 100 feet away, then nightfall prevented him from seeing it. The dive boat searched until 9 p.m., then resumed in the morning. Holz told the Fiji Times that he held onto his tank and swam slowly, skipping Vanua Levu for fear he’d wash up in an isolated place and aiming for more populated, although farther away, Taveuni. “In the early morning, I felt the seabed and screamed out for help before I collapsed on the shore.” More about this in our January issue.
Cayman’s Pummeled by Hurricane Paloma Saturday, Nov 8: On Cayman Brac, politician Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, described extensive damage to the majority of homes, businesses and churches. In many areas of the island, the water was knee deep. Diving legend Bob Soto, said “This is the worst hurricane I have ever seen …There is not one leaf left on the trees on The Bluff.” On Little Cayman early reports are that more than a dozen homes lost their roofs and one apartment complex caved in completely. While scores of people had to be rescued, nobody died on any of the islands. Grand Cayman had little damage or flooding. Supply boats are on their way to the sister islands. There is no word yet on dive resorts on the sister islands, but if you have travel plans make contact with your resort before you go.
Turks and Caicos’ Hurricane Ike Update: Mitch Rolling, who owns Blue Water Divers on Grand Turk, has told us that, “All three dive shops are completely operational, many dive boats received no damage at all. We have all had divers in since the storm, and the wall is in great shape . . . As for hotels, the Osprey Beach Hotel’s beach rooms never closed (they have their own big in-house generator) and fortunately were not damaged. The Osprey Beach bar and restaurant is fully open . . .The Salt Raker was damaged, and has not been open since . . . Manta House, right next door to Salt Raker, was not damaged badly, and is open. The Bohio on Pillory Beach lost the roof on its rooms. They are closed, but repairs are underway. . . .There are several local restaurants open and serving food. Obviously, there is still a great deal of cleanup work that needs to be done but a tremendous amount has been achieved already. We are grateful for the many sources who have already provided much assistance. . . .There is no reason why a diver or visitor can’t come to Grand Turk and enjoy a nice holiday.” Rolling’s comments about Salt Caye : “We are quickly getting back on our feet and all businesses will be operational by December 1. The dive shop is open now and some of the private homes are open for rentals. Tradewinds won’t be open till mid-November but will be newly remodeled, thanks or no thanks to Ike. Fortunately, there was little wave action, so very little damage to the reef.” Provo had little, if any, damage and hardly missed a beat after the blow.
The Underwater iPod: We’re all for communing with nature during a dive, but for those who get bored during decompression stops, there’s the iDive 300. Put your iPod in the waterproof case, good down to 300 feet, attach the over-the-ear speakers to your mask strap or under your hood, and watch movies or listen to music while you’re making the way to the surface. List price is $350. www.h2oaudio.com/shop/product.php?productid=63
Update on the U.S.S. Kittiwake: In last month’s e-mail newsletter, we announced the Cayman Islands had plans to sink this decommissioned U.S. Navy ship as an artificial reef. The Department of Tourism, recognizing that development has killed many of the reefs off Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, has announced that the Kittiwake will be sunk in June 2009 at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach. Gotta satisfy the divers who don’t want to head off to better Cayman diving.
How Are the Oceans Really Doing?: Some good news: Rabbitfish can help save the Great Barrier Reef from destruction. Some bad news: Robert DeNiro is a partial owner of a restaurant chain serving endangered bluefin tuna to diners without their knowledge. Read those reports for free, plus other updates, such as the Coral Triangle’s takeover by starfish; why an invasive species has turned the Thousand Islands into a diver’s paradise; how one dolphin is teaching others to walk on their tails; and more. Go to Undercurrent and scroll down to “The October Issue.”
2009 Travelin’ Divers’ Chapbook: This 512-page book filled with hundreds of current reviews of dive resorts and liveaboards throughout the world goes in the mail January 15 to Undercurrent subscribers. Nonsubscribers can order a copy for $16.95 plus shipping at
https://www.undercurrent.org/secure/UCnow/chapbook2009_cc.html. Better yet, you can get a trial 9 months subscription to Undercurrent, with the Chapbook and online access to past issues, for $39.95. Go to Undercurrent. The supply is limited, so you must order now.
Now’s the Time to Dive Hawaii: United Airfares Drop Until March 11:* Boston-Honolulu for $572 roundtrip; New York-Kona for $674; Washington/Dulles-Lihue for $670, Chicago-Maui for just $398 roundtrip. Information: www.united.com/page/article/1,,51106,00.html. There are plenty of hotel bargains too.
Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die: In this new book, edited by Chris Santella, a bevy of well-known divers wax about 50 top dive destinations, most of which are on everyone’s list: the Galapagos, Fiji’s Bligh Waters, Cocos Island, Cayman, British Colombia . The descriptions are brief and to the point, the perfect book to stimulate your fantasies. 224 pages, hardbound, $24.95 list. Click here (www.undercurrent.org) to order through Undercurrent and you’ll get Amazon’s best price — and our profits will go to save coral reefs.
Ben Davison, editor/publisher
Contact Ben
Note: Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort. Dive trips listed in our emails must be offered by a well-regarded operation that has been reviewed positively by our readers. The operator must include a special offer for Undercurrent subscribers and supporters. Undercurrent is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization and in some cases the operator has made a donation.
HELP A BUDDY OUT:
forward this message to another diver here: this link
Former Online Members can
rejoin instantly using their old username and password here
Please do NOT reply to this message — this address is not monitored
==== Contact Us ====
To be sure your email gets through to us, please use our website
contact form . Otherwise e-mail sometimes get lost when we delete spam.
==== Manage Your Account ====
You are subscribed as scubadoc@scuba-doc.com.
You can update your email address or change your email preferences (plain text or HTML formatted) for this mailing list by visiting this link
You can unsubscribe to this mailing list and not receive future Online Update emails by visiting this link
Copyright © 2008 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Suite 102, Sausalito, CA 94965
800-326-1896 or 415-289-0501
All rights reserved
===============================================================
