Inside Scuba Issue #6

AuthorAuthor

Byron Conroy & Andy Deitsch
April 21, 2024

Welcome to issue #6 of Inside Scuba

Welcome to the latest edition of Inside Scuba! Whether you're a seasoned diver with countless underwater adventures under your belt or just dipping your fins into the world of scuba, we're glad to have you aboard. In this issue, we have a diverse array of content to cater to all levels of expertise and interest.

What’s happening in this edition?

Buying Your Own Dive Equipment: What Should You Buy and When?

I have owned my own dive equipment even prior to undertaking my Open Water certification. Before embarking on a 6-month volunteer stint in Mexico to train as a Dive Master, I had experienced a single dive in the Maldives. The prerequisites for this adventure were to have already completed my Open Water course.

Armed with limited knowledge and some quick Google searches, I arrived at my Open Water course in Plymouth, UK, equipped with a complete set of scuba gear. Through the course and subsequent 6-month internship in Mexico, most of this gear was replaced with more suitable equipment for the job. Transitioning to Australia to work as a guide on a liveaboard, I largely retained that second set of gear. However, my journey took a sharp turn when I embarked on a one-year contract as a Dive guide in Iceland, where dive temperatures plummeted from 82°F to 36°F. Within a month, I found myself acquiring my third set of dive equipment. Over the past nine years in Iceland, I've meticulously curated distinct gear for both cold and warmer water diving, incorporating some items that serve across both environments when applicable.

In this article, I will discuss each area of dive equipment, following the sequence in which I would prioritize their purchase. I'll explore the rationale behind my recommendations, shedding light on crucial aspects, and I'll also reflect on insights I wish I had prior to making my initial purchases.

In each issue of our newsletter, we will curate some top dive news from around the world. Links to each of the original articles are available.

DAN.org: A preliminary accident analysis has been released by DAN providing insight as to what most likely occurred to Jared Hires on his ill-fated dive at Plura Cave on April 3rd.

The New York Times: “The Widest-Ever Global Coral Crisis Will Hit Within Weeks, Scientists Say. Rising sea temperatures around the planet have caused a bleaching event that is expected to be the most extensive on record.”

Check out Andy Davis' article for Shearwater users, focusing on becoming a proficient Shearwater Power User. Delve into the GF99 and Surface Gradient features of your dive computer. These indicators monitor your gassing and off-gassing phases, providing real-time insights into nitrogen bubble release and size. With Surface Gradient, anticipate your gradient factor at the surface, aiding in informed ascent speed and safety stop decisions.

New Atlas: “Acoustical navigation tech gets scuba divers using GPS. Because GPS doesn't work underwater, divers usually can't track their real-time position on a digital map. The new Diver Navigation System (DNS) gets around that problem, however, using both floating and wearable acoustic transponders.”

DeeperBlue.com: “The Divers Alert Network Europe and NAUI Worldwide have announced a first-of-its-kind partnership aimed at promoting diver safety. The new partnership aims to increase the safety of divers throughout the European Union and the broader European landscape facilitating DAN First Aid Courses.

Mangrove Action Project - a global charity dedicated to promoting science-based training to conserve and protect mangroves – has launched their 10th Mangrove Photography Awards. You are invited to submit images that showcase the beauty, diversity and fragility of mangrove forests worldwide.

Photo Tip of the Week - Strobe Accessories

In the last few articles, we have discussed the considerations to make when purchasing your first set of strobes, then how to place our strobes in the correct position followed by learning more advanced techniques. Now that we have mastered the basic use of strobe light it’s time to look at the myriad of strobe accessories that can be used to modify the light output from the strobe.

In essence, there are two types of light we are trying to achieve, either soft, diffused, and even light that is often desirable in wide-angle photography or harsh-edged narrow-beamed light where we control the edges on smaller subjects for macro photography. Almost all strobes are aimed at a softer and even light, and one of the key selling points is usually the width of the beam measured in degrees and how even the light is within that beam. Much of the technology in the top-end strobe such as circular flash tubes is aimed at creating this soft even beam. However, almost all strobe manufacturers now make additional accessories to modify the light, so let’s look at the main ones and discuss why we would use them and how they will affect your photography.

Using beam restrictors to separate the subject from the background

Exploring Blue Heron Bridge

Blue Heron Bridge, nestled within Phil Foster Park, is a world-renowned dive site celebrated for its rich biodiversity. Underwater photographers are particularly drawn to this site due to the vast array of small critters that inhabit its waters. From the tiniest seahorses, octopuses, and nudibranchs to larger marine inhabitants like spade fish, barracuda, and even the occasional hammerhead shark, the site offers a captivating array of marine life. Manatees also make occasional appearances, adding to the allure of this underwater paradise.

A hairy frogfish. One of many unique critters typically found at Blue Heron Bridge

Located on the Lake Worth Inlet, Blue Heron Bridge benefits from protection against most adverse weather conditions, making it an ideal diving spot even when the Atlantic Ocean experiences rough seas and gusty winds. Despite turbulent conditions elsewhere, the waters beneath the bridge typically remain calm, with minimal waves.

Planning your dive at Blue Heron Bridge requires careful consideration of the tides. Diving during slack high tide is crucial to avoid strong currents. It's recommended to enter the water about an hour before high tide and exit approximately an hour afterward, as visibility tends to decrease, and currents intensify post-high tide. If the current is still a bit strong when you enter the water, it's advisable to refrain from venturing east or west and instead stay just in front of the beach, where you will find the calmest conditions. Once the current declines, you can start venturing further afield to explore the diverse marine life that thrives beneath the surface. Consulting tide tables beforehand is important for dive planning. It's worth noting that some visitors, unaware of the tide restrictions, have experienced disappointment upon arriving at Blue Heron Bridge, as their planned trip coincided with high tide times outside of the park's diving hours.

In this issue we are sharing an interview from the YouTube channel Divers Ready. James Blackman talks to Rachel Lance about her new book Chamber Divers. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book from Amazon.

The previously classified story of the eccentric researchers who invented cutting-edge underwater science to lead the Allies to D-Day victory

In August 1942, more than 7,000 Allied troops rushed the beaches of Normandy, France, in an all but-forgotten landing. Only a small fraction survived unscathed. It was two summers before D-Day, and the Allies realized that they were in dire need of underwater intelligence if they wanted to stand a chance of launching another beach invasion and of winning the war.

Led by the controversial biologists J. B. S. Haldane and Dr. Helen Spurway, an ingenious team of ragtag scientists worked out of homemade labs during the London Blitz. Beneath a rain of bombs, they pioneered thrilling advances in underwater reconnaissance through tests done on themselves in painful and potentially fatal experiments. Their discoveries led to the safe use of miniature submarines and breathing apparatuses, which ultimately let the Allies take the beaches of Normandy.

Blast injury specialist Dr. Rachel Lance unpacks the harrowing narratives of these experiments while bringing to life the men and women whose brilliance and self-sacrifice shaped the outcome of the war, including their personal relationships with one another and the ways they faced skepticism and danger in their quest to enable Allied troops to breathe underwater.

The riveting science leading up to D-Day has been classified for generations, but Chamber Divers finally brings these scientists’ stories—and their heroism—to light.

Summary

Thank you for diving into another exciting edition with us! We appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm for the underwater world. If you enjoyed this newsletter, why not share it with fellow diving enthusiasts or encourage them to subscribe? Together, let's spread the joy of diving and exploration to even more adventurers. Stay tuned for more content in our upcoming editions! Happy diving!

Andy & Byron

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