Inside Scuba Issue #9

AuthorAuthor

Byron Conroy & Andy Deitsch
June 02, 2024

Welcome to Issue #9 of Inside Scuba

Welcome to Issue #9 of Inside Scuba! We're excited to bring you the latest insights, tips, and news from the world of scuba diving. In this edition, we cover everything from essential packing tips for your next diving trip to using creative backgrounds in underwater photography. You'll also find an in-depth review of the stunning dive site, Four Kings in Raja Ampat, and a video highlight featuring the fascinating adaptations of shrimp. Whether you're an experienced diver or just starting out, there's something here to help you dive deeper into your passion.

What’s happening in this edition?

Packing For A Scuba Diving Trip: Tips and Tricks

Planning for a scuba diving trip involves meticulous preparation, especially when it comes to packing. Divers often carry a lot of gear, and if you're traveling internationally, you'll need to navigate varying airline regulations. Europe and Asia, for instance, typically enforce much tighter carry-on weight restrictions (usually 15 lbs or 7 kg) than the US. For those of us who travel with camera equipment for underwater photography, this adds an additional layer of complexity. Here are some strategies I've learned over the years to manage these challenges and ensure a smooth journey.

Prioritizing Your Carry-On vs. Checked Baggage

When it comes to deciding what to pack in your carry-on versus your checked baggage, prioritization is key. As an underwater photographer, my camera gear always takes precedence. I operate on the principle that while I can rent dive equipment at my destination, renting a camera that will meet my needs is not an option. Therefore, I ensure that the essentials I need to get by—should my luggage be delayed or lost—are in my carry-on. For instance, my Nauticam float arms, which are bulky, go in the checked luggage, but I carry a pair of regular arms in my carry-on. This way, even if my luggage is delayed, I can still use my camera, albeit not in its most optimal setup.

Choosing the Right Luggage

For checked luggage, I opt for non-descript suitcases rather than those specifically designed for scuba diving. This strategy helps avoid drawing attention to the fact that the bags contain expensive equipment, which can sometimes tempt baggage handlers. Additionally, I choose lightweight luggage to maximize the amount of gear I can pack without exceeding weight limits. Since dive gear is inherently heavy, starting with light luggage gives you more leeway.

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.

DivePhotoGuide: DPG is thrilled to announce the Underwater Awards Australasia 2024, a new underwater imaging competition focused on the Australasian region—an industry-first three-way collaboration between the long-established Underwater Australasia, DPG, and underwater imaging equipment and dive gear distributor UW Images.

A new book by Howard Rosenstein will be released in July. Treasures, Shipwrecks & the Dawn of Red Sea Diving. Howard Rosenstein wasn’t just opening the first dive school in Sharm El-Sheikh; he was cracking open a hidden world in Sinai. This true story dives headfirst into those ground-breaking times, where celebrated guests, uncharted dives and historical discoveries became the extraordinary routine.

USA Today: “Man discovers mastodon tusk while fossil hunting underwater off Florida coast. Alex Lundberg, 29, works in research at a cancer hospital in Tampa on weekdays, but come the weekend, he is a scuba diver and amateur fossil hunter who drives an hour south to Venice Beach to stay at his parents' house and search for prehistoric objects in the waters nearby.”

Divernet: “Search for diver off Dorset (UK) stood down. A search and rescue operation launched off Dorset’s Jurassic Coast on Saturday in a bid to locate a missing scuba diver was stood down yesterday (26 May).”

Dr. Doug Ebersole, a dive instructor and cardiologist who is also a consultant to Divers Alert Network, was recently a guest on Scuba Radio where he shared a crazy story that happened when he was in Costa Rica for a DAN conference on hyperbaric medicine. We won’t steal his thunder so if you are interested, have a listen here. If you want to listen to more of Scuba Radio, check it out here.

Light In The Underworld: Diving The Mexican Cenotes a new book by good friend Martin Broen will be released on September 17th, 2024. An immersive journey to witness a natural wonder—the underwater caves and cenotes of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a destination very few divers have ever reached. For more information and to pre-order see Martin’s website.

ScubadiverMag: Today is the last day of the Scuba Show, America’s largest dive expo, being held at the Los Angeles Convention Centre, California, and tickets are still available.

Photo Tip of the Week - Mastering Creative Backgrounds in Underwater Macro Photography

When you are learning underwater macro photography, the holy grail seems to be achieving a black background, but once you can achieve this with ease then macro portfolios can become stale and all of your images will begin to look the same. Today, I rarely shoot black backgrounds and instead prefer the color and depth that creative backgrounds bring.

There are a few ways to make this work using artificial methods which we will cover in this article, however before moving to bringing additional items underwater, I would strongly recommend looking at how you can incorporate natural backgrounds into your images before you start to take down a multitude of gadgets and gizmos on every dive.

One of the first objectives you’ll want to master in taking images with creative background's is to create “Bokeh”. Bokeh is a term derived from the Japanese word "boke," which means "blur" or "haze." In photography, it refers to the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image, particularly how background elements are rendered. Bokeh is often characterized by its pleasing, soft, and visually appealing blur, which helps to emphasize the subject in sharp focus by reducing the distraction of background elements.

Using Bokeh for Creative Backgrounds

In underwater photography, bokeh serves the same purpose as it does in terrestrial photography: it enhances the visual appeal of an image by creating a beautiful, smooth background blur that isolates the main subject. This technique is particularly useful in underwater settings, where backgrounds can often be cluttered or distracting.

Dive Site Review: Four Kings, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Overview: The dive site known as the Four Kings in Raja Ampat is a pinnacle of underwater biodiversity and a jewel in the crown of the Coral Triangle. Situated in the heart of the world's most diverse marine ecosystem, Four Kings is a testament to the richness of life that thrives beneath the crystal-clear waters of Raja Ampat.

Topography: Four Kings is characterized by a cluster of four large limestone pinnacles that rise dramatically from the depths of the Dampier Strait. These submerged towers serve as magnets for marine life, creating an underwater oasis where divers can witness a stunning variety of species and vibrant coral formations.

Marine Life: The diversity of marine life at Four Kings is unparalleled. Divers can expect encounters with schools of pelagic fish, including barracudas, trevallies, and jacks. The coral-covered pinnacles provide a spectacular backdrop for observing smaller reef inhabitants, such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, and colorful reef fish. The health of the coral reefs here is simply awe-inspiring, with both hard and soft corals creating a living kaleidoscope.

Currents and Visibility: The site is known for its exhilarating drift dives, with currents often providing a thrilling ride along the walls of the pinnacles. While the currents can be strong, they bring nutrient-rich waters that contribute to the site's extraordinary biodiversity. Visibility is typically excellent, often exceeding 100 feet (30 meters), allowing divers to fully appreciate the underwater landscapes and the marine life that inhabits them.

One of the magical four coral bommies; the shallowest

If you are not familiar with Ze Frank’s hilarious “True Facts” videos, you are missing out. This video is one of his newest videos on the incredible adaptions of shrimp. Enjoy!

Summary

Thank you for joining us for this edition of Inside Scuba! We hope the tips on packing, creative photography backgrounds, and the dive site review of Four Kings in Raja Ampat have inspired you to enhance your diving adventures. Don't forget to check out the featured video on shrimp adaptations for a bit of fun and learning. As always, we're here to support your diving journey and bring you the latest and greatest from the underwater world. Until next time, dive safe and happy exploring!

Andy & Byron

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