tech dive nz newsletter: q2, 2013

www.techdivenz.com [email protected] Facebook: Tech-Dive-NZ Phone: 021 614 023

Welcome to the TDNZ Quarterly Newsletter.

Hi!

Although I’m claiming this as a New Zealand issue I’ve actually barely been here for the last three months! You’ll find the main articles this time around are predominantly about diving on ‘foreign’ shores. However, I’m (kinda) hoping that as avid divers you’ll forgive me. I know you’re always pretty keen to hear about new locations.

So...The last few months have been sensational ones for me. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit great new dive locations (which after 25 years of diving is becoming harder!) and some of the dives have been particularly exhilarating and/or challenging...

Exploring the inside of a World War II shipwreck at a little beyond 60m took care, consideration and a healthy dose of nerve! And, finally, I got to dive in the Nullarbor Caves some twenty years after first hearing about them! Special. Very special.

This time, it’s not just the great places, but the incredible people I’ve met and dived with, that made my experiences all the more pleasurable. Buddies from over fifteen different countries. Eye-opening (to say the least!) Had one totally crazy discussion about WW2 with a group including an Italian, a German, a Croatian and a Hungarian just moments before we went to dive on one of the military wrecks. Enormous fun!

EDIT

ORI

AL

Page 2: Feature: Instructor training in CroatiaPage 4: Feature: Guide to diving in CroatiaPage 9: Common course problems: Flappy handsPage 9: Pioneers of Diving: Sylvia Earle0: Events: Scooter safarisPage 11: Feature: NKPP 2013Page 13: Quick Quiz: The Mikhail LermontovPage 13: Referral Scheme: Everyone benefitsPage 14: De-mystifying tech gear: Can lights

Page 15: Diary: Quick ref for future events

Tech Dive NZ Newsletter: Q2, 2013

CONTENTSWhat’s in this newsletter?

I’ve truly enjoyed having had the opportunity to share ideas and techniques with more than a dozen other Technical Instructors. Absolutely priceless when you’re as isolated as we tend to be here.

Anyway... It’s great to be back home.

I’m already busy and happy to be organising trips and courses in beautiful NZ again. Lots of ideas and exciting plans for the forthcoming months! Details will be posted first on our facebook page Tech-Dive-NZ so keep an eye out!

Check out page 10 for info on our latest great idea!

Until next time, safe and fun diving everyone!Jamie

The Nullarbor desert at night

www.techdivenz.com [email protected]

Tech Dive NZ - Newsletter QUARTER 2: 2013

Facebook: Tech-Dive-NZ Phone: 021 614 023

Instructor Training in CroatiaClowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right…

I’m watching Kirill like a hawk. Truth be told I should be watching Marc too, but I know Kirill is going to cause all the problems. I’ve already corrected his trim and sloppy fin kicks, told him to slow down and pay more attention to his buddy, pointed out the contents hanging from his pocket, picked up the bits he’s ‘mistakenly’ dropped and stopped him waving the light back and forth as he reels (sigh) so what’s next? Buoyancy. Firstly he’s doing everything on his dry-suit, then he’s breathing too deeply, finally he’s doing way too much fiddling with the wing inflator. Eventually he settles down giving me enough time to introduce a valve failure scenario. Marc calmly deals with the post failure and signals Kirill to come and help out. Again I’m ready for Kirill’s antics. I stop him from shutting all the valves, stop him from switching Marc onto the dead post ‘by mistake’, get him to manage his light better and stop shining it in my face and finally ensure he turns the isolator back on. Phew...Maybe, just maybe, I’ll make it to the end of this session in control.

We start our ascent at the shot line – there is a current running and I’m working hard to stay in a position where I can see everything the students are doing, provide feedback and keep them from drifting away from the line. We have a few buoyancy wobbles on ascent but nothing major and at the 6m stop Marc and Kirill start their gas switch. Kirill is confusing things by trying to get out his SMB mid-way through and not paying attention. Suddenly, he’s got his back to me and has done the gas switch in record time, preventing me from checking all the steps. Dammit – I need to get him to do it again, but now the SMB is up and the dive continues – oh well – something to catch in the debrief. I look over at Rich who is acting as examiner and see him chuckling to himself. I think I’ve done OK, but I’m tired.

At the surface I slip back into my normal debrief mode, running through the dive like a story. Only to recall that this habit is exactly what Rich has been trying to break all week! I pause, gather myself and focus on the three key points from the dive. The three most important areas for Kirill and Marc to fix for the next dive. I finish and breathe a sigh of relief, now I just have to listen to Rich and Kirill’s debriefs. Oh yes, and then we do the whole thing again only with Marc teaching instead of me and Rich causing all the problems whilst Kirill watches.

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Inst

ruct

or tr

aini

ng in

Cro

atia

If you’re wondering what’s going on, this is my GUE Tech 1 Instructor class.

And it’s hard!

However, there are some upsides to this class. Firstly I am in warm southern Europe in the summer, Croatia to be exact, which makes a lovely break from Auckland in the winter. Secondly I’m working with Rich Walker (UK), GUE’s head of Tech Training and Kirill Egorov (Russia) another hugely experienced GUE Tech Instructor Trainer. Also on the class is Marc Hall (USA) a GUE Instructor based in California. And prior to the class I’ve been diving with Mario Arena (Italy) one of GUE’s Training Council members and JP Bresser (Netherland’s) another very experienced GUE Instructor. Getting to spend time with these guys, pick their brains about what’s new in the diving world and gain a few good ideas for teaching, marketing and motivating students is invaluable.

In addition to the in-water sessions the class also covers all the lectures and dry-runs, plus everything else you would expect and as well as getting a chance to present and be examined on all the sessions myself, I also get to watch Marc present everything. I also see Kirill and Rich demo some stuff, all of which provides me with some new ideas for improving my own teaching. It’s of course not without a certain amount of stress and midway through the class I can’t help wishing it was over, but by the end I know I’m a better Instructor and ready to teach my first class.

Rich takes a break - examining/causing problems takes it out of you.


Tech Dive NZ - Newsletter QUARTER 2 : 2013


When I sit down with Rich and Kirill at the end of the 5 days to do my formal debrief their feedback is very positive. They are happy to award me the first signature (meaning I am ready to teach a full class) and then they drop an unexpected bombshell. Could I stay on in Europe for another three weeks and join the GUE Instructor Trainer class? I know I’m in trouble. Not with GUE but with Mel. My one month Europe trip is going to turn into two months. I’m going to miss our 10th wedding anniversary! Aaaargh.

After three weeks of visiting family and friends in the UK and France I return to Croatia for the IT class. The class is being taught by JJ and Panos, respectively GUE’s President and Head of Quality Control. I’m joined on the class by 4 other experienced Instructors, Derk (Germany), Bruno (Italy), Gunnar (Norway) and Gareth (UK). Together we will be going through all the standards, teaching techniques and how to grade prospective Instructor candidates, before finally doing the most stressful part - a skills demonstration with JJ. And I mean stressful! Usually when you are examined there might be one or a maximum of two Examiners, but for this session everyone in the water is an Examiner. One person films whilst the other 4 take notes on your technique, ready to rip you to shreds at the surface. Naturally everyone has superb

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Inst

ruct

or tr

aini

ng in

Cro

atia skills, so the slightest errant fin or wobble will be

spotted. And I thought my sigh of relief at the end of the T1 ITC was a loud as it could get... Nah.

However, the experience again proves invaluable, with all of us getting some tips for improvement and the reassurance that our fellow Instructors are as good as we would expect. As the class draws to a close JJ confirms all of us have passed and finally we enjoy a well-earned beer...or two!

Happily my Croatian experience is not quite over as I’ve tagged on a few extra days to simply go diving and enjoy the many world class wrecks the Adriatic has to offer. I continue to enjoy the truly Global nature of GUE, diving with experienced divers of yet more varied nationalities - Hungary, Switzerland, Portugal, Bosnia, Croatia and Poland. I also meet another 3 GUE Instructors - Jesper (Sweden) and Dorata and Bartek (Poland). On the surface communication is sometimes a little hard, but underwater everything works perfectly and I happily enjoy scooter dives and wreck penetration dives at 60m+. The geographical isolation I’m sometimes aware of in NZ is completely forgotten.

So... after two months enjoying southern Europe in the summer AND missing my 10th wedding anniversary, what do I have to show for it all?

Well. I can confidently recommend Croatia as a dive destination (full details of which I have provided on the following pages). I can also start working with anyone who wants to become a GUE Instructor and when ready I’m able to provide the first signature towards the following ratings: Fundies, Rec 1, 2 & 3.

And finally I can commence teaching Tech 1 classes in NZ.

Wahoo!

My first full class has to be overseen by an examiner (which will happen in Feb) but after that I can run them whenever anyone wants. So who’s keen?

JJ looking relaxed before the dive - unlike the rest of us.

Finally a well earned break.




Visiting Croatia - here’s all you need to know!

In May this year I visited Croatia for the first time. Principally I was visiting to do a couple of GUE Instructor classes, but as this is a world renowned wreck diving destination I couldn’t resist adding a few extra days to my trip. So what did I learn and what do you need to know to visit this exciting diving destination?

Croatia has a similar size population to New Zealand, although the land area is only 1/5th of the size. The currency is the Kuna, although Euros are accepted by the majority of services which cater to tourists. Croatian is the official language and has become the 24th official language of the European Union upon its accession in July this year. Tourism is a major industry and accounts for up to 20% of Croatian GDP, with Croatia ranked as the 18th most popular tourist destination worldwide.

As part of my background research it came as a small surprise to me to discover that about 15% of these visitors (over one million per year) arrive specifically to enjoy naturism - an industry for which Croatia is apparently world-famous! In fact Croatia was the first European country to develop commercial naturist resorts.

WAR in the ADRIATICIn 1814, Pula was restored to the Austrian Empire. Its large natural harbour became Austria’s main naval base and a major shipbuilding centre. During World War 1, the port was the main base for Austro-Hungarian dreadnoughts and other Naval forces of the Empire. The WW1 Adriatic Campaign was largely limited to blockade attempts by the Allies and the efforts of the Central Powers to thwart the

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Ever

ythi

ng y

ou n

eed

to k

now

to d

ive

in C

roat

ia British, French and Italian moves. Following

the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918, Pola (renamed) and most of Istria was assigned to Italy. After the collapse of Fascist Italy in 1943, the city was occupied by the German Army and remained a base for German U-boats. During WW2 the Adriatic saw only limited Naval action, starting with the Italian invasion of Albania and the joint Axis invasion of Yugoslavia.

However, during both WW1 and WW2 significant quantities of mines were laid in order to protect Pula harbour, which was the key to controlling the entire Adriatic. The presence of so many mines is the reason for many of the shipwrecks in the area. Although after WW2 efforts were made to clear mines and ‘safe passages’ were marked out, mines continued to sink ships for more than a decade after WW2 was over.

During the Cold War, the Adriatic Sea became the southernmost flank of the Iron Curtain as Italy joined NATO, while the Warsaw Pact established bases in Albania. After the fall of Communism, Yugoslavia started to break apart. The ensuing Croatian War of Independence included limited naval engagements and a blockade of Croatia’s coast by the Yugoslav Navy. The Adriatic Sea was also the theatre for several NATO operations, including the blockade of Yugoslavia, and intervention in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

ISTRIA TODAYToday Istria is peaceful and picturesque, a delightful holiday destination. The various wars which raged following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990’s did not really reach this area and so there is nothing to indicate the many centuries of dispute centred here. Pula the main town and port has a population of approximately 60,000, although this swells significantly during the busiest summer months when the tourists arrive. As well as beach based holidays the beautiful Adriatic coast is also hugely popular with sailors and Pula harbour is full of yachts. Pula is also home to one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world. According to the tourist brochures this one of the 6th largest Roman arenas still standing and the only one with all four side towers remaining. Another of Istria’s historical links to the Roman times is olive oil, which is still produced in this region. Apparently olive oil from this area is ‘world famous’ a particularly light oil seen by many as the ‘gold’ standard of olive oils.




DIVING OPPORTUNITIES AND FACILITIESWe were based at Krnica Dive (www.krnicadive.com) located just metres from the water at Krnica Harbour. The small town of Krnica is about 25m north east of Pula, with the harbour a further 2km down the hill. The town has a Pizza restaurant (called Kum – the humorously named ‘Kum Pizza’ is actually awesome!) a Post Office, a small supermarket and not much else apart from a beautiful ancient church, lots of very old houses and several comfortable tourist apartments. On my arrival at Pula airport the taxi driver actually queried whether I really wanted to go saying ‘but there’s nothing there...’

The dive operation is run by Maurizio, who, if he wasn’t running a dive business, could easily be the Don of a large and very well-connected family. He knows about everything that’s going on and orchestrated each day’s events without ever once appearing stressed or unhappy! He’s probably one of the greatest hosts I’ve ever met, organizing several fantastic barbeques and inviting us into his home for yet more food and drink. When Maurizio wasn’t providing food he took us out to some amazing restaurants. I recall the wood-fire cooked octopus with truffle pasta being a particular highlight. The other staff members Zarko, Tony and Velimir (apologies if I’ve got any spellings wrong) are also incredibly welcoming and helpful. I felt as though I’d been a customer there for years rather than as a first time visitor.

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Ever

ythi

ng y

ou n

eed

to k

now

to d

ive

in C

roat

ia

Heads up for first timers ‘relax and go with the flow’. Whilst it may appear that nothing is happening or being organized sometimes everything is, in fact, perfectly under control and operating precisely as per Maurizio’s schedule.

The dive shop has everything a visiting tech diver could need, backplates, wings, can lights, twins and stages, argon bottles, even scooters! And pumps more trimix in a month than NZ probably does in a year... Fills are done overnight so you are never left waiting for tanks; dry-suit repairs and any other problems are also fixed immediately and if you did have a major suit problem you can always try out one of the Santi demo suits which are available. Depending on where you wish to dive Maurizio has arrangements with the owners of various different boats in the area, providing options for anything from 4 to 30 divers at a time. Remember to take your dive quals and some form of ID with you on the boats in case the police do a snap inspection. On his previous trip Rich was fined for not having his ID and on his return to Croatia for this trip he had a few ‘interesting’ discussions with immigration before he was allowed in!

Water temps vary significantly; it was 17 degrees at the surface and 13 degrees at 40m when I was there in May. The visibility ranged from 5 – 20m dependent on where we dived, but in general on the wrecks the visibility was good enough to really appreciate the scale of each ship and navigate easily.

Finally when you come to pay make sure you have cash, as there is no EFTPOS facility and credit cards are not accepted. You can pay in Euro’s or Kuna. In fact everywhere except the local supermarket accepted Euros.

Krnica Dive - the friendliest dive shop in Croatia!




WRECK: CESARE ROSSAROLLaunched in 1914 the Cesare Rossarol was an Italian light scout cruiser. At 85m long and only 8m wide she was built for speed and could launch torpedoes while maintaining over 30 knots. She began service in November 1915 and her main duties involved scouting, laying mines, escorting battleships, defending against aircraft and fighting other small ships. As well as torpedoes she was fitted with a variety of guns, two beautiful examples of which can still be seen on the stern section of the wreck. She actually survived the war intact, but hit a mine only a few days after the official armistice was proclaimed. The force of the explosion tore the ship in two, with the bow immediately sinking. The severely damaged stern section drifted for a short while before sinking and now lies approximately 300m away from the bow section. This was one of the largest losses of life for the Italian Navy during the war, with 93 Petty Officers and Marines dead, including 7 Officers and the Captain.

There are several different dives possible on this wreck, with depths ranging from approximately 45-49m. Both the bow and stern sections have mooring lines, but it’s the stern section which is undoubtedly the most picturesque. It sits on the seabed with a 20-30 degree list to port, making identification of the various features quite easy. In addition to the two well preserved guns you can also admire the range finder, the steering wheel and two telegraphs. There is a limited penetration opportunity where the ship broke up, but be prepared for some very tight spaces and lots of silt. When we dived the wreck there was a line joining the main bow and stern sections, but unless you have a scooter you will use a lot of gas swimming between the two. There’s plenty of other wreckage scattered between the two sections but beware of fishing line and nets.

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Ever

ythi

ng y

ou n

eed

to k

now

to d

ive

in C

roat

ia

In the days between our first and second dives on this wreck fishermen had placed a long low net between the two sections which we nearly crashed into whilst scootering. The bow section is totally inverted and breaking up badly, but you can still see one of the guns; as much of the plating falling away the penetration is easier. The narrow streamlined bow makes for a great photo opportunity!

WRECK: SS LENAOriginally named the ‘Nuevo Estremadura’ this cargo ship was built in Scotland in 1879. She was 70m long, 9m wide and powered by a triple expansion steam engine. She was renamed several times, finally becoming the SS Lena in 1907. At this time she was owned by Vincenzo Granata – you can still see his insignia on the funnel. In January 1914 during a voyage from Fiume to Catania with a cargo of timber she crashed into Cherso Island in thick fog and was wrecked. She now sits upright, with her bow at 25m and her stern at 55m.

As she sank so close to the shore this dive is possible in most weather conditions. Also given the varying depths she is often dived as the first wreck of your trip. The descent line brings you directly to the bow section where two large anchors remain strapped in place. The steel hull and framework of the ship still remain, but much of the wooden decking has eroded making penetration very simple. Inside the holds you can still see the remains of the timber cargo. The bridge and cabins were positioned in the middle of the ship and a typical first tour of the wreck takes you from the bow down to mid-ships and then back again, ducking in and out of the interior for most of the way. With the many options for light and shadow this makes for another very photogenic wreck...

The Cesare Rossarol on active duty in the Adriatic




WRECK: SS VISOriginally named the SS Renteria this cargo ship was built in Scotland in 1921. She was 79m long, 12m wide and had a gross registered tonnage of 1,870. Her original owners sold her in 1934 and the new owners renamed her the SS Vis. On the 13th of February 1946 she was heading to Rasa to load a cargo of coal. She was navigating close to the Istrian coast, within a ‘safe’ corridor (one that had been cleared of mines) however she hit a mine on the starboard bow and sank rapidly, with the loss of 3 lives. She now sits perfectly upright on the bottom, with the hole where the mine hit clearly visible.

The Vis is a perfect tech dive, offering a variety of depth between 40-60m. As you descend onto the bow of the ship you often find a smoky or foggy layer in the water, which gives the ship a ghostly appearance. She is also heavily draped in nets, particularly around the stern and to have a good look at the propeller requires pushing these heavy nets aside much as you would part curtains at a window. There are numerous penetration opportunities on this wreck, including all three holds and the superstructure. Again this wreck is a Photographer’s dream and for many people is the highlight of their dive trip to Croatia.

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Ever

ythi

ng y

ou n

eed

to k

now

to d

ive

in C

roat

ia

WRECK: MV ARGOThis ship was built in Canada in 1942 for the Royal Navy and was originally called HMS Flint. Her duties involved mine sweeping and convoy escort. She was 46.8m long, 8.3m wide and 507 tons. After the war she was sold as part of a package of ships to a Norwegian company, renamed the Argo and fitted out as a refrigeration vessel. At this time the engines were upgraded from steam to diesel and her deck was extensively remodelled.

On January 22nd, 1948 the Argo was navigating from Venice to Rijeka in very bad weather, with a cargo of tomatoes. As it was only a few years after WW2 many of the mine fields still had not been cleared, so ships had to stay within certain safe channels, but with such bad weather this proved impossible - she was blown off course and out of the safe passage, where she unfortunately hit a mine. At the time of the explosion the Captain was discussing with the First Mate whether to drop anchor and wait for better weather as he’d realized he was off course. The violence of the explosion ripped the ship in half; 11 of the 12 crew perished, with only one managing to swim ashore in the freezing winter conditions.

Today the Argo lies in two equal sized parts, both upright, at a depth of approximately 50m. The descent line brings you to the bow section where you can explore the fo’c’sle and the forward hold. It is relatively simple to drop into the forward hold and swim out through where the explosion ripped the ship in two. From here you need to rise up to the top of the remaining superstructure where a line runs for about 50m to the aft section of the ship. Here if you look through the tiny porthole into the cabin on the aft deck you will see an old brass instrument used by sailors to measure distance travelled. Penetration on the aft section is possible in the engine room but beware it’s very tight, silty and home to some extremely large inquisitive Conger Eels.

Jamie diving with Miguel Gomes - photo by Derk Remmers

The Austro Hungarian navy at anchor. Officially known as the Imperial and Royal War Navy: in German - kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, usually abbrev. to k.u.k. Kriegsmarine.

This navy existed under this name after the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 and continued in service until the end of World War I in 1918. Prior to 1867, the country’s naval forces were those of the Austrian Empire. By 1915 there were 33,000+ naval personnel.




WRECK: SS PASCOLIThis Italian cargo ship was built in 1902 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Originally named the SS Szeged and owned by the Royal Hungarian Sea Navigation Company, she was renamed the Pascoli when she was sold in 1922. She was 99m in length, 14m wide and had a gross registered tonnage of 2,859 tons. In May 1941 she was on a voyage from Bari to Sansego when she hit a mine.

This is not a regularly dived wreck as it’s quite a long way out. We loaded our boat on the evening before and headed out at 4am, reaching the wreck a little after 9am. However, this sacrifice of sleep is undoubtedly worth it as the visibility is excellent and the wreck is completely intact.

The wreck is upright and sitting in a little over 60m of water. The average depth of our dive was 51m, and we could easily have gone deeper had we explored the holds. Behind the superstructure there is easy access into the crews quarters where bunk bed frames still stand. Due to the depth and size of this ship this is a perfect scooter dive. In the fo’c’sle there are still many ship’s lanterns scattered around.

WRECK: SS LUANAOriginally named the SS Majorca this vessel was completed in 1892 and started life carrying freight between Hamburg and Leith. She was sold to a Belgian company in 1924 and renamed the Leopold De Wael, renamed again in 1933 as the Luana when she was sold to an Italian company. Even today her name is often mistaken, with many divers confusing her with another wreck close by called the Giuseppe Dormio. She is 68.6m long and 11.5m wide.

In March 1947 the Luana was transporting bauxite from Manfredonia to Venice, when like many of the wrecks in this area she hit a mine and sunk rapidly, with the loss of 12 lives.

Today the wreck sits upright and relatively intact in 49m of water. The only section of the wreck with significant damage is the bow, which is where the mine hit. Visibility on this wreck is often superb and at 25m we could clearly see the top of the superstructure below us at 39m. Most of the

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Ever

ythi

ng y

ou n

eed

to k

now

to d

ive

in C

roat

ia wooden decking has rotted away, so it’s simple to

drop through the metal structure into the wreck. The aft hold is easily explored without need for a line. Swimming to the stern brings you to the most visited and photographed section of the wreck – the emergency steering wheel. This is heavily encrusted but intact and remains clearly recognizable. During our dive it was surrounded in a cloud of small fish. The very top of the superstructure is starting to fall inwards so penetration in this area is a little tight. On the day we dived this wreck we had perfect surface conditions and no current, although we were warned that sometimes the current can be very strong in this area.

WRECK: KALLIOPIThis is the largest of the wrecks I dived at a hefty 134m long and 7,176 tons. Built in the United States in 1943 as part of the liberty ships program she was originally named the SS Robert Dale Owen. In 1947 she was sold to a Greek company and renamed the SS Kalliopi. Unfortunately in December the same year she hit a mine whilst on route from South Carolina to Rijeka.

The Kalliopi now lies broken into three parts on the seabed at 62m. The biggest and most interesting section is the mid-ships which lies on the port side. The bow section lies nearby, but has totally turned over and the stern section is approx. 400m away. The top of the midships section is 42m and from here you can drift down past the flybridge, look into the main bridge and on the seabed see two of the lifeboats. Penetration is possible – just don’t forget the depth as deco racks up quickly. Also be aware of strong currents and talk to the boat skipper regarding drifting deco – as the wreck lies close to two shipping lanes.

Perfect diving conditions for our dive on the SS Pascoli




Flappy hands

“Stop using your hands!”

A common call from all dive instructors to their students!

Whilst our hands do play a significant part in providing propulsion when swimming, once you attach a pair of fins to your feet you’ll find you gain far more by streamlining yourself and not using your arms. As most of us are aware, this is not quite as easy as it sounds in theory.

Proving to students that streamlining is more efficient is easy and getting them to hold their weight belt or waist-strap on their BC can temporarily fix the problem - but inevitably hands come out to play again. Why is this?

Clearly hands are required for signalling / using lights / deploying SMBs / operating cameras / scooters or other equipment. Inside tight spaces, wrecks and caves for example, hands maybe required for moving, with the pull and glide technique being a vital tool for all good overhead-environment divers. However, don’t confuse using your hands for movement in certain specific situations as carte blanche to use your hands for all movements underwater! The trick is to learn how to really use your fins and become more stable underwater.

Learning how to back-kick and to do helicopter turns will enable you to move around underwater and get yourself back into position, without having to swim a big circle or wave your hands like an overly enthusiastic Italian - but learning to become stable is the key. If you can hover motionless then you don’t need to keep repositioning yourself. You will be able to take the photo without pushing off the reef, watch your buddy do a gas switch etc...In short you will be able to do whatever you need to without additional complications.

So what’s the trick? Unfortunately, as usual, it’s practice practice and furthermore practice!

Com

mon

cour

se p

robl

ems PIONEERS

Global Diving Legends

Sylvia Alice Earle

Born on the 30th August 1935 in Gibbstown, New Jersey and described as an Oceanographer, Aquanaut, Explorer, Lecturer and Author. From 1990-1992 she was the Chief Scientist at NOAA, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 1998 she has been a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, sometimes called “Her Deepness” or “The Sturgeon General”. She has also been named by Time Magazine as the first Hero for the Planet.

Over a period of more than four decades Sylvia has led more than a hundred expeditions worldwide involving in excess of 7,000 hours underwater in connection with her research. From 1998 to 2002 she led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions, a five-year program to study the US National Marine Sanctuary. As an expert on the impact of oil spills, she was called upon to lead several research trips during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, to determine environmental damage caused by Iraq’s destruction of Kuwaiti oil wells. She was also called to consult during the Deepwater Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 as well as following the oil spills from the Exxon Valdez and Mega Borg.

In 1986, she tied the world solo dive depth record in a sub (and setting the record for a woman), descending to 1000m in Deep Ocean Engineering’s Deep Rover, tying the record set by her then husband Graham Hawkes. She is the author of over 180 publications, covering everything from technical papers, to children’s books and she was instrumental in adding a new feature in version 5.0 of Google Earth - displaying the world’s oceans.

In 2009 she won the TED ‘wish to change the world’ prize. She is without doubt a diving legend!




Do you like to explore? Do you wonder ‘what’s around the next corner?’ Do you want to see the sights no one else ever gets to? If so then read on.

We’ve been exploring the Poor Knights for 7 years and whilst there are many amazing sites worth multiple dives, there are also a lot of areas all the boats seem to drive past - and the reason is access. Some of these sites are just too exposed to weather, too difficult to anchor at or simply unsuitable for boats of mixed abilities. But no more - we can now access the entire islands!

Imagine getting dropped off at your usual dive site, exploring at will around the Poor Knights and then getting picked up almost 5km away from where you started! Imagine how many new areas you can see, areas everyone else can only dream of.

Scoo

ter s

afar

is SCOOTER SAFARIS

In conjunction with OceanBlue Adventures we are now offering scooter safari trips, giving you access to all the previously unseen areas of the Poor Knights Islands. And the best bit, you don’t even need to own a scooter. We have 4 brand new Halcyon T16 scooters just itching to be set loose.

These scooters are powerful, simple, reliable and fast. With a burn time of up to 115 minutes you can really get moving - and they are quiet too, meaning you won’t scare away the fish. In fact you are more likely to be sneaking up on the fish, as you leave all the other noisy, splashing, swimming divers behind. Plus with OceanBlue’s on-board nitrox blending you can really take advantage of some seriously extended dive times!

And if you’re a bit worried about ending up lost and abandoned - no problem - all the major exploratory dives will be lead by an experienced scooter diver and veteran Poor Knights guide. We’ll also manage all the scooter prep, meaning you don’t have to worry about anything.

SCOOTER SAFARIS

DATESCurrently we have two weekends planned, but assuming these trips are as popular as we expect them to be we’ll be running many more:Saturday 31st August / Sunday 1st SeptemberSaturday 12th October / Sunday 13th October

COSTSBoat costs paid directly to OceanBlue: $200/day.Nitrox 32: $20/day [single tank] $30/day [DBLs]Scooter rental: $50/dayScooter orientation dive: $50

DETAILSThese trips are all two day live-aboard excursions, staying out at the islands overnight. Please see www.oceanblue.co.nz for details of what is included.

Scooters are provided by Tech Dive NZ and batteries will be charged on-board, plus we’ll bring extra batteries to ensure the maximum amount of diving.

QUESTIONS

So how will the boat know where to pick us up?- Don’t worry, all the long range exploratory dives will be lead by an experienced scooter guide.

What about if I have no scooter experience?- No problem, we will give you a scooter orientation dive at the start of the trip.

What if I have my own scooter?- Great, bring it along.




Nullarbor Karst Plain Project 2013

The Nullarbor Plain. It’s name taken from the Latin ‘Nullus’ and ‘arbor’ meaning no trees, the Nullarbor Plain is indeed a desolate wilderness area covering parts of both Southern and Western Australia. It extends for almost 1,100km at its widest point and whilst considered almost completely uninhabitable by Europeans due to it’s extreme isolation and solitary road (yes singular!) the Plain is home to a surprisingly large amount of wildlife. Emu, Eagles, Kangaroo and Camels to name but a few.

Most excitingly for some of us, The Nullarbor Plain also happens to be the world’s largest single piece of limestone. A material which, when combined with water over long periods of time, can give rise to fabulous cave systems.

So. Whilst to most the Plain is pretty much a blank spot on the map, to Cave Divers it is in fact a Mecca. Way back in 1983 the record for the world’s longest cave dive was set here. Somewhat irritatingly for the locals this was achieved by a team of upstart Frenchmen!

Since then other areas have claimed longer caves, but despite losing the record this area continues to emit a powerful siren call to adventurous divers from around the world. As it transpired our expedition would prove be no exception...

Casey McKinlay, David Rhea and David Doolette flew in from Florida. Steve Trewavas from Melbourne, Joe from Brisbane, Gareth, David and Andrew from Sydney, Rick and Monika from Adelaide whilst Mel and I headed over from Auckland. Logistically speaking just coordinating everyone’s schedules was a nightmare let alone obtaining all the necessary permits and amassing the equipment from our incredible Sponsors (Suex, DUI and Halcyon Australia) An almost impossible task you might think and you’d be right!

Ok, the easy bit was getting 90kg of dive equipment from Auckland to Adelaide. This was added to the already groaning trailers and we set off in high spirits on the 1,600km drive into the middle of the desert. Most of the driving had to be done during daylight in order to avoid crazy kangaroos which sometimes leap toward car headlights with devastating consequences.

After two days of long, straight, flat roads we arrived at Cocklebiddy Roadhouse where we had a room booked, somewhere to have showers and recharge batteries. We dumped our stuff and grabbed a cold

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Nul

larb

or K

arst

Pla

in P

roje

ct 2

013

beer before bedtime acutely aware that there was much to be done on the morrow...

In the roadhouse bar a scruffy looking bearded bloke commented ‘You look like Cave Divers.’ Unsurprising really as Cocklebiddy doesn’t welcome many visitors who stay for longer than a night. (Incidentally, by the end of our trip that same guy no longer appeared scruffy!)

The next morning was spent setting up base camp close to the cave, pitching enough tents for half the group to sleep. The plan being for the team to alternate between camping and the roadhouse, so no one went too long without a shower. Rick had organized enough swag bags for everyone. Camp consisted of a kitchen tent and tables, a camera tent, a generator and most important of all a huge beer esky! Toilet facilities: spade and lots of bushes. We had to watch out for the snakes and scorpions when utilizing the bathroom!

First reccy into the cave: We wanted to make sure we could find the water and we also needed to check what ropes and other climbing equipment would be required to get all of the gear in. The water was 90m vertically below us (but not directly below)

There was a short vertical drop into the sinkhole which led to a steep loose rock slope, followed by some proper caving through tight passages, more unstable rocks and then a long horizontal slog from the entrance of the main underground chamber to our diving entry point.

Once the full team arrived we outnumbered the locals by 50%!

A rift passage - photo by Steve Trewavas




The plan was to get eleven divers into the cave, get photos and high def video and take some scientific samples - plus to do it all again at a second cave site before our departure. Upon returning to fresh air at the top of the sinkhole the ambitiousness and sheer magnitude of our plan hit me. This would probably be the most difficult and potentially dangerous place I’d ever attempted to dive.

Conditions inside the cave: Although at the surface it dropped below freezing each night the temperature in the bottom half of the cave was completely stifling and slightly oppressive (shorts and t-shirts only). We had to carry in lots of water to keep hydrated. Several sections of the cave required traversing steep yet narrow areas, with drops beneath our feet into the darkness below. A slip in any one of these areas would mean broken bones for sure and with heavy and expensive equipment on our backs we had to be particularly careful! There are virtually no flat areas in the cave; nowhere to stand comfortably and plenty of places to bash your head, helmets are mandatory! But worst of all were the loose rocks which we had to continually climb over.

We all took to moving very gently in constant fear of sending medium sized rocks cascading onto our team-mates below or worse still inadvertently freeing one of the monster sized rocks which would be fatal. There were even a couple of car sized rocks wedged precariously above our heads. I found the best policy was to try to forget about them and not to look up. On the occasions I did look up I found myself muttering about the potential joys of golf!

After two super strenuous days of activity we’d installed a couple of zip lines, some safety lines for the steeper sections of the cave and lowering lines for the main vertical drop. We’d hauled in 6 scooters, 3 rebreathers, 2 stills cameras, 1 video camera and enough open circuit gear for 3 divers. We had 250m of air line from the compressor at the surface to the waters edge, electric lighting, emergency food and water and apart from a few scrapes and bruises, no one and no equipment had been damaged.

Finally the first team could get into the water.

Five days from leaving Auckland to get set up, plus five more days at the end, two to get the gear out, two to drive back to Adelaide and a final day for flights. I must admit when I went to sleep at the end of day five a small part of me was wondering would the diving really be worth this gargantuan effort?

Hell yes!

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Nul

larb

or K

arst

Pla

in P

roje

ct 2

013 When you get into the water you are confronted by

near perfect visibility and 21 degree water temps. As you sink below the surface you gently nudge the scooter trigger and glide down at a relatively steep angle through a collapsed area until you join the main passage. At this point you get your first true sense of the majesty of the dive. A motorway sized passage stretching away from you as far as your light will shine. Admittedly all thoughts of the majestic were lost as I cranked up the speed on the scooter and turned underwater boy-racer. It was really too good an opportunity to miss. What a fabulous cave for scootering! Loads of space and little chance of scattering silt everywhere. Visibility was brilliant, keeping track of your buddy and the line was incredibly easy, so the scootering was completely relaxed and magical. Amazing.

Happily you don’t need trimix for this cave and you can do most of the open circuit dives with just double 12s and a stage bottle. Planning was a little more complex with the scooters, particularly as a battery failure and swimming exit would lead to a significant decompression obligation, so to make life easier we placed oxygen bottles at 6m.

As well as the main passage there are several side passages well worth exploring, all with varying geology. There are breakdown areas, collapses, domes, flatteners, sculpted rock, air-pockets and more, the diverse nature of the cave kept us fascinated. One of the rift passages we briefly visited was spectacular. However, the main destination for most of the team was the huge dome which marks the end of the first sump. This enormous totally




enclosed chamber is only accessible by diving and thus has only ever been seen by a handful of visitors over the years. We’d all made a special effort to ensure we had enough gas to visit this memorable and extraordinary area, together with enough energy to de-kit, climb out of the water and walk about for a while! Bizarrely, there’s a visitors book which has been signed over the years by some very famous figures in the cave diving world. Wow.

Aside from joy riding and perfecting our scooter techniques this trip had a serious side. Our first priority was to take samples of the slime like substance which grows on several of the ledges in the Nullarbor caves. It hangs like snot (nice) in some places but is generally tucked away from divers’ bubbles, so many divers never notice it. The microbial samples we took were destined for researchers at Macquarie University, who hope to compare this with slime from different caves in order to learn more about it’s origins.

The next priority was to obtain really high quality imagery of the caves, via the mediums of stills photography and video. The huge HMI lights we used last year for the Shaft Project were perfect for this cave, illuminating it to an extent where video could really capture the size and scale of the huge tunnels. As I write I know that Andrew (our videographer) is putting the finishing touches to a teaser trailer for YouTube, keep an eye on the TechDive NZ Facebook page and we’ll let you know when it’s available. There are also a selection of stills images already available on line. Look up Nullarbor Karst Plain Project 2013 on Facebook.

In conclusion: this really was a complex and ambitious project involving a large team of very experienced divers. Obviously I could write far more about the dives we completed, the logistics and the team members etc. Limited info is already on Facebook and more will be presented over various talks and made fully available to all once the video is complete.

By looking at actual time underwater it seems hard to justify the time and effort. Over the course of two weeks I completed only three dives! However, if you examine the quality of the time underwater it was/is, for me, unparalleled. To visit a cave so rarely seen in virtually pristine condition was a pleasure every passionate cave diver will understand. To experience this in so remote and challenging an area simply adds to the massive sense of achievement.

So for foreseeable future - no golf lessons...

Feat

ure

artic

le -

Nul

larb

or K

arst

Pla

in P

roje

ct 2

013

This month our quiz centres on one of the world’s greatest wreck dives - which is right here in NZ. How much do you know about the giant Russian cruise liner Mikhail Lermontov?

1. In what year did the Lermontov sink?2. Who was the Pilot at the time of the sinking?3. What was the name of the Lermontov’s captain?4. Rocks in the ‘inner channel’ at which cape ripped open the ship?5. In which bay did the captain try to beach the ship?6. How large was the gash ripped in the ship’s side by the rocks?7. Who wrote the book ‘The Mikhail Lermontov Enigma’, which discussed many of the ‘facts’ surrounding this mysterious sinking?8. Who ran Cape Jackson Radio at the time of the sinking? 9. Where was the Lermontov built?10. Where was the Lermontov’s Port of Registry?

We believe we run great courses and provide exceptional training. We also believe the ultimate purpose of doing courses is to go diving and have fun.Unsurprisingly we’ve found that having done a course with us most students want to do another - so we’ve put together a great incentive scheme for you and your mates.

Refer a friend and you both benefit!Refer a friend and when they sign up for one of our certification classes we will give you $50 off your next Tech Dive NZ course.And because your friends will want to go diving after their course, you get to give them a $50 voucher for an OceanBlue trip to the Poor Knights Islands – the best subtropical diving in the world!And there is no limit to how many friends you can refer AND no limit to how many vouchers you can use per course. E.g. refer 6 friends and get $300 off your next course!

Check out our website for full terms & conditions

$100 BONUSReferral a friend scheme

QUICK QUIZHow much do you know about......?

1. 1986, 2. Capt Don Jamison, 3. Captain Vladislav Vorobyov, 4. Cape Jackson, 5. Port Gore, 6. 12m, 7. Michael Guerin, 8. The Baker family, 9. Wismar, East Germany, 10. Leningrad




De-

mys

tifyi

ng te

ch e

quip

men

t: ca

nist

er li

ghts period to reset before being re-ignited. The ballast

in an HID lighting system provides the proper starting voltage to strike and maintain the arc, and it regulates the proper current to the lamp once the arc is established. Ballasts are not interchangeable among different types of HID lamps.

LED lamps can produce a comparable brightness to HID and at a fraction of the power consumption. They also do not require ballasts and are far more robust than HID bulbs - hence the majority of new lights being developed use this technology. However, at present HID still has the edge in terms of sheer ‘punch’ through the water and ability to focus the beam - which is why HID remains the lamp of choice for many serious explorers.

AccessoriesWhilst there are several accessories which can be added to canister lights eg belt loops, scooter rings, back-up knives etc. the main consideration should be a solid Goodman handle. This allows you to use the light whilst not tying up one hand. Another possible option are EO cords which allow for lights to be disconnected and reconnected whilst underwater. EO cords can be particularly useful for quickly swapping out broken light heads whilst on expedition or using the battery pack to power underwater heating vests or lighting for cameras.

When choosing your light you should also check out the materials it’s made from (for durability) the pressure the unit is rated to (100m+ minimum) and the availability of spare parts. (Nothing survives boat trips, caves, wrecks and novice divers for very long!)

MaintenanceFinally if you are going to spend lots of money on a high quality canister light please make sure that you maintain it well. First of all - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. It amazes me how many people do not do this! Make sure you follow the recommendations for battery storage - in general do not store the battery discharged and do not deeply discharge the battery. You should check that your light comes with a good quality smart charger as this will help to keep the battery in good condition. Additionally you should also regularly burn test your battery. This requires a volt meter and a timer. Over time the burn time on all batteries reduces - so if you plan on using your light in the overhead environment you should know the current state of your battery. Nothing is more disappointing than getting to a new room inside a wreck and your light dying on you!

Our vision is the sense through which we receive the most information about the world. In order for our eyes to see properly we need light. Once we enter the overhead environment we require artificial light and the more light we have the better we will see and generally the more enjoyment we will gain. In my experience divers who truly appreciate the need for lots of light choose a canister light; so what options do you have?

Well... The three major considerations for most divers are brightness, burn time and cost. I cannot help with your budget so let’s discuss the other two. In general, brightness depends on the lamp and burn time depends on a combination of the battery and the lamp. Simply put - As brightness increases burn-time decreases. As battery size increases burn time increases.

Battery typesHistorically SLA (sealed lead acid) and NICAD batteries have both been used, but these were superseded sometime ago by NiMH (Nickel-metal Hydride). Currently various Lithium based options are being tested by many Manufacturers. Generally such innovation is driven by the demands for ever greater power and ever smaller battery volume.

Lamp typeThe main two types of lamps currently in use are HID and LED. Additionally, the odd halogen light still survives.

HID vs LED lampsHigh Intensity Discharge lamps produce a brilliant white light, while drawing a fraction of the power of a halogen lamp. When first ignited they produce only 5% of their output, requiring 15-20 secs to produce full output. Also, if power to the lamp is lost or turned off the light must be allowed a brief

Each newsletter we focus on a piece of tech-diving equipment which you may not have come across in the recreational diving world. This month we look at:

CANISTER LIGHTS




August 3rdBurgen Tough Guy and Gal Challenge - Rotorua

Only one of two of us have done this mud-tastic obstacle course race for the last few years, but this year we have a committed group up for the challenge. So far we have entries from both the Auckland and Wellington diving communities - so who else wants to join us?

Check out www.eventpromotions.co.nz

And if you can’t make this one we also have TDNZ competitors in several other challenging races this year:

3rd November - Auckland Marathon7th December - ‘The Goat’, Mount Ruapehu

GUE DPV 1 classes

We have scheduled our first two GUE scooter classes for NZ:

7-9th August (Wed-Fri)23-25th August (Fri-Sun)

GUE Fundamentals class dates:

4-8th September [Auckland]24-28th October [Auckland]6-10th November [Wellington]

Dia

ry

On demandCavern & Cave Diving Live-aboards

The Poor Knights is the perfect place to start your cave or cavern diving career, offering a wide variety of potential sites: Taravana, Scary Cave, Mine Shaft, Big-Eye Cave, Shark-Fin, Air Bubble and more. Together with OceanBlue we have spent the last few years scouring the islands, exploring every crack, crevice, cavern and cave. Join us for a long weekend and complete your TDI cavern or cave diver qualification. Courses are run on demand; please contact us for details.

No one else offers anything as exciting as this!

Next trip: 24-27th September

Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it.Burmese saying

And finally, a little inspiration to see you through the day

Dive classes

SCOOTER SAFARISExplore the unseen Poor Knights!

Saturday 31st August / Sunday 1st SeptemberSaturday 12th October / Sunday 13th October

Do you like to explore? Do you wonder ‘what’s around the next corner?’ Do you want to see the sights no one else ever gets to?

Many areas of the Poor Knights never get dived - but no more - we can now access the entire islands!Imagine getting dropped off at your usual dive site, exploring at will around the Poor Knights and then getting picked up almost 5km away from where you started! Imagine how many new areas you can see, areas everyone else can only dream of. Use one of our brand new, sleek and powerful Halcyon T16 scooters and really get your diving moving.

SCOOTER SAFARIS

tech dive nz newsletter: q2, 2013

Documents