Scuba Diving - December 2014 USA

26 TOP
PICKS FROM
SCUBALAB
GEAR YEAR
OF
THE
PAGE 60
PLUS:
SNEAK PEEK
AT WHATS
NEW & HOT
SCUBA
D
BEST OF
2014
OUR FAVORITE
DIVE SPOTS,
ADVENTURES,
& MORE
WIN A MASK
PAGE 9
COLD-WATER
WETSUITS
PAGE 66
DIVE LIGHTS
PAGE 65
REGULATORS
PAGE 63
PAGE 29
BCs
PAGE 64
DIVE COMPUTERS
PAGE 62
DIVING
NAKED
IN LITTLE
CAYMAN
PAGE 20
THE
SEA HERO
OF THE
YEAR IS
PAGE 13
scubadiving.com // November/December 2014
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CONTENTS
NOV/DEC 2014
VOL . 23
ISSUE 8
scubadiving.com
1
TALK
Editors Letter 8
Win This 9
SECRET SPOT 10
CURRENTS 13
What Its Like 20
DRIVE AND DIVE 22
29
Best of Scuba Diving 2014 From travel and
advanced adventures to innovation and conservation,

were taking a look back at our favorite stories and
photos from the past year.
54
Advanced Adventure: Cave Country
Sidemount diving in the Dominican Republics

secret cenotes is no easy feat but if youre up to
the challenge, the risk is worth the reward.
60
ScubaLab:
Gear of the
Year After a
TRAINING
Imaging+ 70
Lessons for Life 72
Ask an Expert 74
LOOK 82
84
year of rigorous
testing, we
present the best
gear 2014 had
to oer. A BY
ROGER ROY
Scuba Diving (ISSN 1553-7919) is published eight times per year (J/F, M/A, May, Jul, S/O, N/D, w/ bonus issues in June and August) by Bonnier Corp., 460 N. Orlando Ave.,
Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Vol. 23, No. 8, Nov/Dec 2014. Periodicals postage paid in Winter Park, FL, and additional ofces. Subscription rate for one year (eight
issues): U.S., $21.97; Canada, $30.97; all other foreign countries, $39.97. U.S. funds only. Contents copyright 2014 by Bonnier Corp. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
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scubadiving.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 4
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: CARLOS SUAREZ; COURTESY NUYTCO RESEARCH; FRANCO BANFI; MICHAEL KRAUS;
JORI BOLTON (ILLO); JOSE ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ; GREG LECOEUR; RAFFAELE LIVORNESE; VIKTOR LYAGUSHKIN
ON THE COVER
Heres our idea of a
dream diver, outtted
in ScubaLabs 2014
Gear of the Year. Look
inside for the lowdown
on these pieces
and more.
Photograph by
Zach Stovall
A R G UID
GE
1
20
PO
RT
DIVER
SCUBALAB
PICK
EDITOR
2011
TESTERS
CHOICE
GEAR UP, DIVE IN,

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Editorial Email edit@scubadiving.com
Editorial
Patricia Wuest E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F
Mary Frances Emmons D E P U T Y E D I T O R
Ashley Annin M A N A G I N G E D I T O R
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Contributors
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TALK
EDITORS NOTE
LET TERS
WIN THIS
scubadiving.com
A Labor of Love
THE EDITORS OF SCUBA DIVING BRING YOU THE BEST OF 2014
or the 17th annual publication

of Best Gear of the Year, we
decided to celebrate an entire
year of bests. Creating the content became a labor of love for Scubas
talented, indefatigable not to mention fun-loving sta. In fact, this
team stamps its passion for diving on
every issue it produces. There is not
one piece of content that 1 Deputy
Editor Mary Frances Emmons does
not touch, from writing many of the
features to editing the rest of them. The
amazing choices in design and photography made by 2 Art Director
Monica Alberta and 3 Photo Editor Kristen McClarty make us wish
we were diving instead of looking at our
computer screens. 4 Managing Editor Ashley Annin is the glue who holds
it all together and a jack-of-all-trades,
from tweeting (@scubadivingmag) to
ensuring every headline, caption, and
image is in place. 5 Roger Roy and
his test team bring a meticulous, rigorous approach to gear testing that
is ScubaLabs hallmark. 6 Digital
Content Editor Alex Bean along
with 7 Becca Hurley and 8 Martin
Kuss makes scubadiving.com
shine, and produces our four monthly
e-newsletters. Copy Editor Cindy
Martin (not pictured) has a graceful
touch as our grammar cop, and Production Director Alicia Rivera (not
pictured) manages to keep a sense of
humor while making printing deadlines.
They are the best in the business, and
Im grateful for their contributions in
creating another stellar issue.
1
7
5
6
8
9 Patricia Wuest, Editor-in-Chief
>LET
T E R S
<
many more dives together and the

Jaws Blu-ray disc were sending you.
N O V/ D E C W I N N E R
A Readers Lessons for Life
OPPOSITE: ZACH STOVALL (2)
Full Circle
As a military brat, we lived in many
places while I was growing up, including Guam, where my dad, two brothers
and I became certied divers.
I now travel overseas for a living. My
eldest daughter was certied in Singapore, and when we moved to Japan,
we took a family vacation to Guam.
As we waited at Gunn Beach, the site
of my very rst checkout dive some 30
years before, tears lled my eyes looking at my daughter. She asked what
was wrong, and I told her that I dove
here as a 13-year-old and now, 30 years
later, I was standing on the same beach,
with my daughter, ready to dive.
It was one of the 10 best moments
of life. Thanks for bringing back great
memories. JOEL W. HUNT > Tyumen, Russia
I have been diving in Cozumel for

more than 30 years, have 500 dives,
and started solo diving about seven
years ago. Before my last trip to Coz, I
decided to order a Spare Air.
On my rst solo dive, I swam to a
ledge known for eagle rays. As I hovered above the ledge, the rays appeared,
but as I dropped down, I was swept
over the edge by a down-draft current.
I inated my BC to slow my descent,
but nothing helped. I had no time to
dump my weights. I knew I had to stop
Win
This!
my descent, so I started clawing my way

up the wall. I took a breath and felt that
terrible feeling when you realize you
have no air left. I grabbed my Spare
Air and took my rst breath from it.
At that point, I was still 120 feet down
I would have only one or two more
breaths. My last breath was at 60 feet,
and then I kicked for my life, popped
to the surface and took a huge breath.
I was lucky no DCS. My
computer showed a max depth of
205 feet. I lost all my air because as I
inated my BC to stop the descent, all
the air was pouring out the dump valve.
Thank you, Spare Air. MARK KAY >
Pinellas County, Florida
IST SPORTS SPEAR MASK

Let us know what you think about this issue,
and you could win an IST Sports SMP204
Spear dual-lens mask with an exceptional field of view and soft skirt. Write to
us at edit@scubadiving.com or post on our
Facebook wall.
Joel, we loved your letter, and we

hope you and your daughter enjoy
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Mystic World
UNIQUE BEAUTY AWAITS AT THE
PEARL OF TYROL
Located not far from Sameranger

Lake in Tyrol, Austria, is the
otherworldly Lake Fernsteinsee.
The delicate algae and plants covering the lakes bottom take years to
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to those with excellent buoyancy
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has visibility of more than 130 feet,
allowing divers to appreciate the
logs, fallen trees and plants that
make up this mystical world. Its an
underwater experience unlike
anywhere else.
GO NOW FERNSTEINSEE.AT
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEA LEE
CURRENTS
of the
>2014 W I N N E R
year
<
Ken Nedimyer
Passion and dedication help a father/daughter project grow into
one of the worlds biggest coral-restoration programs
COURTESY DAVID GROSS
Ken Nedimyer is no stranger to awards.

The lanky, laconic former sh collector
was named a CNN Hero in 2012 for
his success in fostering and transplanting baby corals as a way to conserve
Floridas threatened reefs.
Today hes being named Sea Hero
of the Year by Scuba Diving and Oris
Watches USA and that simple, original idea has taken root beyond his wildest
imaginings. Nurseries created using Nedimyers techniques have birthed more
than 50,000 new corals from Florida
to Bonaire to Colombia and soon,
Nedimyer hopes well beyond.
Pretty impressive for an idea that
began as a high school project for
Nedimyer and his daughter.

It became a consuming passion, to
try to nd ways to protect and restore
coral reefs, Nedimyer told Scuba Diving
in 2012. He founded the Coral Restoration Foundation (coralrestoration.org) as
a result of that passion.
Divers whove experienced a nursery
which includes pretty much any
diver willing to come to Key Largo
or one of the satellite nurseries and be
trained to participate will nd that
easy to understand. Helping Nedimyer
prune teenage corals at a nursery site
and transport them to nearby reefs for
planting feels like a sacred act, an
almost religious experience for those
GET INVOLVED Coralrestoration.org is the place to find out more about

who we are, what we do and where were going, says Sea Hero of the Year
Ken Nedimyer. From there you can connect with us on Facebook or Twitter,
and for some of the more traditional people (like me), you can sign up for our
monthly newsletter. For divers who want to get more involved, Coral Restoration
Foundation has limited space available at Bonaires Buddy Dive Resort for a coral
planting in December. Contact coralrestoration.org for details.
People of action, devoted to

protecting the planets oceans
and marine life through conservation, technology or by simply
helping others. If you spot a Sea
Hero, join Scuba Diving, Oris and
the 2014 Sea Heroes program
by nominating him or her at
scubadiving.com/seaheroes
CURRENTS
the award money so
we could start programs in more than
one country.
An engaged community of real divers
is the heart and soul of
the Sea Hero awards,
sponsored by Oris
Watches. We are
delighted to honor
Ken Nedimyer as the
2014 Sea Hero of the
Year for his work in coral reef restoration, says V.J. Geronimo, CEO, North
America, at Oris Watches USA. As in
past years, it was dicult to choose just
one winner, when each of our Sea Heroes
has done tremendous work this years
causes included coral-reef conservation,
protection for manta rays from Hawaii
to Indonesia, and battling the lionsh
WE AT ORIS
WATCHES
ARE PROUD
TO BE THE
SPONSOR OF
THE SEA HEROES
PROGRAM.
V.J. Geronimo, CEO, North
America, Oris Watches USA
invasion in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

We at Oris Watches continue to be
strong supporters of marine conservation and are proud to be the sponsor
of the Sea Heroes program, now in its
fourth year, Geronimo says. These
individuals have made seless contributions to the marine environment and
personify real people.
What is a Sea Hero? The Sea Heroes award is sponsored by Scuba Diving and Oris Watches.
Each Sea Hero featured in Scuba Diving receives an Oris Aquis Date watch. At the end of the
year, a panel of judges selects an overall winner, who receives a $5,000 award from Oris Watches to further his or her work. Nominate a Sea Hero at scubadiving.com/nominate-seaheroes.
COURTESY ORIS WATCHES USA
who care about the future of our

ocean planet.
For Nedimyer, divers who care are
the linchpin of that future. I believe an
engaged recreational-dive community is
going to make a huge dierence in the
health of our oceans over the coming
decades, so its quite an honor to be recognized by the community as the Sea
Hero of the Year, Nedimyer says.
The $5,000 prize awarded by Oris
Watches to the Sea Hero of the Year
will help ensure that future. Nedimyer
plans to use the prize as seed money to
help start a new reef-restoration program, most likely in the Caribbean.
We have been approached by
several dierent groups throughout
the Caribbean that are interested in
starting a restoration program in their
area, and in many cases, the lack of
nancial support is what is keeping us
from starting.
Ever the campaigner, Nedimyer
challenges all of us to get involved:
I would hope that some of your
readers will be interested in matching
Gravitation is not responsible

for people falling in love.
NEWTON
Yes we already know that Newton is elegant with its mineral glass face and
rubber strap with stainless steel buckles. Yes we are aware that Newton is
precise, light and offers visual and auditory alarms, and a backlit display in a
48 mm case diameter. We also want you to realize that Newton has the largest
screen for a dive watch computer in the world, which simplifies the use and the
comprehension of every data you might need in and out of the water. There is a
lot more to learn about Newton. Get more info at www.cressi.com
www.cressi.com
MADE IN ITALY
Follow us:
BLACK/GREY
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Hard-wearing premium materials

and heavy-duty reinforced case
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Stunning, compact design
Largest Screen design
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CURRENTS
5 TIPS FOR
COMPASS
NAVIGATION
BY TRAVIS MARSHALL
Underwater navigation is one of the

most important dive skills, but its also
one of the hardest to master. If you
dont know your lubber line from your
bezel, use our compass-navigation
cheat sheet to help find your way.
Sending Out an SOS

Gobies come to the rescue when corals send out
distress signals BY CAROLINE GLENN
oral reefs are in danger due to

a number of threats pollution, overshing, climate
change but seaweed as a deadly
adversary? Corals crying out for
help? And 4-inch-long gobies as
superheroes? The answer is yes
to all three questions.
Corals compete with seaweed
for sunlight and real estate and
some seaweeds are poisonous to the
invertebrates. The corals communicate the threat, and gobies arrive
like underwater caped crusaders.
When coral colonies are depleted,
toxic algae begin to grow, bleaching and drying out the tissues of the
corals. However, a recent study by
Danielle Dixson, assistant professor
and coral reef ecologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has
revealed that the corals send out a
chemical cue, or a sort of chemical
distress call, that wafts through the
water, luring gobies.
We found that when the coral
is in contact with the algae and
has a coral goby living within the
branches, the coral is not as aected

by the algae, Dixson says. This is
because the goby is actually acting like a lawn mower, trimming
the algae back so it is no longer in
contact with the coral.
Dixson and her team exposed
a coral colony without residential
gobies to the toxic algae. She then
pulled water from three dierent
points: the algae alone, the contact point between the coral and
algae, and the coral with all traces
of algae removed. After separately
injecting the samples into a coral
containing gobies, she found that
the sh did not move toward the
water taken from the algae alone,
but were drawn to the water taken
from the contact point and coral
alone in a matter of minutes.
This last test shows that the
corals are releasing compounds to
call in the gobies help, Dixson
says. Gobies usually settle in a
single coral for their entire lives, so
its in their best interest to keep their
habitats clean.
1 Line it up.
Point the long
line on your
compass
the lubber
line in the
direction you
want to swim,
and make sure
your body
is pointed
in the same
direction.
2 Take a
heading. Rotate
the bezel the
spinning wheel
on top of the
compass until
the two hatch
marks sit over
the tip of the
north arrow. As
you swim, watch
to make sure
the north arrow
stays between
those marks.
3 Proper
positioning. Hold
the compass flat
and in line with
your body at
all times. If you
get off-course,
turn your whole
body, not just
the compass,
until your
heading is back
on track.
4 Avoid tunnel
vision. Look
up and around
periodically
to keep an
eye on your
surroundings. If
there is a current
or heavy surge,
you can be pushed
off-course, even
if your heading
stays true.
5 Happy returns.
To return to your
starting point,
turn your body
until the north
arrow points at
the single hatch
mark on the
opposite side of
the bezel and
follow steps
1 to 4 on
the reciprocal
heading home.
FROM LEFT: COURTESY DANIELLE DIXSON; CHRIS A. CRUMLEY/ALAMY
Scientists believe that gobies

like this Gobiodon histrio
respond to chemical cues
emitted by corals threatened
by poisonous seaweed.
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CURRENTS
>CRIT
T E R
H U N T
<
Little Fish, Big Splash

Finding a new species of goby leads to more marine discoveries
efore scuba diving, the study of

marine life revolved around bottled specimens obtained by line, net
and dredge. These primitive techniques
left behind all types of animals for todays
explorers. More and more often, divers
and cameras are playing important roles
in locating new species.
As an example, Anna received an
email with a sh photo just taken in
Ambon, Indonesia, by a diver requesting identication help. His image of a
nifty little goby perched in the folds of
a lacy bryozoan immediately got our
attention. It was a species we had neither encountered underwater nor seen
in guidebooks. By chance, we received
the message while en route to Ambon

on a liveaboard. It is always a thrill to
have a new animal to hunt for, especially
such a unique creature. The critter hunters on board inspected every colony of
lacy bryozoan they sighted during our

voyage to Ambon, but without success.
Things changed after we sailed into
Ambon Harbor. On our rst dive in
the famed muck sites lining the harbors
northern shore, we found the tennisball-size bryozoan colonies far more
common than during our trip. And sure
enough, almost immediately we began
spying tiny heads of half-inch gobies
peeking out from the lace. Photos were
forwarded to an ichthyologist in Australia, who conrmed that the goby was
probably not only scientically undescribed, but also possibly represented a
new genus a big deal in the sh world.
From the gobies matching colors and
markings, it appears to be a symbiotic
species living only in association with
lacy bryozoans. Often discoveries lead
to discoveries. Our poking around for
gobies led us to three symbiotic invertebrates also living within the convoluted
colonies: a snapping shrimp, a top snail
and a crab with Joe Palooka claws like
the goby, all three possibly new to science.
By Ned and Anna DeLoach
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W H AT
I T S
L I K E
... To Dive Naked

A BY DOTTIE BENJAMIN, AS TOLD TO BROOKE MORTON
Diving naked didnt start as my idea.

I was working on a Belize-based
liveaboard when two female customers asked if Id help them skinny dive. I
said, Sure, I guess we could gure out
a way to do it.
As I said this, I was thinking, Shoot,
that sounds like fun. So I joined them.
We waited for all the other customers
to nish their normal dive, and when
they were back on the boat, we jumped
in. We skipped the wetsuits, wearing
just swimsuits, until we reached the
sandy bottom. There, we took o ns
and BCs, stripped naked, then put our
BCs and ns back on. That was a hoot.
Its fun youre naked, and the sh
are naked.
Then I came to work at Reef Divers at
the Little Cayman Beach Resort. There
was already a standing joke among
the divemasters that when you reach a
100th dive, youre supposed to plunge in
naked. Id seen a few guests follow the
tradition, so I gured, Shoot, if they
can, so can I.
But I dont celebrate every 100th
that would be too many. I show skin
every 1,000 dives. And there was certainly a learning curve. The rst time,
Im hanging o the wall with my fullfoot ns tucked under my arm. I got my
bottoms o no problem, but I couldnt
get them back on. I couldnt stop laughing hysterically, but I was also nervous
that if anything happened, I would be
in so much trouble with my mother. I
pictured headlines about a naked girl
found in the Caymans! From then
on, I made sure that my skinny dives
were at sites with sandy patches where
re-dressing is much easier.
Then one year, I asked a female guest
to snap my photo. I did my thing and
appeared around a coral head. I ashed
open my Diva BC to show my ladies.
This woman taking the photo signaled
that I should pose one more time. Again
I open the jacket, and the next thing
I know, my boobs are being squeezed
so hard! The photo captured just how
shocked I was and how tightly this
guy had grabbed me. Unbeknownst
to me, a 70-something customer had
snuck up behind to goose me. When
we were back on the boat, he tipped me
a $100 bill. Then he thanked me for the
best dive of his life.
COURTNEY PLATT
CURRENTS
GIVING YOU A DIFFERENT DIVE SITE FOR

EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. THATS CAYMANKIND.
WWW.DIVECAYMAN.KY
GRAND CAYMAN CAYMAN BRAC LITTLE CAYMAN

A WORLD AWAY. JUST ONE HOUR FROM MIAMI.
ISLAND: GRAND CAYMAN | SITE NAME: AMPHITRITE, SIREN OF SUNSET HOUSE REEF | PHOTO BY: STEPHEN FRINK
DRIVE AND DIVE
The wheelhouse of the artificial reef LuLu, sunk in 2013, is an interesting mix of structure and fish aquarium.
Bama
Girl
The freighter LuLu off

Orange Beach has local divers
cheering for their artificial reefs
BY PATRICIA WUEST
PHOTOS BY LILA HARRIS
Divemasters John Rice and Cheynne

Milan are as excited as two Alabama
football fans who have just been told that
the Crimson Tide has rolled to its 16th
national championship.
I was on the rst trip we took customers to the LuLu, Rice says. I had
opening-day jitters. I probably have
about 80 dives on her, and theres always
something surprising to see. I cant wait
to dive it today.
I got to see it right after the day it
was put down, Milan chimes in. We
get to see it grow.
Despite the gray skies, their
enthusiasm is contagious. Were aboard
the 46-foot Down Under and have just

pulled out from SanRoc Cay Marina in
Orange Beach, Alabama. Down Under
also puts divers on the Oriskany o
Pensacola, Florida. Rice loves that wreck
too, but I love the LuLus shallow depth
and the shorter trip to get to it, he says
of our 90-minute ride. Shes just a great
all-around dive.
With the 888-foot Mighty O in
200 feet of water the ight deck is at
145 Alabama dive operators wanted
to sink a ship that was less daunting to
open-water divers. They got what they
hoped for in LuLu, a 271-foot, steelhulled former coastal freighter originally
DRIVE AND DIVE

Marine life abounds on LuLu, including
Orange Beach
and Gulf
Shores, Ala.
ITINERARY
check in at the
Fairfield Inn &
Suites Orange
Beach (starting
at $99 per night,
schooling spadefish (opposite).
Tourism, is making the dive with us.

Having played a part in sinking the
LuLu, shell always have a special place
in my heart, Wright tells me. I walked
that ship from bow to stern while she
was topside, and now I have the privilege
of seeing her grow as a dive site with new
marine life on each trip. Shes getting
person. Then
eat dinner
at Nolans
Restaurant &
Lounge on Gulf
Shores Parkway
in Gulf Shores
(nolans
restaurant.com).
DAY After
2 making a
DAY Rent tanks
1 from Down
Under Dive Shop

(downunder
diveshop.com)
and make a
shore dive on
the Perdido
Pass Jetties at
Alabama Point.
After the dive,
depending on
season; fairfield
orangebeach
.com). Book a
90-minute
sunset dolphin
cruise with
Cetacean
Cruises
(cetaceancruises
.com) for $15 per
two-tank morning dive on LuLu,

plan lunch at the
laid-back marina bar and grill
Tacky Jacks
(tackyjacks
.com). You cant
go wrong when
you can get
shrimp every
way (peel-
em-yourself,
tons of snapper of all sorts.

Wright is not just whistling Dixie.
After tying up, we drop down and nd
the wreck smothered in schools of sh.
On our way to the wheelhouse, we pop
into the cargo hold, which is in about
90 feet of water, and measures 200 feet
long and 28 feet deep. We watch a moon
DAY Eat brunch
3 at the Brick
firecracker,
pickled and in a
salad). Just
before sunset,
dive the Whiskey
Wreck, approximately 150 yards
from the public
beach.
Make lateevening
dinner reservations
at Fishers
at Orange
Beach
Marina
(fishersobm
.com). This is
casual, open-air
dining with a
view of the
water or gardens, and the
fish tacos rock.
& Spoon
restaurant on
Canal Road in
Orange Beach
(brickandspoon
restaurant.com)
for inventive
Cajun- and
Creole-inspired
dishes. Then
make a relaxing
afternoon dive
on 3 Mile Barge,
or schedule
a zip-lining,
paddle-boarding or kayaking
excursion with
Gulf Adventure
Center at Gulf
State Park
(gulfadventure
center.com).
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SHUTTERSTOCK (2); COURTESY FISHERS
named Yokamu. Purpose-sunk on May

26, 2013, LuLu sits upright on a 115-foot
sand bottom; its picturesque wheelhouse
tops out at a rec-diver-friendly 60 feet.
Orange Beach is my home, and Im
proud when I hear divers talk about
their experience on LuLu, says Vince
Lucido, president of the Alabama Gulf
Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation. The foundation, the state of
Alabama, the cities of Orange Beach
and Gulf Shores, Baldwin County
Commissioners and private investor
Mac McAleer were instrumental in
raising and donating the $500,000 necessary for successfully sinking the ship
17 nautical miles o Perdido Pass.
A sprinkly rain has started, but the
seas are calm on the October morning
we make our dives. On the ride out, as
divers and crew settle into conversations, I ask Rice about the dive prole.
Well tie up to the bow, he says. On
your rst dive, you can start inside the
cargo hold, but on your second, youll
want to head to the wheelhouse where
there are lots of levels to explore.
Chandra Wright, a former attorney
who is now the nature tourism specialist at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
DRIVE AND DIVE

rst put down, but its still discernible.
BE YOND LULU
of white sand and clear waters, and

a delightfully fun wreck to explore,
Orange Beach and Gulf Shores
is poised to become a hot spot for
Southeast divers. And LuLu is just the
beginning: The state plans to establish
Alabama is home to one of the largest

articial-reef programs in the world,
with more than 17,000 reefs
covering 1,200 square miles.
There are hundreds of barges,
Three miles offshore is the
army tanks from the Vietnam
aptly named 3 Mile Barge.
War era, oil rigs, and limestone
reef pyramids o its coast.
Typical among the sites
visited by Orange Beach divecharter companies is 3 Mile
Barge, named for its location 3 miles south of Perdido
Pass. This inshore artificial
reef lies in just 37 feet of water.
Although it lacks the drama
of LuLu, the barge provides
structure for small sea fans. If
youve got keen eyesight, you
might see a amingo tongue hiding in more nearshore snorkeling opportunities
the branches, Chandra Wright says. and will sink another ship by 2016.
Theres an abundance of sh species, Though no agreements have been made
from juveniles to adults, so be prepared yet, were looking at another vessel now,
to spend your surface interval debat- says Lucido.
ing your buddy on sh ID. Indeed, the
Now that were Bama wreck-diving
variety of sh in Alabama waters rivals fans, we cant wait for it to become
the Caribbean amberjack, Atlan- reality and help celebrate its sinking.
tic spadesh, queen angelsh, spotted
drum, gag grouper and red snapper were
To nd the best dive sites, shops, operators
and more near you all on a handy locator
among the sh we saw.
map visit scubadiving.com/dive-local.
With 32 miles of gorgeous stretches
NEED TO KNOW
WHEN TO GO
Alabama is great to
visit year-round,
though the diving is
most comfortable
between April and
October. Air temps
are in the 90s during
summer months;
September offers a
combination of
warm water, fewer
tourists and lower
hotel rates.
DIVE
CONDITIONS When
we visited in
October, the water
was remarkably
ALABAMA
warm and
there was
Orange Beach
no noticeable
Gulf Shores
3 Mile
current. In
Barge
Whiskey
summer, water
Wreck
temperatures
Gulf of Mexico
average in the
LuLu
mid- to upper
80s; December
OPERATOR
upper-deck seating,
through March
Down Under Dive
freshwater showers,
temps are from low
Shop (downunder
two camera tables,
60s to low 70s.
diveshop.com)
and a roomy dive
Water clarity tends
offers charters
deck. Down Unders
to be better on
aboard a 46-foot
marina, SanRoc Cay,
deeper sites, with an
Newton with two
is on Perdido Beach
average of about
large dive ladders,
Boulevard in
50 feet.
plenty of storage,
Orange Beach.
ISL
KEY W
EST
BIG PINE KEY & THE LOWER KEYS
MARA
THO
AM
OR
RG
LA
Y
KE
Dive at least one designated reef in each of the five regions in

The Florida Keys, and youll receive a poster certifying that youre
an official Florida Keys Reef Explorer. Whether youre a novice
or experienced diver, it never hurts to toot your own horn.
fla-keys.com/diving
DA
The Reef Explorer Challenge.

Sound the trumpets.
Dive Key West, Inc.

Keys premiere dive shop. 44th year.
Custom dive pkgs. Call today.
800-426-0707 or 305-296-3823
divekeywest.com
Hilton Key Largo Resort

A secluded island retreat with breathtaking
surroundings, an hour from Miami.
888-871-3437 or 305-852-5553
keylargoresort.com
Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost, Islamorada

Beachside Resort & Bayside Townhomes
with boat slips. Full kitchens & free WIFI.
800-753-6002 or 305-664-2031
guyharveyoutpostislamorada.com
Holiday Inn Key Largo

Located next to deep-water marina.
Spacious guest rooms. Restaurant on-site.
866-733-8554 or 305-451-2121
holidayinn.com/keylargo
Amy Slates Amoray Dive Resort, Key Largo

Waterfront rooms/pool/beach/scuba/snorkel instr.
& boat charters. 3/nt, 2/dive pkgs from $285 ppdo.
305-451-3595 or 800-426-6729
amoray.com
Halls Diving Center & Career Institute, Marathon

Beautiful Wreck and Reef diving. Lessons for
starters and Career Training for professionals.
Great fun at Halls. Come see us.
800-331-4255 or 305-743-5929
hallsdiving.com
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The Aqua Lung PRO HD features:
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ROW ONE, FROM LEFT: CARLOS SUAREZ; GREG LECOEUR, ROW TWO, FROM LEFT: TANYA G. BURNETT; FRANCO BANFI, ROW THREE, FROM LEFT: RAFFAELE LIVORNESE; WAYNE MACWILLIAMS; CARLOS SUAREZ; JO-ANN WILKINS,
ROW 4, FROM LEFT: MICHAEL AW; COURTESY NUYTCO RESEARCH; FRANCO BANFI; GREG LECOEUR, ROW FIVE, FROM LEFT: STEVE JONES; SHUTTERSTOCK; VIKTOR LYAGUSHKIN
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
Oh, the places weve been! (And the places weve sent you, dear
divers.) For our nal issue of 2014, we wanted to take one last look
at all the fabulous diving that was from wrecks to reefs to critters
galore, from Baja to Bali to Bonaire, through the lenses of the worlds best
shooters. Turn the page to see if our favorite dive stories were yours too.
CURRENTS p. 30 // LIVEABOARDS p. 32 // COVERS p. 36 // ADVANCED ADVENTURES p. 38 // PHOTOGRAPHY p. 42 // TOP 100 p. 51

2014
BEST
To read more, visit our site

at scubadiving.com.
OF
SCUBA
I
CURRENTS
CONSERVATION
Sea Change
It is estimated that during the course
of its lifetime, a single manta ray can
generate $1 million in eco-tourism. Yet
at Indonesias largest fishery, Tanjung
Luar, mantas relatives of sharks are
being butchered and sold for $365. Fortunately, conservationists are working to
collect data on the devastating effects of
the fishery while educating local villagers about the profitability of aquaculture
and tourism. Peter Bassett, co-founder
of Project Momentum a collaboration
between Gili Eco Trust and Aquatic Alliance is optimistic that villagers can
be taught to protect the rays. Through
education, a true appreciation for the
intrinsic value of their seas can be cultivated, along with the awareness of the
need for management, preservation and
protection, Bassett says.
SUNK IN 2014
BY BROOKE MORTON
The newest artificial reefs across the globe
THETIS,
1 LADY
LIMA SSOL , C Y PRUS
On Feb. 22, the south

coast of Cyprus gained
the 99-foot-long
pleasure cruiser, Lady
Thetis. The vessel sits at
an average depth of 70
feet, making it accessible
to most divers.
HTMS KLEDKAEO,
2 PHI
PHI, THAIL AND
The HTMS Kledkaeo
served nearly 60 years
as a supply ship in the

Royal Thai Navy before
being sunk on March 19.
The 155-foot vessel sits
in 39 to 85 feet of water
and is prone to currents.
HAILEY GLASRUD,
STUART, FLORIDA
Formerly the cargo ship

Dm One, the 220-foot
freighter Hailey Glasrud
was sunk off the coast of
Stuart, Florida, on April
24. Its for tec divers,
though the smokestack

is at 103 feet.
VOODOO JE TS ,
4
PANAMA CIT Y
BE ACH, FLORIDA
On June 27, two F101
Voodoo Air Force jets
were sunk as artificial
reefs off Panama
City Beach, Florida, at
76 feet. One of the jets is
upright as planned; the
other flipped during the
underwater landing.
SUPER REEFS,
5
ME XICO CIT Y
BE ACH, FLORIDA
On
April 1, six super-reefs
concrete-and-limestone
structures that mimic
real reefs were sunk by
Walter Marine in Mexico
City Beach, Florida.
FROM TOP: SHUTTERSTOCK; COURTESY WALTER MARINE GROUP. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: COURTESY NUYTCO RESEARCH;
SHUTTERSTOCK (2); MASA USHIODA/SEAPICS
The Superdivers Supersuit

INNOVATION
Capable of reaching depths of 1,000 feet in minutes

and effectively eliminating all symptoms of decompression, the Exosuit is a game-changer for
underwater explorers. The 600-pound metal suit is
basically a submarine that a diver wears, and its next
mission is an archeological dig 200 feet below the
surface in the Aegean Sea.
Off the Greek island Antikythera lies a 2,000-year-old
shipwreck thought to carry artifacts from the era of
Julius Caesar. Working with the Greek Ephorate of
Underwater Antiquities, archeologists from the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution will don the suit to bring
the ships treasures to the surface. Exosuit is equipped
with claws that will allow the wearer to sift through sediment and locate ancient artifacts. The wearer can spend
five hours at the site and resurface without decompression. (It would normally take hours to ascend from that
depth, plus recovery time in a decompression chamber.)
MPAs
PROTECTED
IN
2014
New marine conservation areas
offer hope B Y B R O O K E M O R T O N
CHILE
On Feb. 26, the
pristine waters of
Tic Toc Marine Park
became Chiles
largest marine
protected area at
90,000 hectares.
NEW CALEDONIA
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealands subAntarctic waters
include three new
marine parks as of
March 2. In these
new areas (which
are nesting sites
for penguins), fishing, mining, marine
farming and
petroleum
exploration are
all banned.
On April 23, New

Caledonia created
the Natural Park of
the Coral Sea. The
SARGASSO SEA
On March 12,
government officials from around
the world met to
500,000-squaremile area is the

biggest in the world.
S CO T L A N D
To preserve its
prolific marine life,
Scotland doubled
the size of its
MPAs, which now
cover 12 percent of
Scottish seas.
sign the Hamilton
Declaration on
Collaboration for
the Conservation of
the Sargasso Sea.
This gyre is a hotbed
for free-floating
seaweed, which
nurtures hatchling
loggerhead turtles.
PHOENIX
ISLANDS
The government
of Kiribati decided
on Jan. 29 to close
its Phoenix Islands
Protected Area to
commercial fishing,
effective late 2014.
2014
at scubadiving.com.
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
LIVEABOARDS
G R E AT B A R R I E R
R E E F, A U S T R A L I A
// S E P T/ O C T
REASONS TO DIVE
SPOILSPORT
1 MINKE S
Spoilsport has
a 98 percent success
rate of providing guests
in-water encounters
with dwarf minke
whales during June and
July expeditions.
2 REEF CRIT TERS
Divers have the option

to choose between blubber and reef life, and the
GBR delivers beautifully in
both categories.
3 SUPERB STAFF
Professional,
personable and flexible,
the 12-person crew is
lauded as one of the best
in the business.
Mike Ball has a

passion for underwater
photography, so the ship
is stocked with resources
catering to photographers.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Divers can contribute

to research on dwarf
minke whales by sharing
photos and observations.
Book now: mikeball.com
T U B B ATA H A AT O L L ,
PHILIPPINES
// A U G U S T
5 Reasons to Dive Philippine Siren

1
T U R T L E S Whether at a cleaning station, having a bite to eat or soaring overhead, hawksbill and green sea turtles abound on almost every dive from Siren.
2 D E N S E M A R I N E L I F E The Eden that is Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is teeming
with schooling fish, whitetip reef sharks and, if youre lucky, the occasional
whale shark.
3 CO M F Y C A B I N S Both twin and double-configuration berths have plenty of room,
soft cotton robes, fresh towels, and an in-room computer loaded with movies youll
likely not find time to watch.
4 E XC E L L E N T S E R V I C E Whether its ordering a hot cappuccino, getting a massage on the aft deck or making sure your laundry is clean, the crew is ready to help.
5 F R E E B I E S Among the ships many perks, nitrox, soft drinks and beer are always
free aboard Siren.
Book now: sirenfleet.com
TANYA G. BURNETT (2), OPPOSITE: BRANDON COLE (2)
4 PHOTO FACILITIE S
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
LIVEABOARDS
SEA OF CORTEZ,
M E X I C O // M AY
REASONS TO
DIVE M/V
VALENTINA
1 HAMMERS
Watching
hundreds of
hammerhead sharks
congregate on the ocean
floor will mesmerize
you, but when dozens
of these curvy, sexy
creatures glide through
the water just below
your fins, it will take your
breath away.
2 PL AY FUL SE A LIONS 3 BRE ATHING ROOM

At Los Islotes, the
friendly critters put on
a show full of flips and
pirouettes. If youre
lucky or your tender
captain gives you a
rope the younger
ones will play with you
while their mothers
watch unconcerned.
A
former cruise ship,
the 130-foot Valentina
has 10 cabins and three
generous decks more
than enough space for the
20 passengers on board.
4 CULINARY CRE ATIONS
Traditional Mexican
specialties and succulent
More
Liveaboards
Featured in 2014
LIVE-ABOARD
decorative ags, while others form a
pseudo mustache and goatee as they are
either packed inside the sharks wide
maw or riding upside down underneath
it. There are even remoras stued inside
its spiracles like radical head piercings.
Manuelita is only one of many
electrifying dive sites around Costa Ricas
Cocos Island. This former pirate haven is
340 miles o the Costa Rican mainland
in the eastern Pacic Ocean.
Cocos is the epitome of raw, wilderness
diving. No other location oers the same
dynamic, heart-pounding opportunities
to dive with pelagics such as billsh,
marine mammals, rays and sharks yearround. Its not unusual for divers to see
six
i species
i off sh
sharkk G
Galapagos,
l
scallloped hammerhead, silky, tiger, whale
and whitetip reef on a single dive.
Even marine mammals like bottlenose
dolphin, false killer whales, humpback
whales, killer whales and pilot whales
are no strangers to the underwater playy
ground of Cocos. The most productive
pelagic hot spots are usually Alcyone,
Dirty Rock, Manuelita and Punta Maria.
Hammered!
Okeanos Aggressor takes you on extraordinary dives where the
wild things roam
Hiding in plain sight is my goal as I slowly slip beneath swarming blue-and-gold

snappers and big-scale soldiersh that carpet the boulders on the sloping outer
wall of Manuelita Island. A living camouage of sh swirls about my head, while
the barnacle-laced rock both shields me from the strong current and serves as the
front wall of my makeshift blind. I am not on a rebreather, but the 2-knot current
dissipates my noisy bubbles and quickly carries them away from my quarry.
The objects of my desire are the 100-plus muscular scalloped hammerhead sharks
that are combing the sand at 110 feet, then circling back to busy cleaning stations near
my position at 70 feet. Stealth is essential if I am to ll my viewnder with the elongated head of one of these otherworldly creatures as it stops for industrious barbersh
and king angels to clean mating wounds and similar sensitive areas.
Distractions abound as the minutes tick past. Countless creolesh extend to the
surface, each seeming to dance to its own melody. A ne spotted moray hunts with
four leather bass that stop to investigate

a prickly black sea urchin. Large marble
rays and patrolling whitetip reef sharks
repeatedly cruise past. Just when I start
to feel at ease with the abundant life
encircling me, chaos reigns supreme.
Scalloped hammerheads sweep over
the reef en masse. I re in bursts of two to
three shots as I pan my camera from one
shark to another. The unrelenting action
momentarily overwhelms my senses and
leaves me in awe. Then, emerging from
the haze of the nutrient-rich water, a
25-foot juvenile whale shark takes center
stage. Suddenly heedless, I leave the security of my VIP seating to swim alongside
the largest species of sh in the sea.
This massive whale shark hosts an
astounding number of groupies that
actually resemble the handiwork of some
deranged fashion designer. Remoras
clinging to its prodigious tail look like
Legends of buried pirate booty have

clung to Cocos through the ages.
Though no golden doubloons have
ever been found or, at least, not
publicized small natural treasures
abound on every site. Its so easy to be
xated on the big prizes here that smaller
jewels lie in anonymity. For instance,
Manuelitas protected coral gardens are
home to stately Commersons frogsh
and endemic red or rosy-lipped batsh.
NEED TO KNOW
>
>
>
>
>
Suddenly,
youre in a whole different state of Pools open!
Talk about decompressing!
Looks like Happy Hour!
You dont have to travel to an exotic locale to nd some of the most

unique diving. Just venture out about 17 nautical miles off Orange Beach
into the Gulf to experience the 271-foot freighter, LuLu, resting at depths
accessible enough for beginners, yet challenging enough for advanced
divers. Here, youll nd a whole different state of adventure.
877-852-3615
H A M M E R E D ! // M A R C H /A P R I L
Okeanos Aggressor
Round-trip excursions from San Jose
to Cocos Island, Costa Rica, year-round
scubadiving.com/okeanosaggressor;
aggressor.com
LIVE-ABOARD
Where the
Whales Are
Their song is the soundtrack to your Kona Aggressor II
adventure
The excitement is palpable when we come aboard, from the crew as much as the
guests. Everywhere around us, as soon as we leave the wharf at Kailua-Kona Village,
are humpback whales.
Its mid-February on the Kona Aggressor II,
II sailing the sheltered western side of the
Big Island of Hawaii. This is the time of year when whales come here to calve and
mate humpback, pilot, beaked, sperm in an area where they are jealously protected. Boats cannot approach closer than 100 yards. They cannot cut o a calf from
its mother. They cannot impede the whales movements in any way, or interfere with
their heading. They cannot put divers in the water on top of whales.
But you might just get lucky and see one cruise by while youre underwater. Thats
the secret hope of every diver on the Kona Coast.
Our checkout dive is at a site
nobody expects to be very special;
its mostly a chance for the crew to
assess skills. But something comes
along that makes everybody forget
all about the whales: a 10-foot tiger
shark Shirley to the divemasters, who recognize her. Meeting a
battle-scarred predator face to face
will reset your idea of what counts as a

shark: This is an animal that commands
your full attention. (She didnt share the
feeling, deciding after a quick look that
we werent worth further investigation.)
Next dive we meander around the
same site, until I start hearing a strange
squeaky sound in the distance, like
squealing rubber. It would drop several
registers and sound like a cow, or a wolf,
then rise again in pitch, an arpeggio of
mournful, beautiful, eerie notes. Every
diver rotates slowly in the blue, trying to
pinpoint the direction harder than
youd think underwater. The noises get
loud, then louder.
Suddenly our divemaster, Hale
Tomasson, 29, is furiously scribbling on
his slate. He ips it around:
THEYRE CLOSE
Then he takes o nning madly into
the blue, with most of us swimming
hard behind him. But the calls begin
to weaken, and we quickly abandon the
quest. No whales for us today.
We surface a short while later to a

dripping crew with strangely guilty
looks. There had been whales all right
right under our yacht, in about 50 feet
of water. Crew members snorkeled with
two until not long before we got back.
Its that possibility of a new adventure
every minute that makes everybody
jump up from the dining table and rush
the bow, cameras in hand, every time
whales are sighted, which is more or less
constantly. It must be frustrating for chef
Chris Mercier, 34.
While every live-aboard will tell you
our cook is a chef, on KAII,
II its the
truth. (Hes also an avid free diver.) From
the rst nights teriyaki-marinated grilled
steaks with coconut-infused creamed
spinach, to black marlin on risotto with
lime beurre blanc, to surface-interval
snacks laid out like upscale-resort
offerings fine cheeses, canaps,
spiced and sweetened nuts, tapenade,
bruschetta, fruit trays you will eat
well and often on KAII.
Its all part of the live-aboard life,
Kona-style.
Reading that Hawaii has nearly 700 sh
species 25 percent of them found
nowhere else is one thing; seeing them
is quite another, since you may feel as if
you are bumping into several hundred.
If you are a sh nut, Hawaii is your tree.
Ellie Briscoe, 62, a dive instructor and
retired National Geographicc librarian, is
taking what I think of as a game and
making something important of it. She
has brought blank forms and does sh
surveys on several dives, noting sightt
ings and numbers of dozens of kinds of
butterysh, surgeonsh, wrasse and
more, results shell upload to REEF.org
databases on her return home to
Alexandria, Virginia I resolve to take
a sh-ID specialty after seeing how much
fun Ellie is having. She and husband
Mel Briscoe, 72, a dive instructor and
oceanographer, are pros who lead trips to
Bonaire, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos,
Kona, and elsewhere through Blue
Octopus Scuba in Alexandria. Theyve
pretty much seen it all but appreciate
SUDDENLY OUR
DIVEMASTER
IS FURIOUSLY
SCRIBBLING ON
HIS SLATE. HE
FLIPS IT AROUND:
THEYRE CLOSE
how thorough KAIIs dive sta is about

pointing out sh unique to Hawaii, and
to the Kona Coast. Theres stu here
you will see nowhere else, Mel says.
Divers actually got possessive of the
sh-ID books KAII
II carries many
theres that much to identify for the
logbooks. Some divers were practically
sleeping with them, memorizing things
seen and things hoped for on the next
days dives or the next nights dives.
The mother of all Kona dives is the
famed manta night dive, which takes
place at Garden Eel Cove and off
the Keauhou Sheraton pretty much
every evening.
Sixteen boats full of eager divers and
snorkelers are arrayed at Garden Eel
NEED TO KNOW
Kona Aggressor II
Cruises on the Kona Coast of Hawaiis
Big Island, year-round
scubadiving.com/konaaggressor;
aggressor.com
LIVE-ABOARD
My Little
Valentine
In the mood for love, with the humpbacks of Dominican
Republics Silver Bank
seafood are often found

on the chefs menu its
not just food, its cuisine.
There are few guarantees in life, fewer still when it involves marine life. Shark feeds
are one, but when it comes to natural encounters, nothings a sure thing. Except for
the humpback whales of the Dominican Republics Silver Bank.
I guarantee you will see humpbacks, says Rob Smith, second captain of Turks
& Caicos Aggressor II, as we settle in for the crossing to Silver Bank, nine hours north
of Puerto Plata.
Boats have been coming here for 27 years, and theyve got the whale watching down
to a science. North Atlantic humpbacks arrive here on Silver Bank to calve, mate and
frolic, says Capt. Amanda Smith. Whales start arriving in late November, departt
ing for the North Atlantic to feed in late April; boats oer a brief 10-week schedule
to coincide with the busiest period.
As certain as beach trac in summer, the humpbacks are here. Within minutes, we
are treated to half a dozen breaches and tail slaps, a few tail lobs, and a uke display.
Hot and Heavy
We enjoy some brief mother-and-calf
engagements our rst afternoon, but
were skunked the second day. On the
morning of our third day we see a handful of whales, but they are all going
somewhere other than where we are.
An hour into the afternoon session, our
spirits are lagging. The mother-and-calf
pairs have disappeared, and the possibility of another day without an in-water
encounter looms when a pair of whales
pops up beneath the tender. They forge
ahead, circle back and swim under the
tender. Smith tells us to get our ns on;
weve stumbled upon a Valentine.
NEED TO KNOW
SNORKELING Look
forward to whaleshark encounters

sightings in La Paz bay
are nearly guaranteed.
Book now:
fun-azulfleet.net
It is a marvelous courtship: The female

is in a fuguelike state slow moving
and with a glaze in her eyes. The male
swims beneath her with open pectorals
before surfacing to slap the water with
his pectoral ns, or uke.
An hour in, two new males appear.
Smith calls us out of the water; we watch
as the original suitor battles his rivals
using an array of bubble screens, pec slaps
and tail lobs. Just 20 minutes in, and the
interlopers are defeated. Our Valentine
couple re-emerges, inviting us once again
to watch their amorous dalliance.
I wouldnt have believed it if I didnt
see it with my own eyes, but as our tender
M Y L I T T L E VA L E N T I N E // J U LY
The Sea of Cortez is a
playground for sea lions,
hammerheads and more.
Turks & Caicos Aggressor II

Snorkel cruises in the Silver Bank,
Dominican Republic, January through
early April scubadiving.com/
tcaggressor; aggressor.com
FROM LEFT: LUIS JAVIER SANDOVAL/GETTY IMAGES; MARY FRANCES EMMONS
W H E R E T H E W H A L E S A R E // J U N E
2014
BEST

at scubadiving.com.
OF
SCUBA
D
COVERS
Our
Favorite
Fronts
MARCH/APRIL
V I K T O R LYA G U S H K I N
Orda Cave, Russia
YOUVE BEEN LEFT BY

THE BOAT. NOW WHAT?
NEW COLD-WATER
SCUBALAB 16
WETSUITS TESTED
SCUBA
D
EXPLORE THE
WRECKS
OF IRELANDS
MALIN HEAD
The diving was physically

challenging the water
temperature was about
41 degrees F inside the
cave and -4 degrees F
on the surface but we
wanted people to see this
beautiful cave.
MAY
THE BEST
OF SoCAL
SHORE
DIVING
4 MUSTHAVE
SAFETY
TOOLS
THE PLANETS BEST
FRESHWATER
DIVING
25 INLAND SEAS, LAKES, RIVERS
AND CENOTES
MAXIMUM ICE: DIVING SCUBALAB 15 NEW DIVE

IN THE WHITE SEA
LIGHTS TESTED
5 BUCKETLIST BAJA
DIVES
TOP 100:
MAUI WOWS
PHOTO
ETIQUETTE
101
MASA USHIODA
Lahaina, Hawaii
I tried to capture a sense
of scale by placing a diver
near the Carthaginian II
a whaling-ship replica
and a sense of forward
movement by composing the shot from a
diagonal perspective.
BEST USA
WRECK DIVES
JUNE
CARLOS SUAREZ
Gardens of the Queen, Cuba
I was looking for
American crocodiles
with marine biologists
in Jardines de La Reina. I
sneaked up to the croc to
take this photo I was
just 16 inches away.
AUGUST
V I K T O R LYA G U S H K I N
White Sea, Russia
YOU
VOTED!
BEST IN PALAU:
REEFS & WRECKS
SCUBALAB
16
BRAND-NEW
BCs TESTED
SCUBA
D
SECRET
WORLDS:
PIERS,
BRIDGES &
OIL RIGS
GO BIG
IN KONA:
HUMPBACKS,
MANTAS &
LAVA TUBES
CUBA!
The Caribbeans Next
Hot Dive Spot
You have to wear a thick

undergarment and a lot of
weight, so you feel like a
cosmonaut. A few drops
of water in my cable froze,
and my strobes started to
work sporadically. It was a
beautiful place to shoot.
THE SECRET DIVE SPOT YOU SCUBALAB THE BEST BAGS

HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE
TO HAUL IT ALL
SCUBA
D
15 OF THE WORLDS
MOST EPIC DIVES
3 CORAL ATOLLS,
1 GREAT BLUE HOLE,
700 MILES OF REEF?
BELIZE IT!
5 RULES
FOR WRECK
DIVING
WEIRD
SCIENCE:
CAN CORALS
WALK?
TITANIUM
The latest evolution

of an elite element
LIGHTER. Weighs even less than our legendary T2

LONGER. Now go up to 3 years before servicing
SCUBALAB
LIVELIER. Fresh styling and ultimate performance
2013
TESTERS
CHOICE
atomicaquatics.com
2014
at scubadiving.com.
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
PHOTOGRAPHY
Stellar photos
are the backbone of Scuba
Diving magazine. Heres
a look at the
images that
brought our
travel features,
photo contest
and Secret
Spots to life.
T O P 1 0 0 // J A N / F E B
PHOTOGRAPHER
Christian Vizl
L O C AT I O N
Quintana Roo, Mexico
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Canon EOS 5D Mark II,
15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens
ISO 500 F-stop f/5.6
Shutter speed 1/160 sec
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
I love this shot

of The Pit cenote
because it represents the internal
connection we must
have to be connected
to the life that
surrounds us.
T H E W E L L-S T R U C T U R E D L I F E
// J U N E
PHOTOGRAPHER
Todd Winner
L O C AT I O N
Long Beach, California
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Canon EOS 5D Mark
III, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8
L II USM lens, Nauticam
housing, two Ikelite DS160
strobes ISO 160 F-stop f/9.0
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
California sea
lions are some of the
most playful and
mischievous animals
on Earth, and Eureka
oil platform typically
has a frisky group
ready to interact
with divers.
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
PHOTOGRAPHY
C R Y S TA L B L U E P E R S U A S I O N
// M A R C H /A P R I L
PHOTOGRAPHER
Alex Mustard
L O C AT I O N
Husavik, Northern Iceland
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Nikon D700, Subal
ND700 housing, Nikon
AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm lens,
Zen 230mm Superdome
ISO 640 F-stop f/16
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
Nes Canyon is a
fissure in the
Earths crust between the Eurasian
and North American continental
plates. Although its
shallow, this location is amazing
because you can see
exactly how the
rocks fit together
before they were
ripped apart.
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
PHOTOGRAPHY
PRIDE OF THE DEEP

// M AY
PHOTOGRAPHER
Jo-Ann Wilkins
L O C AT I O N
Alexandria Bay, New York
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Nikon D300, Aquatica housing, Tokina 10-17mm
lens ISO 800 F-stop f/9 Shutter speed 1/125 sec
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
I love how the colors of the American

flag contrast with the green water
surrounding the Keystorm. The flag, the
sunlight and the divers looked perfect,
and I rushed to get the shot.
PHOTOGRAPHER
ADRENALINE OD
Alex Tyrrell
// J U LY
L O C AT I O N
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Nikon D7000, Subal housing, AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor
12-24mm lens, Inon Z240 and LMI Sola 1200 strobes
ISO 1,000 F-stop f/6.3 Shutter speed 1/125 sec
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
The low camera angle captures the

frantic hunting behavior of Cocos
whitetip reef sharks in Manualita
Garden from a sharks perspective.
The islands leading dive school
Saint Lucia simply beautiful
PADI Five Star Dive Centre

Purpose-built 15m pool
Two spacious, fully-equipped, 30 diver capable dive boats
Partnered with London School of Diving (LSD), one of the UKs
top dive centres and a PADI Career Development Centre.
Beginner to Instructor level courses and guided dives
conducted in English, French and German
State-of-the-art facilities & equipment
Big dive and watersport shop
Dive Saint Lucia | P.O. Box GI 2042 | Rodney Bay | Gros-Islet | Saint Lucia
Phone: +1 758 451-DIVE (3483) | info@divesaintlucia.com | www.divesaintlucia.com
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
PHOTOGRAPHY
P H O T O C O N T E S T // S E P T/ O C T
// H O N O R A B L E M E N T I O N
PHOTOGRAPHER
Martin Klein
L O C AT I O N
Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Canon EOS 5D Mark II,
Seacam housing, Canon EF
100mm IS USM lens, Kenko 1.5
teleconverter ISO 200 F-stop
f/4 Shutter speed 1/200 sec
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
I wanted to take some
pygmy pictures, but at
30 meters down, I noticed some
problems with my lens, and I
could not change the aperture.
So I had to shoot with an f-stop
of f/4 to make the best of
the situation, which resulted in
this shot.
1 S T P L A C E // D I V E R
PHOTOGRAPHER
Francis Prez
L O C AT I O N
Tenerife, Canary Islands
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Canon EOS 5D, EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye
lens, Seacam housing ISO 400 F-stop f/5
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
This baitball spun and spun, constantly
changing shape. Dolphins, shearwaters and
seagulls attacked it as it spun. When the
scene was quiet, I captured this moment.
JUPITERS
best kept secret!
W I N N E R // G R A N D P R I Z E
PHOTOGRAPHER
Raffaele Livornese
L O C AT I O N
Sharm el-Sheikh, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Nikon D90, Hugyfot housing,
Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 lens, two
Inon Z-240 strobes ISO 100 F-stop f/18
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT
While diving with my wife on vacation,
she pointed out this scene: a clownfish in
an anemone, caring for its eggs.
+HPS`+P]PUNPU1\WP[LY7HST)LHJO*V\U[`
;YH]LS-S`SLZZHUK+P]LPU[OL<:
*SVZLY[V[OLN\SMZ[YLHTTLHUZJSVZLY[VZO
561-745-7807 Qjupiterdivecenter.com
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
PHOTOGRAPHY
S E C R E T S P O T // A U G U S T
PHOTOGRAPHER
Enrico Pati
L O C AT I O N
Bevagna, Italy
S E C R E T S P O T // S E P T/ O C T
PHOTOGRAPHER
Wayne MacWilliams
L O C AT I O N
Jupiter, Florida
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT

I arrived at this hidden
gem after drift-diving in the
Chidro River and walking
through dense Mediterranean vegetation. The view
from below is amazing its
as if youre flying along a
snowy mountain.
WHY I LOVE THE SHOT

While swimming through
the water column between
the surface and the reef
below, we discovered this
swarm of moon jellyfish
drifting north in the
Gulf Stream.
SECRET SPOT
// S E P T/ O C T
A R T I S T/ P H O T O G R A P H E R
Conor Culver
L O C AT I O N
Colorado
WHY I LOVE THIS SHOT
Every image has its own
meaning ... and I always want to
convey something about the
animal that is true in the ocean,
and then bring that story into a
scene above the surface.
2014
at scubadiving.com.
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
TOP 100
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MASA USHIODA; ED ROBINSON; LEA LEE; ED ROBINSON/PACIFIC STOCK
Since 1994, thousands of readers have rated their dive trips to dozens of
destinations to determine Scuba Divings Top 100 Readers Choice Awards. This year
we introduced the Top 100 Spotlight, a monthly feature that showcases favorite
destinations that are among the top award-winners in our annual reader survey.
Destinations highlighted this year include:
MAY
Maui
Winner of five Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, including Best Visibility and Best Shore Diving,
U.S. and North America
scubadiving.com/Top100/maui
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
TOP 100
JUNE
Palau
Winner of six Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, including Best
Wall Diving, Pacific and Indian oceans
scubadiving.com/Top100/palau
MARCH/APRIL
Grand Cayman
Winner of 11 Top 100 Readers Choice
Awards, including Best Overall
Destination and Best Underwater
Photography, Caribbean and Atlantic
scubadiving.com/Top100/grandcayman
TOP 100
READERS
CHOICE
AWARDS
Heres a look at some

of the winners of our
21st annual Top 100
check out the 22nd
annual results in our
January/February
2015 issue.
BEST OVERALL DESTINATION

C A RIBBE A N A ND AT L A N T IC
U. S. A ND N OR T H A MERIC A
PACIFIC A ND INDIA N O C E A N S
1 Cayman Islands
2 Bonaire
3 Mexico
4 Belize
5 Bahamas
6 Bay Islands,
Honduras
7 Turks and Caicos
8 U.S. Virgin Islands
9 Grenada
10 British Virgin Islands
1 Hawaii
2 California
3 Florida
4 North Carolina
5 Canada (British
Columbia)
6 Texas
7 Michigan
8 Washington
9 Alabama
10 New Jersey
1 Indonesia
2 Palau
3 Micronesia
4 Philippines
5 Cocos Island,
Costa Rica
6 French Polynesia
7 Thailand
8 Mexico (Baja California)
9 Galapagos Islands
10 Red Sea (Egypt)
Bahamas
Winner of seven Top 100 Readers Choice
Awards, including Best Overall Diving,
Best Big Animals and Best Advanced
Diving, Caribbean and Atlantic
scubadiving.com/Top100/bahamas
AUGUST
Belize
Winner of four
Top 100 Readers
Choice Awards,
including Best
Overall Destination, Best Big
Animals, Best
Wall Diving and
Best Underwater
Photography,
Caribbean
and Atlantic
scubadiving.com/
Top100/belize
SEPT/OCT
Raja Ampat
Winner of seven Top 100 Readers
Choice Awards (for Indonesia) in
Pacific and Indian oceans, including
Best Marine Environment
scubadiving.com/Top100/rajaampat
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: TIM CALVER; FRANCO BANFI; JURGEN FREUND/NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY; ETHAN DANIELS; KERI WILK. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: PREDRAG VUCKOVIC/ISTOCKPHOTO; CLAUDIO GAZZAROLI; BRANDON COLE
JULY
CAVE COUNTRY
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLICS ANCIENT
UNDERGROUND RIVER SYSTEM IS A NEW
FRONTIER IN DIVING
CURT BOWEN
B Y T R AV I S M A R S H A L L
As dawn breaks over Bayahibe

a once sleepy shing village turned
bustling dive hot spot in southeast
Dominican Republic the usual
suspects begin to stir along the dirt
road outside my apartment. Roosters
warm up their vocal cords across the
street. Dogs op down in patches of
early light. From my balcony, I spot a
rising dust cloud from my ride as
Uwe Rath rolls up, truck bed loaded
with cave-diving gear.
Our plan is a full-penetration dive

into the rst leg of Chicho Cave, a
crystal-clear freshwater cenote that
lies beneath the arid scrub brush of
the DRs Parque Nacional del Este
(National Park of the East). Most divers know about the cenotes of Mexicos
Yucatan Peninsula, but few realize that
similar systems can be found elsewhere
in the Caribbean. That goes double for
the Dominican Republic, where aboveground cave systems boast a wealth of
native, pre-colonial Taino cave paintings and artifacts, and the underwater
rivers that connect them remain largely
untouched and unexplored.
Rath is one of only two cave instructortrainers in the country, and a local
cave-diving pioneer who has been an
integral member of initial expeditions
to explore and name the caves that
comprise the Dominican Republics
underwater-river network. A past expedition turned up a skull and bones from
a previously unknown species of ancient
mammal, which is now being studied by
the Museum of the Dominican Man in
Santo Domingo.
Rath is also a gregarious German who
has spent more than two decades in the
DR, owning and operating dive shops
in every corner of the country. His latest operation, UweScuba, is a custom
dive center that has its storefront in the
exclusive Casa de Campo resort, about
14 miles from Bayahibe. But dont worry
if, like me and most divers, you cant
aord Casa de Campos presidential
digs Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and
George H.W. Bush all have vacationed
here Rath also makes house calls to
meet divers who are down for a personalized, o-the-beaten-track experience.
Bottom line: If youre an advanced or
technical diver looking for an out-ofthe-ordinary underwater adventure in
the Dominican Republic, Rath is the
xer who can make it happen.
Fantastical forms in Chicho (opposite,

clockwise from top); bones of an extinct
primate, discovered near Chicho; the
author, Juergen Riedl and Rath.
BECKY KAGAN SCHOTT. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JOSE ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ; CURT BOWEN; COURTESY UWE RATH
CAVE COUNTRY
NEED TO KNOW
OPERATOR
UweScuba
(uwescuba.com)
is one of a select
few operators
that can arrange
proper technical
dives into DRs
cave systems,
as well as teach
PADI Tec Rec

programs for
Sidemount,
Intro to Cave
and Cave
Diver courses.
WHEN TO GO
Bayahibe and
nearby Punta
Cana are
year-round dive
destinations, with
warm, protected
water. As with
most Caribbean
destinations,
winter is the
high season;
late summer is
the low season.
DIVE CONDITIONS
Ocean conditions
stay calm yearround in Bayahibe,
with water temps
ranging from high
70s to mid-80s
and visibility from
60 to 120 feet. In
the freshwater
caves, the water

always stays
in the mid-70s,
with a visibility of
150 feet.
PRICE TAG
A single guided
cave dive costs
$110; two dives in
different caves run
$170. If you dont

have cave-diving
experience,
UweScuba offers
classes. PADIs
TecRec Sidemount
course costs $420;
a TDI Intro to
Cave certification
costs $590.
CAVE COUNTRY
Before we go underground, we plan to

make our rst dives together in open
ocean, so Rath commandeers a local
dive boat, and we head out of Bayahibes
bustling loading dock to the DRs
signature wreck dive, the St. George.
Were diving sidemount, a technical
BCD system that has clips to carry
tanks under our arms rather than on our
backs. The benets are many, the main
one being redundancy every diver has
two tanks, each with its own regulator. It
also helps us keep a at swimming position in the water, ideal for penetrating
wrecks and caves where we need to avoid
kicking up sediment on the bottom. Carrying the tanks protected under our arms
helps reduce snags, and makes us more
exible in tight interior spaces.
Less than 10 minutes from the loading
ramp at the heart of Bayahibe now
buzzing with activity as boats vie to
board gaggles of European divers, snorkelers and sun seekers our boat idles
into position, mooring over the wreck.
WHAT IT TAKES
Cave diving
requires special
training,
equipment and
experience.
UweScuba
uses sidemount gear for
cave diving;
a sidemountcertification
class can
provide you
with all the
necessary skills
and equipment.
Any openwater diver
who is at least
15 years old
can take a PADI
Sidemount
Diver course;
you can apply

the dives to an
Advanced certification. You
should also
have a Cave
Diver cert, or
you can join an
Intro to Cave
course to learn
to properly
use guidelines,
line markers,
dive lights and
redundantair supplies.
Prerequisites
for Intro to Cave
are a Cavern
Diver certification and a
minimum of
25 logged dives.
The St. George looms in the deep; the

sponge-encrusted wreck offers exploration-worthy walkways; accessing
Chicho Cave is difficult but worth it.
We clip our tanks under our arms as we

make our nal checks and slip into the
water. As I sink beneath the swim step,
angling for the down line, I see the tower
of the St. George rising proudly from
the sandy seaoor about 140 feet below,
amid swarms of jack sh that seem like
theyre raining upward in slow motion.
The nearly 250-foot steel freighter was
sunk as an articial reef in 1999; today it
remains intact and upright, with a profusion of sh and corals. Nearing the
sandy bottom, we are out with our
arms forward and glide into the ships
superstructure with methodical frog
kicks, exploring deep beneath the deck
of the cargo holds, along the exterior
walkways, and through the wheelhouse.
We nalize our afternoon plans over
pizza on the Bayahibe waterfront before
loading into Raths truck and heading
inland. Much of the area surrounding
Bayahibe on land and in the water
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JOSE ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ; BECKY KAGAN SCHOTT (2)
Sidemount on
St. George
is the protected National Park of the

East. This includes oshore dive favorites at Saona and Catalina islands, as
well as the inland Padre Nuestro area, a
hot, arid jungle of scrub brush atop karst
limestone, which is where were headed.
Into Chicho Cave

We pull o the main road at a gate
that opens onto a steeply inclined, rutted dirt track. As we bounce our way
up the road, men materialize from the
forest and approach the truck. Rath gestures for them to hop in back once we
arrive at the dive site, I understand why.
We park in a clearing at a trail head
that winds steeply down rough steps
hewn from logs and rocks. The men
who joined us jump into action, making quick work of carrying our tanks,
weights and gear bags down the rugged
path. The nal steps of the trail lead

down slick rock into the gaping maw of
the cave. From the surface, the electric
blue of the water illuminated by the overhead sun beckons like a siren, singing
songs of exploration and adventure.
After hiking under the hot Caribbean
sun in a 5 mm wetsuit, I relish the cool
rush against my skin as I dunk into the
cenote and don my gear. As we descend
into the freshwater basin beneath us, we
turn our dive lights toward the darkness.
The beam of my light picks up the
telltale glint of a bright-white cave line,
and I see the ghostly string disappear
through a hole in the wall: our entrance
to Chicho Cave. We make a nal check,
then frog-kick inside, hovering just
above the guide line that leads the way
to the end of the passage.
Inside the tunnel, the water is deceptively clear, playing tricks with my mind.
My bubbles are the only sign that I
havent already come up for air. We wind

an undulating path around incredible
rock formations. Fat stalagmites sit like
half-melted candles, while sections of the
ceiling bristle like pincushions, blanketed
by spiny stalactites. After 25 minutes, the
tunnel angles upward and soon opens
into a wide room. I watch Rath above me
and see his head disappear as he surfaces
into an air chamber above us.
I follow him to the surface, where he
explains its safe to remove my regulator
though dark, the room is connected to
the outside world, and thus theres fresh
air for us to breathe. I ash my light on
the ceiling above, watching the beam
bounce over rock in the humid air. I cant
help but feel privileged to be here. Rath
and others may have only just started
exploring the Dominican Republics cave
systems, but if those caves that remain to
be found look anything like this one, they
wont remain secret for long.
2014 // GEAR OF THE YEAR
REGULATORS
SCUBAPRO MK21/S560
$499; scubapro.com
In ergo tests, this reg was a pussycat,
delivering smooth, effortless comfort
that earned raves from test divers.
It became a lion on the breathing
machine, where it racked up excellent scores and performed within
test parameters, even at torturous
breathing rates down to 220 feet.
Its performance was unmatched by
any other reg in the test despite a
midrange price. The MK21/S560
was our Best Buy.
BEUCHAT VR200
SOFT TOUCH HF
IN OUR JULY ISSUE,

SCUBALAB TESTED
THE PERFORMANCE
AND COMFORT OF
14 NEW REGS ON
AN ANSTI BREATHING MACHINE AND IN
THE WATER. THESE
THREE LET US
BREATHE EASY.
HOG ZENITH
$899 (includes octo and reg bag);

spearotek.com
$124.95 Zenith second stage,

$209.95 D3 rst stage (hose not
included); edge-gear.com
Easy breathing, dry, comfortable,

lightweight thats what our test
divers had to say about the VR200
Soft Touch, which racked up the
best ergo scores in its class. On the
breathing machine, the reg demonstrated very good performance
well beyond recreational depths and
breathing demands. The VR200 Soft
Touch was our Testers Choice in the
Over $500 category.
On the breathing machine, the Zenith

was rated excellent at max rec depth,
and very good well beyond not surprising, giving the companys stated
tec orientation. But in real-world conditions, our test divers also found the
Zenith an exceptionally comfortable,
smooth dry-breathing reg, awarding
it the highest ergo scores in our test.
The HOG Zenith was our Testers
Choice in the Under $500 category.
TESTERS SAID ...
THIS IS A SOLID REG EASY BREATHING AND DRY (B E U C H AT V R 20 0 S O F T T O U C H H F)

REALLY SMOOTH BREATHER; ZERO BUBBLE INTERFERENCE (S C U B A P R O M K 2 1 /S 5 6 0)
GREAT USER CONTROLS; THE KNURLED KNOB IS SUPER EASY TO GRAB (H O G Z E N I T H)
BCs
IN JUNE, SCUBALAB TESTED

16 NEW BCs, FROM FEATHERWEIGHT TRAVEL MODELS TO
TEC WINGS. HERE ARE THREE
THAT FLOATED TO THE TOP.
MARES PRESTIGE 2 MRS+

$510; mares.com
APEKS WTX
$750; aqualung.com
This lightweight rig assembled from
Apeks tec-oriented WTX components
seemed a little unlikely as a travel BC
until we got it in the water. Divers raved
about its stability, comfort, precise
valving and secure tank straps, and
rated its integrated-weight system
excellent. The WTX was our Testers
Choice for travel BCs.
Competition was tough among this

years jacket BCs, but after crunching
the scores, the Prestige 2 won by a
nose. Testers praised its stability, nofuss integrated weights, excellent
ination and exhaust valving, and
large pockets. The Prestige 2 was our
Testers Choice for jacket BCs.
TESTERS SAID ...
NICE ALL-PURPOSE, FULL-FEATURED BC

(M A R E S P R E S T I G E 2 M R S+)
SNUG AND COMFY; PROVIDES A STABLE AND

WOBBLE-FREE RIDE (A P E K S W T X )
GOOD STABILITY, NICE WEIGHT SYSTEM, COMFY
SURFACE-FLOATING POSITION (CRESSI TRAVELIGHT)
CRESSI TRAVELIGHT
$449.95; cressiusa.com
Upgraded with a new inator
and integrated-weight system,
the Travelight offers full-feature
performance in a 6-pound package
that stows easily in a suitcase. Test
divers loved its stable comfort, and
appreciated features rare to travel
BCs: roomy pockets, a right-shoulder
exhaust and 10 alloy D-rings. The
Travelight earned our Best Buy award.
DIVE LIGHTS
IN OUR MAY ISSUE, WE TESTED 15 NEW DIVE

LIGHTS FOR BRIGHTNESS, BEAM DIMENSIONS
AND ERGONOMICS. THREE TORCHES HAD
PERFORMANCE THAT SHINED.
UK VIVID ELED
$159.99; uwkinetics.com
IKELITE GAMMA
$120; ikelite.com
Weighing just 5 ounces and measuring
less than .75 inches in diameter at its
narrowest, Ikelites Gamma ts easily into a small BC pocket. But it pumps
out an impressively bright, wide beam
for its size. Its machined-aluminum
body, robust tail switch and 400-foot
depth rating are nice bonuses,
considering its modest price. We
named the Gamma our Best Buy.
IST SPORTS DOLPHIN TECH

T-24040
$855; istsports.com
This wrist-mount canister lights white
beam recorded the highest meter
reading in our test; the dual-light
head is so bright, we were grateful
the push-button switch offers three
power levels. The battery is compact
and rated for 1.9 hours on high power.
The T-24040 was our Testers Choice
among primary and canister lights.
Despite its compact size, the Vivid

strikes a nice balance between brightness and beam diameter to produce
a light pattern thats intense and
broad enough to be really effective.
The push-button tail switch is easy to
use, and the Vivid has screw mounts
for use as a video or camera light. The
Vivid eLED was our Testers Choice for
pocket lights.
TESTERS SAID ...
PERFORMS AND FEELS LIKE IT SHOULD COST A LOT MORE (I K E L I T E G A M M A)

BLAZINGLY BRIGHT GOOD THING IT HAS THREE POWER LEVELS (I S T S P O R T S D O L P H I N T E C H)
DELIVERS A LOT OF PERFORMANCE IN A SMALL PACKAGE (U K V I V I D E L E D)
DIVE BAGS
CRESSI CARGO 145L

$249.95; cressiusa.com
Though it was the largest bag in our
test, the Cargo 145L has a clever internal folding frame and hinged bottom
so it collapses for storage a convenient feature in such a big bag. Good
compression straps, rugged construction and protective padding and a
relatively modest price made the
Cargo 145L our choice for Best Buy.
IN OUR AUGUST ISSUE, SCUBALAB

EVALUATED 14 FULL-SIZE AND CARRY-ON
ROLLER TRAVEL BAGS. THESE THREE
WERE OUR WINNING CHOICES.
ARMOR API-3R
$350; armorbags.com
STAHLSAC RANGI ROLLER

$219.95; stahlsac.com
The Rangi Roller provides the kind
of protection we want in a carry-on,
with rigid sides and back, and a padded front ap that unzips fully for easy
packing. Handles at top, side and bottom make it easy to carry, and it rolls
like a dream. Its built to last, with lots
of reinforcements. The Rangi was our
Testers Choice for roller carry-ons.
This is a go-anywhere bag, with large

all-terrain wheels and well-designed,
zip-away backpack straps that make it
surprisingly easy to tote even with a
50-pound load. Its ruggedly built with
heavy-duty materials and big enough
to hold everything for an extended dive
trip. The Armor API-3R was our Testers
Choice for full-size bags.
FIRST LOOK
EACH ISSUE SCUBALAB INTRODUCES BRAND-NEW GEAR TO

OUR READERS. THESE ARE OUR
PICKS FOR THE BEST OF THE
YEAR PRODUCTS THAT ARE
DESIGNED TO MAKE YOUR DIVES
EASIER, SAFER AND MORE FUN.
SEALIFE SEA DRAGON 2000

WITH FLEX-CONNECT HANDLE
$449.95; sealife-cameras.com
Pumping out 2,000 lumens, this new
LED photo/video/dive light has three
power levels and is rated to 200 feet.
The rechargeable Li-ion battery
has a 60-minute burn time on its
highest setting.
NAUTILUS LIFELINE
$299; nautiluslifeline.com
Waterproof to 425 feet when closed,
the Lifeline can send a digital distress
message with your GPS location with
the press of a button. It also functions
as a radio that lets you chat with your
boat crew or dive buddies on marine
VHF frequencies.
TRENDING
SCUBAPRO X-CUT TITANIUM

$79; scubapro.com
Made from a single piece of hardened
titanium, the X-Cut is corrosion
resistant, and comes with a soft
sheath that will attach to BC straps or
t in a pocket. The 2.5-inch blade has
smooth and serrated edges, as well as
a line cutter.
GET STOKED FOR THE YEAR

AHEAD: HOT NEW TOYS ARE
SCHEDULED TO HIT DIVESTORE SHELVES SOON.
SUUNTO EON STEEL

$1,440 ($440 for optional
transmitter POD); aqualung.com
This new computer has a vibrant
color display with a wide-angle view,
intuitive three-button navigation, a
customizable screen, 3-D compass,
air integration, and up to 30 hours
of dive time per charge. The cover is
brushed stainless steel, the case is
made of advanced composites, and
the screen is high-durability glass.
BACKSCATTER MACROMATE
MINI FOR GOPRO
$89; backscatter.com
To capture close-up action, this new
macro lens for GoPro threads into
Backscatters 55mm FLIP 3.1 adapter.
The Macromate Mini has an aluminum
frame and a lens of precision optical
glass. The design allows you to
easily change lenses and lters,
even underwater.
SEALIFE MICRO HD
SHERWOOD SCUBA
AMPHOS AIR
$1,150 (with transmitter and download

cable); sherwoodscuba.com
Sherwoods newest version of
its Amphos wristwatch computer
now offers air integration. Using an
algorithm shared with Sherwoods
Wisdom 3 console computer, the
Amphos Air has easy four-button
navigation and a stylish design with a
stainless-steel bezel.
$399.95 (HD+ $499.95);

sealife-cameras.com
The new, permanently sealed Micro
HD eliminates O-rings and openings,
and is waterproof to 200 feet. It has
one-button recording for 1080p HD
video and 13 mp images, and you can
capture stills while shooting video.
The Micro has built-in 140-degree
wide angle and is compatible with
SeaLife accessories. You can choose
between the standard 16 GB version
or the HD+ 32 GB version with Wi-Fi.
TRAINING
IMAGING +
LESSONS FOR LIFE
A SK AN EXPERT
scubadiving.com
BEHIND THE LENS
<A F T E R>
[ GEAR ]
Canon G16, Recsea housing,
UWL-04 wide-angle lens,
Sea&Sea YS-D1 strobes
[ CAMERA SPECS ]
SHUTTER SPEED 1/60
F-STOP f/8
ISO 200
[ LOCATION ] Roatan
[ BACK STORY ]
The most cooperative moray eel ever had
a few friends around. When the shrimp
started crawling toward the eels head, I
fired off as many shots as quickly as I could
to capture the moment.
Double Trouble
Capturing multiple subjects isnt easy, but the rewards are

worth it A BY JIM DECKER , CEO, BACKSCATTER UNDERWATER PHOTO AND VIDEO
Shooting wide-angle is challenging.

Adding multiple subjects increases the
diculty, but it also can result in a much
more interesting photo.
forget to line up background subjects.

This can be anything from a sun ball to
the dive boat to more-complicated subjects such as a model in the background.
I prefer a
1 sheye, to allow more subjects
in 4 When I see something about to
USE THE WIDEST LENS
the frame. It also has the most depth of

eld, to get all of your subjects in focus.
DETERMINE YOUR PRIMARY
FOREGROUND SUBJECT This

will be lit by your strobes and will be the
main focus of your composition. It will
also tend to be the closest subject in the
frame. Make sure your focus point is on
your foreground subject, even if it is not
centered. By having the focus point in
front, youll have the rest of the photo
behind the focus point in focus.
I will be shooting and pull o a shot

even if theres nothing in the foreground
then I make adjustments before my
primary subject comes along.
GIVE THE LEAST COOPERATIVE
SUBJECT PRIORIT Y In any

multisubject shot, there are things you
can control and things you cant. The
toughest is marine life. If there is unique
behavior happening, give priority to that
in your photos.
TAKE A FEW JUNK SHOTS
happen that I want to capture, I take

a couple of test shots to see what my
background exposure will look like. I
point my camera in the direction that
6 Cooperative subjects might not be

SHOOT PLENTY OF FRAMES
cooperative for long. Bang o a series of

shots in order to capture that one special
moment you didnt expect.
PHOTOLAB
<B E F O R E>
HOT SPOTS
One of the challenges of
shooting close to the bottom
is not blowing out the exposure on the sand. To adjust
specific areas, I used the
adjustment brushes to tone
down the exposure of the
problem spots.
3 Dont get so wrapped up in your
LOOK AT YOUR BACKGROUND
primary foreground subject that you

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TRAINING
LESSONS FOR LIFE
was straight. He thought pot made

him more aware of what was going on
around him.
THE DIVE
Drugs and Diving

Dont Mix
A one-hit wonder suffers fatal consequences from his habit
A BY ERIC DOUGLAS
THE ACCIDENT
THE DIVER
An experienced cave diver, Alton was

40, t and in generally good health.
He liked to have the occasional cheeseburger, and his doctor had warned him
about his cholesterol, but other than
that, he was in good shape.
He rarely drank and didnt smoke
cigarettes. But he did smoke pot. He
liked the relaxing feeling it gave him,
but there was more to it than that. He
often told his friends that smoking marijuana helped him focus on the task at
hand. He felt he could do most things
better with a little buzz than when he
Alton made good progress into the cave

system. He had moved slowly, mapping everything he saw. He was already
thinking about what they would need
to explore even deeper into the cave the
next time.
Heading back to the surface, Alton
reeled in his cave line as he swam. He
glanced at the map he had sketched during the dive and smiled. He loved the
feeling of getting there rst, and knew
his buddies were going to be impressed.
Nearing the surface, Altons thoughts
shifted ahead to deco and the boredom
that came with it. It was a necessary
evil, but it nonetheless frustrated him.
Still, he knew he had pushed the dive a
JORI BOLTON
Alton loved the peaceful feeling he got

from cave diving. Friends of his, even
other cave divers, got nervous or tense
when the walls got close, but that
was when Alton felt most at home,
reveling in the adrenaline pumping
through his veins.
He also liked to catch a little buzz
before he went for a dive. He could get
lost in the feeling of relaxation, just
swimming slowly for hours, exploring
and experiencing sights and places no
other human had ever seen. He could
almost lose track of time, just oating.
Until he did.
Alton was exploring a new cave system

he and his buddies had found. A couple
of other divers were in the water at the
same time, exploring dierent sections
of the system, but Alton was eectively
alone. He wanted to map a narrow passage and didnt think there was room
for more than one person in the space.
Alton arrived at the dive site with a
slight head cold. Rather than putting o
the dive, he took some cold medicine to
help him equalize and keep his sinuses
dried out. Other than that, everything
about the dive was normal. Just before
he got in the water, as was his habit,
Alton took a couple of hits from a joint.
The maximum depth for the dive was
100 feet. Alton was using mixed gas
to reduce the decompression requirements of the dive, and had planned it
as a decompression dive. Alton placed
two stage bottles just inside the cave
mouth, behind a couple of rocks so no
one would move them. When he nished the dive, he would use them to
decompress and o-gas the nitrogen
that had accumulated in his body. The
tanks contained a breathing-gas mix
with a high concentration of oxygen.
He didnt want to take them with him
because accidentally breathing from one
at depth would cause him to have a seizure. Leaving them behind also kept
him from having too large a load inside
the narrow passageways.
little bit, breathing into his reserve. He

wasnt about to cut corners with deco.
He thought he should be getting close
to his stage bottles and looked forward
to starting the process the sooner it
began, the sooner he could surface.
Rounding a bend that Alton thought
would lead to the exit, he took a breath
to nd that there was no air. In confusion he looked at his pressure gauge
and realized he was out of air. His eyes
darted forward, scanning the cave ahead
for the stage bottles and his deco gas.
NO MATTER YOUR
EXPERIENCE LEVEL,
INTOXICATION WHILE
DIVING IS A BAD IDEA. IT
DOESNT MATTER
WHETHER THE INTOXICATION IS FROM COLD
MEDICINE, ALCOHOL OR
OTHER DRUGS.
He would be ne if he could make it

to those tanks quickly. They should be
right there, he thought.
But Alton wasnt where he thought
he was. He hadnt made it back to the
entrance yet. He tried swimming forward as quickly as he could, following
the cave line, but he was out of breathing
gas. And out of time.
Rescuers recovered Altons body
150 feet from the decompression tanks
he had staged near the entrance to the
cave. The tanks on his back were empty.
ANALYSIS
Cave divers follow the Rule of Thirds,

using one-third of the breathing gas
they carry for the exploration, heading

away from the cave entrance. The second third is used for the return to the
surface. The nal third (at least) is held
in reserve, in case there is an emergency.
Alton broke this basic rule and paid the
ultimate price. The medical examiner
ruled Altons death a drowning due to
insucient air and entrapment in a cave.
In this column, I often talk about
triggering events that lead to the actual
problem that causes the dive accident. In
this case, the trigger was Altons intoxication. His blood toxicology included
cannabinoids from the marijuana and
codeine from the cold medicine. Either
the medication or the drug in his system
could have impaired Alton to the point
that he made poor decisions. Combining
the two, even accidentally, affected
his judgment: He failed to follow his
training, rules and experience.
Being very experienced doesnt
make you invincible. Very experienced
divers can get in trouble because they
violate their own rules, relying on their
experience to make up for bad decisions.
You might get away with it for a while,
but eventually it catches up to you. The
skills you learn during training and the
rules and procedures of diving arent
there to help you handle the dive when
everything goes right: They are there for
when things go wrong.
No matter your experience level,
intoxication while diving is a bad idea.
It doesnt matter whether the intoxication is from cold medicine, alcohol or
other drugs. In this case, its likely Alton
would be here today if he hadnt chosen to make a dive under the inuence.
Inside the cave, he made poor judgments
quite likely because his decision-making
was impaired.
Water is an unforgiving medium
when you run out of air.
LESSONS FOR LIFE

1 Stay sober
when diving.
When you open
your first drink,
your diving
should always be
done for the day.
2 Seek proper
training in cave
exploration,
and always
remember the
Rule of Thirds.
3 Do not
allow personal
experience to
convince you
to make
poor decisions.
4 Dive with a
buddy, or take
additional precautions and
training, and
carry extra
equipment, to
dive solo.
Eric Douglas
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Often copied,
never equaled
co-authored the
book Scuba Diving
Safety, and has
written a series of
dive-adventure novels
and short stories.
Check out his website
at booksbyeric.com.
(805) 484-3334
www.ulcs.com
TRAINING
ASK AN EXPERT
Should
New Divers
Carry
Cameras
and Other
Underwater
Extras?
A BY ERIC DOUGLAS
CARRYING A CAMERA IS A
GOOD THING
As an instructor with more than
20 years experience, I love the digitalcamera revolution and how all divers
have access to capturing memories. All
of my young certied divers want to be
able to take photos of themselves and
one another as well as what they see
underwater so they can share with
their friends, said Annie Crawley,
a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
and noted underwater photographer.
I encourage them to use cameras in
the pool rst before taking them to the
open water to see how this changes their
buoyancy and how they interact with
their buddy.
If I were not allowed to have a
camera when I was a new diver, I would

not be a diver today, said Jill Synowiec,
co-owner of Divers Incorporated in
Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photography
is my passion, and I needed the distraction from the head games I played
with myself. The camera, for me, was
something to focus on (ha!).
NO TASK LOADING
WITHOUT EXPERIENCE
Newbies and their expensive toys are
soon parted. If something distracts
you from your air consumption, your
buoyancy or your orientation; its a liability, said Carrie Caignet, a former
SSI dive instructor. Caignet currently
serves as a divemaster on board a charter boat that allows spearshing, and
advises on spearshing best practices
NOEL HENDRICKSON/GETTY IMAGES
There is no scuba police. No one is

going to arrest a diver for doing something wrong at least not underwater.
But in diving, there are rules and guidelines intended to keep divers safe: Never
hold your breath, ascend slowly, plan
your dive, make safety stops, etc. But
should there be a rule to regulate what
new divers can carry before theyve mastered buoyancy control (a camera or
speargun, for example)?
Diving involves several complex
actions in a hostile environment. Anything that distracts the novice diver
from those actions should probably
be avoided. The issue is task loading:
A camera adds one more thing they
will have to focus on. Even the most
experienced underwater photographer
can get so wrapped up in the shot
that monitoring air supply falls by the
wayside. (See half of the Lessons for
Life columns.)
On the other hand, some divers feel
that photography is the point of being in
the water. If those divers couldnt take
photos, they probably wouldnt dive at
all. But is there a compromise?
Old Style
MEXICO
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Is the perfect destination that provides
excellent opportunities for those interested
in marine life, underwater photography or
simply explore a new diving adventure.
Mexico: 624-197-0957 / 612-348-9215
USA: 1-877-777-8862 Ext. 1003
www.eastcapedivers.com
Cabo San Lucas
and techniques.
PADI course director CJ Goodrich
was denitive about when divers should
be allowed to carry cameras and other
gadgets underwater: Not until they
have shown mastery and continued vigilance with regard to neutral buoyancy
and awareness of their surroundings.
Adam Cassidys expertise comes
from leading groups of teen divers in
the SPLASH program. I dont think
newbie divers are ready for underwater
photography, and theyre denitely not
ready for scooters or spearshing. It
is very easy to start chasing a sh and
lose track of your depth, even without a
camera or speargun. New divers should
spend their time acclimating to diving
in general, and dive with buddies who
are experienced, he said.
CONCLUSION
Even the most experienced, well-trained
divers can get distracted and fail to
monitor their breathing-gas supply or
their depth. Some newbie divers should
denitely focus on the task of staying
alive and exploring the underwater
world. Others are right at home in the
water and can easily take on new challenges, so making a rule is probably
not practical.
There is one more thing to consider:
As a diver, you arent just looking out
for yourself. If you do get distracted and
do something stupid, you can easily put
your buddys life at risk as well as your
own. Cassidy summarized by saying,
I dont want my buddy task loading,
getting into trouble, and then possibly
injuring both of us.
Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos

All Inclusive Resort
Live the legend at the new All Inclusive

Resort located in the Heart and Soul
of Cabo. Ocean and Bay view Suites, 4
great pools, private beach, short walk to
Marina, dive centers, shops & night life.
1-866-336-4083
reservas.web@sandos.com
www.sandos.com
For Dive Deals visit:

www.scubadiving.com/baja
SCUBA DIVING MARKETPLACE
BECOME THE BEST CAVERN, CAVE OR SIDEMOUNT DIVER

A DREAM
EXPERIEN
CE!
Adventure Dives
Guided by Experienced Instructors
Cenote/Cavern & Cave Tours Available
TRAINING: Cavern to Full Cave
Sidemount Poseidon Rebreather
www.cavetecnow.com cavetecnow@gmail.com
Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Luxury
THE
LIVE- ABOARD
of the Bahamas
Departs Nassau
Up to 26 out island dives walls,
reefs, blue hole, swift drifts
and shark dive!
Fully en-suite cabins
Eco-adventures
888.327.9600
www.aquacatcruises.com
BOOK 10 DIVE PACKAGES AND
GET ONE FREE PACKAGE

2015 BELIZE WHALE SHARK
DIVING PACKAGE DATES:
March 5 14 April 4 13
May 3 12 June 2 11
EAT, SLEEP
&
from
DIVE 138
$
Rate Code:
SDM2014
*Price
per night*
per person based on double

occupancy in Eco Bungalows. Other
options available. All taxes included.
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
Round-trip ight between Belize City and Placencia
Land transfers between Placencia Airstrip and Hotel
Accommodations at any of the resorts listed below
(see individual pricing)
7 nights/8 day stay
3 days of Whale shark diving at Gladden Spit
2 days of diving on Belize Barrier
1 inland tour
Whale shark dives includes, 2 tanks, weights,
entrance fee, lunch and taxes
SEA SPRAY HOTEL

SEA VIEW SUITES
MIRAMAR APARTMENTS
LARU BEYA
US $1500
US $1750
US $1850
US $2000
www.cabopulmo.com
diving@cabopulmo.com
www.splashbelize.com
Tel:011-501-523-3080
Or 011-501-610-0235
patricia@splashbelize.com
Quiet. Unpretentious.
Golden Tank
Retailer Partner Directory
US/Can: (562) 366-0722

Mexico: (624) 141-0726
FLORIDA
Panama City Beach - Dive Locker
850-230-8006 divelocker.net
MICHIGAN
Farmington Hills - Sea the World Scuba Center
248-478-6400 seatheworld.us
MISSOURI
Bridgeton - BonneTerre/West End Diving Centers
888-843-3483 2dive.com
In the true Mexican sense.

All diving services in one convenient place. See
the difference a dedicated dive resort can make.
NEW YORK
Brooklyn - Stingray Divers
718-384-1280 stingraydivers.com
New York - Pan Aqua Diving
212.736.3483 panaqua.com
PENNSYLVANIA
Erie - Divers World of Erie Inc
814-459-3195 scubaerie.com
CANADA
Langley, BC - Langley Diving, Inc.
604-514-8190 langleydiving.com
www.istsports.com
(909) 622-9600
info@istdivingsystem.com
For information on participation in the
800.847.5708
www.scubaclubcozumel.com
Isla de Cozumel, Mxico
Golden Tank Retailer

Partner Directory
call Jonathan at 407-571-4575
,QFOXGHVDOOPHDOV
EHYHUDJHVDQGtransfers
)UHHNitrox

THFKGLYLQJavailable
1LQHVSDFLRXVsuites
Dive Deals
DIVE CENTERS
Cozumel
DIVE WITH MARTIN SCUBA

Dive your computer limits!
4 day/2-tank boat dive $250
x FREE Sherwood gear use
x FREE Video 4+ day pkg
x Dive, Hotel & Condo pkgs.
1-888-512-8747
STACEY@VACATIONCONNECTIONNRH.COM
DIVE RESORTS
Grand Cayman
DIVETECH & COBALT COAST

RESORT Spectacular diving!
Shore diving 24/7 and best dive
package, great menus, full bar,
and All Inclusive option available
Check TripAdvisor to learn what
other divers say and click onto:
WWW.COBALTCOAST.COM
Promote Your Dive Deals!
Contact: Kelly Freygang
407-571-4743
advertiser DIRECTORY
Atlantic Caribbean and Latin America
Amigos Del Mar - Belize - Ambergris Caye to
Blue Hole & Turneffe Atoll on largest boat
fleet. SSI & SDI Certifications. P. 77
www.amigosdivebelize.com
Avalon Cuban Diving Centers Gardens of
the Queen - Cubas Gardens of the Queen:
the ultimate sharks paradise. P. 79
www.cubandivingcenters.com
Bay Adventures - offers one-stop shopping
for air, lodging & diving in Cozumel, Belize,
Bonaire, Cayman, Curacao, Turks & Caicos,
and Roatan. P. 9 www.bayadventures.com
Belize Tourism Board - Belize is home
to the largest barrier reef in the Western
Hemisphere. See the difference. P. C4
www.travelbelize.org
Bonaire Tourism - Bonaire, long-known as
the Divers Paradise, offers the ease of boat
diving with the adventure of shore diving.
P. 6 www.tourismbonaire.com
Bruce Bowkers Carib Inn - Bonaire - Carib
Inn is a smaller resort catering to the
vacationing diver. P. 6 www.caribinn.com
Buddy Dive Resort - Bonaire - experience
an unspoiled natural paradise offering
spectacular susets, gentle breezes and
crystal-clear turquoise waters. P. 76
www.buddydive.com
Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort and Dive Center
- Diving the Aquarium of the World. PADI
Courses. Diving Tours. Eat, Sleep & Dive
Packages. P. 78 www.cabopulmo.com
Cave Training Mexico - Riviera Mayas
experts in cenote/cavern, cave & MKVI
Poseidon rebreather diving & training. P. 76
www.cavetrainingmexico.com
Cayman Islands Department of Tourism Only 1 hour and 10 minutes from Miami - fly
in the morning, beach in the afternoon! P. 21
www.divecayman.ky
Costa Baja Resort - La Paz, Mexicos only
5-Star hotel & resort. Luxury amenities,
with golf course & spa on-site. P. 79
www.costabajaresort.com
East Cape Divers - Cabo Pulmo Marine

Park Perfect for marine life, underwater
photography or for simply exploring a new
diving adventure. P. 75
www.eastcapedivers.com
Vacation Connection/Dive With Martin Islands fastest boats & best

Divemasters, NO crowds, approximately
8 divers per boat! P. 79, 81
www.vacationconnectionnrh.com
Fun Baja - The best service in La Paz: Daily

dive trips, Camp & Dive, and Live-Aboard
Cruises. P. 79 www.funbaja.com
Hawaii
Honduras Institute of Tourism - Honduras

offers reefs, beaches, natural adventures,
colonial cities including the Maya ruins of
Copan and the Bay Islands. P. 25
www.letsgohonduras.com
Indepth Watersports - Adventure diving on
one-of-a-kind converted Navy Seal RIB;
expert training from resort to CCR trimix.
P. 26 www.indepthwatersports.com
Jupiter Dive Center - P. 49
www.jupiterdivecenter.com
Laguna Beach Resort- Utila - Our
oceanfront resort offers unlimited shore
diving as well as 3 boat dives/day. P. 25
www.lagunabeachresort.info
Aqua Kauai Beach Resort - With 4

swimming pools, exotic waterfalls, 4 dining
options, and numerous resort amenities,
youll enjoy a full-service island retreat.
P. 39 www.aquahospitality.com
Dive Oahu - PADI Gold Palm Dive Center
just 3 minutes from Waikiki. We dive all the
major wrecks. P. 39 www.diveoahu.com
Hawaiian Rafting Advenutures - The best
Maui has to offer with dive shop in Lahaina
offerin a range or tours and services. P. 39
www.hawaiianrafting.com
Jacks Diving Locker - Kona, Hawaii Jacks Diving Locker is the right place
to take your IDC training. P. 39
www.jacksdivinglocker.com
DivEncounters - The Worldwide

representative of the luxury live-aboard
M/V Galapagos Sky. P. 81
www.divencounters.com
Truk Odyssey- Live-aboard in Truk Lagoon,
Micronesia. 132 vessel for 16 divers. Nitrox
included. Worlds finest wreck diving. P.79
www.trukodyssey.com
Photography/Video
Backscatter East & West Underwater
Video and Photo - Now with 2 locations &
the most experienced staff to serve your
underwater imaging needs. P. 77
www.backscatter.com
Ikelite - Manufacturer of underwater
camera housings, strobes, mounting arms
and flashlights. P. 7 www.ikelite.com
SeaLife Cameras - Underwater cameras
and accessories to help you explore the
underwater world. P. 17
www.sealife-cameras.com
Ultralight Control Systems - Manufacturers
of trays and arms for your cameras, lights &
strobes for digital, video or film. P. 73
www.ulcs.com
Phocea Mexico - Training & Dive Resort

to: Cenotes, Cozumel, Local Reefs,
Whalesharks, Bull Sharks, & Sailfish. P. 45
www.phoceamexico.com
Seasport Divers - Kauai, Hawaii - Fullservice dive shop specializing in local Kauai
scuba diving tours, snorkeling tours and
scuba certification courses. P. 39
www.seasportdivers.com
Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire The resort

that has all. PADI 5-star IDC, beach,
spacious villas and great restaurants. P. 6
www.plazabeachresortbonaire.com
Waikiki Diving - PADI 5 Star IDC in the

heart of Waikiki! Best Wreck & Reef Diving
on Oahu. Two Boats Daily! Full Service Dive
Center! P. 39 www.waikikidiving.com
Gogh Jewelry - Collection of bracelets,

necklaces and earrings are crafted locally
using metal smithing techniques. P. 81
www.goghjewelrydesign.com
Presidente InterContinental Cozumel

Resort & Spa - Cozumels only AAA FourDiamond award winner is surrounded by the
pristine waters and colorful coral reefs. P. 18
www.intercontinental.com
Pacific and Exotic
ORIS - Maker of fine Swiss mechanical

timepieces since 1904 including a full line
of professional divers pieces. P. 12,13
www.oris.ch
Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos All Inclusive

Resort - Live the legend at the best Resort
for divers located in the Heart and Soul of
Cabo. P. 75 www.sandos.com
Scuba Club Cozumel - Mexico Spanish colonial-style, located on the
waterfront one mile south of downtown,
built by divers for divers. P. 78
www.scubaclubcozumel.com
Deep Blue Resort - Utila Oceanfront

dedicated dive resort with unlimited shore
diving, Utila, undiscovered jewel of the
Caribbean. P. 25 www.deepblueutila.com
Southern Cross Club - Little Cayman A small, very comfortable, award-winning

resort with world-famous diving and sport
fishing in Little Cayman. P. 49
www.southerncrossclub.com
Den Laman Condominiums - Bonaire - 16

modern A/C apartments perched atop the
waterfront Sunset Restaurant. Dive & Photo
shop on property. P. 6 www.denlaman.com
Splash Dive Center - Placencia, Belize:

PADI Full Service Dive Center, Whale Shark,
Manatee, Glovers Reef & Blue Hole trips.
P. 78 www.splashbelize.com
Dive Saint Lucia - a PADI 5 Star centre

offering all PADI courses from beginner to
instructor together with guided dives on all
the beautiful dive sites of our island. P. 47
www.divesaintlucia.com
Stuart Coves Tiger Beach Seafaris - Snorkel

with Wild Dolphins or dive with Tiger
Sharks at TIGER BEACH with Stuart Cove!
P. 23 www.stuartcovesharkdiving.com/
tigerbeach
Divi Flamingo Beach Resort - Bonaire Oceanfront dive resort features PADI
5-star dive operation with custom boats,
instruction, dive packages & shore diving.
P. 6 www.diviresorts.com
The Cortez Club - La Paz, Mexico: World

class diving with Giant Manta Rays,
Hammerheads, Sea Lions, Whalesharks
& More! P. 81 www.cortezclub.com
Sams Tours - Palaus #1 ranked dive

operation, we specialize in amazing diving.
P. 77 www.waikikidiving.com
United States
Panhandle Shipwreck Trail - The Florida
Panhandle Shipwreck Trail consists of
12 unique shipwrecks along Floridas
Panhandle. P. 27
www.FloridaPanhandleDiveTrail.com
Instruction/Training
The Ocean Corporation - Offering
commercial diver training, under water
welding, ROVs and NDT weld inspector
training since 1969. P. C3
www.oceancorp.com
Live-aboards
Aggressor Fleet & Dancer Fleet The
largest eet of live-aboards in the world
serving 15 yachts. Providing professional
service for 25+ years. P. C2-3
www.aggressor.com
Aqua Cat Cruises - Weeklong All Inclusive
Luxusry Liveaboard Diving Adventure Cruises
Depart Nassau, Bahamas to the Exuma Cays.
P. 77 www.aquacatcruises.com
Scuba Accessories
Spare Air - Smallest redundant breathing

device to get you to the surface in an
emergency. P. 14 www.spareair.com
Scuba Equipment
Analox Sensor Technology - Manufacture
of a wide range of sport diving analysers
from US Navy approved Nitrox units to a
highly accurate Trimix analyser, Analox is
the preferred choice for sport divers. P. 76
www.analox.net
BARE - Manufacturers of the best fitting
wetsuits and drysuits on Earth. P. 5, 37
www.bare-wetsuits.com
Cressi - A company close to its Italian
sea-loving heritage providing superior
designs for discriminating divers. P. 15, 71
www.cressisubusa.com
Dive Rite - Florida-based pioneer and
manufacturer of technical and advanced
open water diving equipment since 1984.
P. 25 www.diverite.com
IST Sports - Manufacturing and wholesaling
quality SCUBA and watersports equipment
worldwide for 33 years. P. 78
www.istsports.com
2014
BEST
OF
SCUBA
D
LOOK
Eye-catching shots that deserve a second look
JAN/FEB
PHOTOGRAPHER
Keri Wilk
L O C AT I O N
Car Wash Cenote,
Quintana Roo, Mexico
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Nikon D800, Nauticam
housing, Zen 230mm dome
port ISO 400 F-stop f/9
MAY
PHOTOGRAPHER
Franco Banfi
L O C AT I O N
White Sea,
Karelia, Northern Russia
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Canon 5D MKII, Subal
housing, Canon 100mm
macro f/2.8 lens, Seacam
strobes ISO 200 F-stop f/16
AUGUST
PHOTOGRAPHER
Franco Banfi
L O C AT I O N
White Sea,
Karelia, Northern Russia
CAMERA SPECS
Gear Canon EOS 5D MKIII,
Subal housing, Canon EF
15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens,
two INON 240 strobes,
Sola Photo 1200 modeling
light ISO 200 F-stop f/11
Dive
to
L ive
oceancorp.com
Ever think of turning your passion for

Scuba Diving into a professional career?
Worldwide, countless divers and nondestructive
testing inspectors are living their passion in the eld of
commercial diving. Watch our videos to see how Ocean
Corporation has helped passionate divers Dive to Live.
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Ultimate
Diver Training
Nondestructive
Tech Training

Scuba Diving - December 2014 USA

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26 TOP

" ' r % ' - "

Become a Member of the Exclusive

rCaribbean Sea rWestern Atlantic r

Dive all Seven Seas aboard an Aggressor or Dancer Fleet yacht

Recognition in the Seven Seas Explorers Hall of Fame, listed online

Alor Bahamas Belize Cayman Islands

Red Sea Aggressor, Egypt

Port Galib, Egypts up-scale

Red Sea Aggressor LiveAboard offers:

Save 25% on Red Sea Aggressor

Best of Scuba Diving 2014 From travel and

advanced adventures to innovation and conservation,

Advanced Adventure: Cave Country

Sidemount diving in the Dominican Republics

scubadiving.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 4

GEAR UP, DIVE IN,

Fly Delta on Friday

Bruce Bowkers Carib Inn

See our Packages:

FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS,

Doing Our Part for

Photo: David Benz

scubadiving.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 6

Find an Authorized Ikelite Dealer at ikelite.com.

or the 17th annual publication

9 Patricia Wuest, Editor-in-Chief

scubadiving.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 8

many more dives together and the

A Readers Lessons for Life

OPPOSITE: ZACH STOVALL (2)

I have been diving in Cozumel for

my descent, so I started clawing my way

IST SPORTS SPEAR MASK

Joel, we loved your letter, and we

Dive into our website for more packages in Cozumel, Belize,

Get the smart phone app

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Located not far from Sameranger

scubadiving.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 11

COURTESY DAVID GROSS

Ken Nedimyer is no stranger to awards.

Nedimyer and his daughter.

GET INVOLVED Coralrestoration.org is the place to find out more about

People of action, devoted to

invasion in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

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who care about the future of our

Gravitation is not responsible

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Hard-wearing premium materials

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Underwater navigation is one of the

Sending Out an SOS

oral reefs are in danger due to

branches, the coral is not as aected

scubadiving.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 16

FROM LEFT: COURTESY DANIELLE DIXSON; CHRIS A. CRUMLEY/ALAMY

Scientists believe that gobies

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