What’s new!

Recent feedback for our readers has been that our posts of underwater photographers and their work are overwhelming favorites. With this in mind, we have approached two photographers to see if they can share their work!  Graham Casden of Ocean First Divers and Chris Kovaz of Divers Only have both provided us with recent photographs of their undersea journeys! Chris comes back for the second time.

Interview and Photos from Graham Casden:

http://divingindepth.com/interview-graham-casden

http://divingindepth.com/graham-casden/

Interview and Photos from Chris Kovaz:

http://divingindepth.com/interview-chris-kovaz/

http://divingindepth.com/chris-kovaz-february-2010/

***************************************************

To Find a Listing of current diving events:

http://divingindepth.com/events/

***************************************************

For our diving forum, you can go to:

http://www.thedivingforum.com

If you want to become a new member, you will need to contact us at the DivingInDepth.com as we have closed this forum to new members due to spam issues.

***************************************************

For our work board, go to:

http://www.diverwork.com

The DivingInDepth Staff

*********************

DivingInDepth.com has gathered, over the years, material that has been archived on the site . To make the information more available online, we now have a number of sites:

- http://worlddiving.info - A guide to the world’s best diving destinations

- http://wreckdiveguide.com - a guide to wrecks, particularly on the East Coast and Great Lakes of the United States

- http://divinggearguide.com - a guide to diving gear for the recreational and professional divers

- http://floridadiving.info - A guide to Florida’s caves and springs - Florida offers a world class cave diving destination

- http://OceanFish.info - a guide to ocean fish

- You can visit our new shopping site at: http://www.scubaselection.com

Most recent photos at DivingInDepth.com:

chris-kovaz-scuba-diving-photos-february-2010/

Chris, is a diving prodigy from Florida, but has traveled extensively all over the world. His love of underwater photography gradually developed after his father, Blaise, helped get him certified as a diver at the age of 12.  After receiving a 2-mega-pixel camera and an Ikelite housing from Blaise, his career had finally begun. He became much more accomplished after completing his first class with Stephen Frink in 2005. After the improvements made in that short week, Chris knew photography was his future.  Chris currently shoots a Canon 1Ds MarkII with a Sea Cam housing. Chris has been diving in extravagant places such as, Belize, the Bahamas, Utila, Roatan, the Galapagos, Fiji, and the Florida Keys.
Question: How long have you been involved in diving?
Chris: I have been diving since I was 11 so 15 years now.

Question: What equipment do you prefer when you dive?

Chris: I typically use full in Scubapro dive gear.  I shoot Cannon Cameras and lens.  Then I use a Seamcam housing system

Question: What are you favorite diving sites or countries you have visited?

Chris: My favorite sites I can’t recall off the top of my head but places have been the Red Sea and Fiji.

Question: What do think are the best diving sites in Florida? Any personal preference?

Chris: In Florida I Love Key largo Snappers Ledge and City of Washington. These are are the top 2 sites in my opinion.

Question: What events is Divers Only involved in now?

Chris: Right now we are getting ready for the trade show season and coming out with Underwater planet our own publication.

If you thinking diving is not very popular in Colorado, think again. As Graham told me, “There are more certified divers per capita in Colorado than any other state.”

Graham also graciously agreed to be a photographer for DivingInDepth.com. To see his pictures you can go here:

www.divingindepth.com/graham-casden/

Question: What diving activities are you curently most excited about?

Graham: In 2005, I developed the idea for Ocean First Divers- a 21st century dive operation that combines the excitement and adventure of scuba diving with marine biology education and ocean conservation. When customers emerged from our training program, the idea is that they will be capable divers who have a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the marine environment.

Question: I have heard that Horsetooth Reservoir and Turquoise Lake are two popular divingt spots in Colorado? What are you favorite places to dive there?

Graham: I have no personal experience diving at Horsetooth Reservoir or Turquoise Lake. Aurora Reservoir is probably the most popular dive site in the area and it also has a sunken plane that serves as a decent wreck dive.

Question: Any upcomming events for the diving community in Colorado?

Graham: Ocean First Divers is involved in a number of ongoing events. A popular one is our monthly socials, put on in conjunction with “The Dive Club” ( refer to http://www.meetup.com/The-Dive-Club/ ). These events are free to the public and catered by a variety of different local restaurants. We can accommodate about 60-70 people comfortably and every month we have a different guest speaker.

Question: Who do you have lined up to speak?

Graham: Next month CU Professor Mel Cundiff is doing a presentation on Echinoderms and in April Dr. Alex Antoniou is coming from the Shark Research institute to discuss different diving and tagging expeditions to Sorocco and Guadalupe islands. We are also working with PADI on some online content that is still in developmental stages, combining scuba certification with different disciplines, as well as working with them to further develop a wetsuit reclamation program.

If you thinking diving is not very popular in Colorado, think again.  As Graham told me, “There are more certified divers per capita in Colorado than any other state.”

Graham graciously agreed to be a photographer for DivingInDepth.com and spent time with us on a short interview.

Contact: www.oceanfirstdivers.com

The pictures …

Chris, is currently Digital Media Director for DiversOnly.com. You can hear him weekly on Divers Only Radio.  He is an active diving photographer whose photos first appeared on DivingInDepth’s website several years back. He graciously agreed to appear on our site again!

Chris has been diving 15 years, since the age of eleven. His certifications in rescue diving, nitrox, wreck diving and underwater photography.  His diving mask is custom and is fitted with prescription lenses.

His equipment:  a Canon 1DS Mark II with a Sea Cam housing. He  uses Ikelite 150 and ion z240 strobes.

Next trip: Chris is going to Soccoro  islands in January of 2011.

Contact:

email Chris chrisk@diversonly.com.

the pictures …

Whats new!

DivingInDepth.com has gathered, over the years, material that has been archived on the site. To make the information more available online, our site has launched five new sites to focus on our varied material:

- http://worlddiving.info - A guide to the world’s best diving destinations
- http://wreckdiveguide.com - a guide to wrecks, particularly on the East Coast and Great Lakes of the United States
- http://divinggearguide.com - a guide to diving gear for the recreational and professional divers
- http://floridadiving.info - A guide to Florida’s caves and springs - Florida offers a world class cave diving destination
- http://OceanFish.info -  a guide to ocean fish

Also …

Tony Liddicoat, a diver of 44 years and counting has just published his book “Five Bells” Job Done.  Tony has agreed to be interviewed and share some of his photographs with us. You can see his photograph’s here:

http://divingindepth.com/tony-liddicoat

For DivingInDepth.com members, you can ask for a discounted addition of this book autographed by Tony at Fivebells@live.com.

***************************************************
Q4 TRAVEL DESTINATION: Scuba Diving in Africa - Top Five Destinations

Africa being a large continent, it offers all kinds of diving experiences to right from the novice divers to the most experienced scuba divers.

Apart from the Red Sea, which offers diving experiences unique to it, most of the diving experiences that Africa offers are in the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean which lies in the east coast of Africa. African countries such as Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar are all rich in diving experiences. Cape Town, which is the tip of the African Continent, offers good diving experience because of the combination of the Indian Ocean currents and the currents of the Atlantic.

The whole of Africa is inundated with good dive sites, and for all those who look for that extra something there are still a fairly large number of dive sites which deliver what is expected. Experienced divers are starting to frequent Sodwana Bay, Mnemba Island and Inhambane which give the opportunity to dive and swim along with some of the large marine animals such as Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and different varieties of sharks

http://divingindepth.com/scuba-diving-in-africa/

***************************************************

ARTICLE:  “Five Bells” Job Done by Tony Liddicoat

For an avid diver, this book is a must read.  Tony Liddicoat has been diving for over 44 years, and, as one of the book’s typists commented, “I don’t know how you’re still alive.” Tony pursued commercial, military, and recreational diving and his diving career has taken him all over the world. In 1981 he was named British “Diver of the Year”. The book includes chapters devoted to his time diving as a wreck excavator in Kenya, his military assignments in Germany and the Falkland Islands, as an Army diving instructor in Belize, and commercially and recreationally diving throughout Europe. I particularly enjoyed the wealth of pictures he has in his book, like the picture of He and Jacques Cousteau talking aboard the Calypso, the pictures of his time excavating wrecks in Mombasa Kenya, or his cover photo of him on Soldier Magazine in November of 1988.

Click here to read on… http://divingindepth.com/five-bells-job-done

***************************************************
To Find a Listing of current diving events:

http://divingindepth.com/events/

DEMA 2009 is upon us .. Nov 4-7th in Orlando, Florida

***************************************************

For our diving forum, you can to to:

http://www.thedivingforum.com

If you want to become a new member, you will need to contact us at the divingindepth.com as we have closed this forum to new members due to spam issues.

***************************************************

For our work board, go to:

http://www.diverwork.com

The DivingInDepth Staff

***************************************************

You can visit our new shopping site at: http://www.scubaselection.com

For an avid diver, this book is a must read. Tony Liddicoat has been diving for over 44 years, and, as one of the book’s typists commented, “I don’t know how you’re still alive.” Tony pursued commercial, military, and recreational diving and his diving career has taken him all over the world. In 1981 he was named British “Diver of the Year”. The book includes chapters devoted to his time diving as a wreck excavator in Kenya, his military assignments in Germany and the Falkland Islands, as an Army diving instructor in Belize, and commercial and recreational diving throughout Europe. I particularly enjoyed the wealth of pictures he has in his book, like the picture of He and Jacques Cousteau talking aboard the Calypso, the pictures of his time excavating wrecks in Mombasa Kenya, or his cover photo of him on Soldier Magazine in November of 1988.

Picture of the recovery of a Wessex Mark V helicopter which sank off Portland Bill, UK in 1974

If you are interested in commercial diving, he provides a detailed description of what this is like. He was involved inspecting over a hundred British rail bridges, the construction and anchoring of pipeline in Holyhead, North Wales, repairing a reactor transfer tunnel for the Winfrith Nuclear Reactor in Dorset, and the replacement of the lock gate sill in Penzance, Cornwall. He also discusses his rescue of a diver in Belize while his stint as a diving instructor at he Army’s Adventure Training Centre a few miles from Belize City.

After reading the book, DivingInDepth.com has had the chance to interview Tony Liddicoat.

DivingInDepth: What was the most exciting event in your diving career?

Tony: The most exciting event in my diving career is probably the rescue of Dick Alba, the American diver in Belize. I descended into the black wild water in Belize at night in the face of Hurricane George, when he was unconscious, I had no mask and only a small hand held torch, but I saw that he regained consciousness at 30 metres, and he became ‘alive’ again. This was a big thrill for me as I value life above all else. There have been other special occasions and sights, but that dive holds special memories for me.

Artist impression of the "Lazy Shot" system used to rescue Dick Alba

DivingInDepth: What are you most proud of during your 44 years plus of diving?

Tony: I am proud of all the novices and trained divers I have enhanced over the years at varying locations around the world. So many of them are not so emotional or gushing in their thanks but the deep sincerity when they shake your hand and say a simple ‘thank you’ - means so much, it is very humbling.

DivingInDepth: When were you in most danger in your diving career?

Tony: Difficult to answer, people’s opinion of danger varies. My life has included much work with explosives, fast currents and black water. The room for error in these situations is minute. Perhaps looking back, some of the fast water work I did recovering armoured vehicles was amongst the most dangerous but the job that silently gave me the shivers was diving in the contaminated ponds of a nuclear reactor.

DivingInDepth: Do you have a favorite diving destination?

Tony: In my later years having dived every ocean there is so much beauty under the waves that it often just took my breath away. I used to be very fond of the diving at the drop-off to the south of ‘Half Moon Cay’ on Lighthouse Reef in the Caribbean off of Belize.  The Blue Hole is also situated there - another of my favourites. In my later years I am excited by the wrecks to be found in the English Channel off of Folkestone. Every dive is different, as every wreck has a different story to tell from a different age. The last dive I did there , we recovered Gold, Silver and Diamonds during the dive. A first such dive for me.

DivingInDepth: Now that the book is published, what are you up to now?

Tony: Next month I have been asked to be a part of a small team and go and search for one of 2 wrecks belonging to the fleet of Vasco De Gama, which sank in the Arabian sea, with a priceless cargo of jewels on board, this also gives me a buzz.

How to Order the book:

Tony Liddicoat has self published this book,(ISBN 978-0-9561399-0-0) the RRP is £12 + P & P (US that is $19.61 plus shipping and handling). You can view the web site for other reviews at www.tonyliddicoat.com. The best way to buy it would be at : Fivebells@live.com. If requested, signed and stamped copies are available at that address, [with Tony's commercial stamp] You can use PayPal.

Tony Liddicoat has been diving for over 44 years, and has recently published a book of his career entitled “Five Bells” Job Done.  One of the book’s typists commented, “I don’t know how you’re still alive.”

Tony pursued commercial, military, and recreational diving and his diving career has taken him all over the world. In 1981 he was named British “Diver of the Year”. The pictures below cover his time diving as a wreck excavator in Kenya, his military assignments in Germany and the Falkland Islands, as an Army diving instructor in Belize, and his commercial and recreational diving throughout Europe.

Visit his website at www.tonyliddicoat.com

You can read about his new book by clicking here.

High Dive Into Dover Harbour	Tony dressed in standard helmet equipment during his supervisors course at Marchwood
Tony dressed for recreational dive in self-made neoprene suit	Two divers tended by lifelines, begin their dive - in the Baltic sea in North Germany
Tony with twin x38.5 cu ft cylinders and the Heinke Mk 5 twin hose demand valve	The Sea King helicopter lifted and secured to the bow of the recovery vessel 'Kinbrace'
Detonation of main charges	Wreck Excavation in Mombasa, Kenya in 1977
Two divers carrying out trilateration survey of wreck in Mombasa, Kenya	Reactor storage ponds - Tony's dives were never in clearer water, it was like diving in 'Gin'
Tony and Jacque Cousteau	Diving in the Red Sea

The different products are featured with detailed information about the product along with a picture of the product. This product information can be valuable when looking into buying new equipment, researching different manufacturer product information, or if you just like checking out the latest and greatest equipment available on the market today.

Contact us to feature your products!

Featured Manufacturers

• Dive Rite – LED Flashlight
• Atomic Aquatics
• Deep Gear
• Wetwear
• Dive Rite – Hurricane
• Envirovision
• Blue Steel
• Seahorse
• DiCAPac
• What Works Works
• SeaSigns
• DUI
• Amphibico
• Salvo
• Dive Rite

Africa being a large continent, it offers all kinds of diving experiences to right from the novice divers to the most experienced scuba divers.

Apart from the Red Sea, which offers diving experiences unique to it, most of the diving experiences that Africa offers are in the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean which lies in the east coast of Africa. African countries such as Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar are all rich in diving experiences. Cape Town, which is the tip of the African Continent, offers good diving experience because of the combination of the Indian Ocean currents and the currents of the Atlantic.

The whole of Africa is inundated with good dive sites, and for all those who look for that extra something there are still a fairly large number of dive sites which deliver what is expected. Experienced divers are starting to frequent Sodwana Bay, Mnemba Island and Inhambane which give the opportunity to dive and swim along with some of the large marine animals such as Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and different varieties of sharks.

Situated between St. Lucia and Mozambique to its South, South Africa’s Sodwana Bay has a great combination of corals and a huge population of marine life making it a high quality and genuine dive site. Although Sodwana Bay is slightly difficult to access, the quality of diving that it offers is truly worth the effort. The months between October and February are the whale shark season and the months between October to December enables the scuba divers to witness the local Ragged Tooth Sharks in their gestation periods. Aliwal Shoals and Protea Banks which are away from the Sodwana Bay provide opportunities for scuba divers to swim and dive along with huge shark population and which experience cannot be matched to similar experiences elsewhere.

Towards the north of Africa, countries like Tanzania and Mozambique along with dive sites such as the Inhambane, Pnemba Island and Lake Malawi are being frequented by scuba divers more often nowadays.

Even though the dive sites of Africa are not as popular as the ones in the Red Sea and the Bahamas, African dive sites offer some of the most rewarding and finest diving experiences in the world.

1. Scuba diving in the Mozambique

Situated in the southeast coast of Africa, the East of Mozambique lies the Indian Ocean while to the north are Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. To the west of Mozambique is Zimbabwe and to the east the South Africa and the South of Swaziland.

Covering an area of 800,000 square kilometer from north to south, and 2500 kilometers from the west to the east, Mozambique is full of fantastic beaches all fringed with vast coral reefs, lagoons and strings of small islands.

Mozambique is also one of the most coveted tourism destinations of Africa with a lot of new International Hotels and award winning luxury lodges. Most of these tourists visit the various palm-tree fringed islands and beaches along the 2500 kilometer long coastline. It is also a haven for scuba divers as the vast stretches of coral reefs and fantastic collection of unique marine life offers great and unique diving experiences.

The Mozambique cultural is a blend of Arab, African and Portuguese influences. The casual and fun-loving African atmosphere still rekindles the Mediterranean charm, while the cuisine is of Afro-Portuguese blend with Latin music surrounding all the clubs and the discos.

The coral reefs of Mozambique are not spoiled and the vast variety of marine life both put together makes it a rewarding experience for divers of all natures and origins. The waters of the Indian Ocean are warm and clear as a crystal with sea temperatures varying between 30 degrees Celsius in summer to 21 degrees Celsius in winter. The coral reefs are formed out of a lot of pinnacles, overhangs, coral arches and many more.

The depth of the reefs varies between 10 meters and 40 meters offering good visibility and excellent photographic opportunities. While the incredible coral reefs attract a wide variety of game fish, they are also home to a lot of brightly coloured small fish like the schooling banner fish, butterfly fish, Moorish idols, barred sweetlips, goldies, striped snappers, and trigger fish.

Some of the most commonly sighted marine animals include dolphins, eels, manta rays, turtle, sharks, huge schools of King fish, giant lobsters, and vast variety of reed fish. Between the months of December and April, the whale sharks can also be spotted and a select few are lucky enough to spot the very rare dugong. Diving lessons are very common for both the novice divers as well as the most experienced.

2. Diving in South Africa

Sodwana Bay is regarded as the Mecca of scuba diving in South Africa. It is a few hours’ drive from Durban towards the north and belongs to the Wetlands Park of Great St. Lucia, which is now one of the listed heritage sites. The scuba diving experience that Sodwana Bay offers is unparalleled in the whole of Africa and the Wetlands Park offers some of the most stunning coastline sceneries. One of the world’s most southern coral reefs is situated in the Sodwana Bay which is continuously fed with warm waters from the Aghulas current.

Sodwana Bay offers a wide variety of marine life display such as the ragged tooth sharks, whale sharks and dolphins apart from other exciting coral and fish varieties. Apart from these, some of the other marine animals that inhabit the Sodwana Bay include Large Potato Bass, moray eels, rays, sharks and turtles throughout the year.

More than any of the above mentioned marine life, it is the sharks that draw huge number of tourists and divers again and again to Sodwana Bay. The ragged tooth sharks are what Sodwana Bay is known for. However, Thresher Sharks, Bull Sharks and Hammerheads can also be found here.

Most of the divers prefer diving from the numerous coral reefs that line the Sodwana Bay and are named according to their distance from the Jesser Point which is the launch area. The visibility in all the reefs vary between 20 meters and 40 meters (occasionally) but the diving conditions are exceptionally good in all the reefs. The water temperatures vary between 29 degree Celsius in summer and about 20 degrees during winter. The summer months are December and January while the winter months are June and July.

2 mile reef which is 1.7 kilometers long and about 900 meters wide is the most popular diving site in Sodwana Bay. It is very popular among divers because of the fact that it is the closest reef to the beach. Although there are good dive sites in this region which include The Overhangs, the Caves, The Pinnacles and the Coral Gardens, the Antons is the most famous.

Some of the finest coral varieties such as the mushroom, plate corals and Staghorn can be seen in the five mile reef which is often frequented by most experienced divers. Throughout the five mile reef fish varieties such as the scorpion fish and flounders can also be found.

The other popular site is the seven mile reef which is also known for the wide variety of marine life it displays. The coverage of coral is also exceptionally good in the seven mile reef and marine life such as the turtles and different types of rays can be found in plenty. Seven mile reef contains a lot of mushroom shaped pinnacles and drop-offs that is very inviting for divers of all types.

The nine mile reef is the farthest of all the diving locations in the Sodwana Bay. It is about 40 minutes drive from the coast and is very well known for the “The large Green Tree”, a coral tree which about 2 meters tall off the reef and is usually surrounded by large schools of small fish. The underwater of the nine mile reef is made up of pinnacles, overhangs and caves and the large number of marine life ensures that the diver has a good time.

Very recently, the Sodwana Bay has been rechristened the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park.

3. Diving in the Nungwi

Nungwi is located about 80 kilometers to the north of Dar Es Salaam off the coast of Tanzania. Zanzibar, north of which lies Nungwi, is one of the undiscovered jewels of the African coast. Though the beaches resemble those of Mauritius and Comores with with white powdery beaches lined with tall cocounut palms, Zanzibar is more suited for an adventurous traveler.

The reefs of the Zanzibar are generally shallow with calm and clean water. The unspoiled corals and the huge variety of marine life have made Zanzibar one of the most superb diving destinations of the world.

4. Diving in the Malawi

In the east of Africa is Lake Malawi, which is an excellent diving destination for both novice divers as well as experienced divers. There are NUAI open water courses for as low as US$120 with Aqua Africa in the Nkata Bay teamed up with ¾ of the worlds tropical fish, crocodiles, hippos and amazing swim throughs, all of these make Malawi a great dive site.

5. Diving in the Mauritius

Caves, Wrecks, Island sites and Shark dives are all available in the Mauritius. Some of the most famous wreck sites include the wreck of the Stella Maru which lies in the North West of Mauritius. The Stella Maru is a Japanese fishing boat lying in the sand at about 25 meters. It is well over 15 years now since the Stella Maru has been buried in the sand in front of the coral reefs.

In the North West Mauritius is the Coral Garden which is full of coral and huge amounts of good fish. It is about 12 to 18 meters deep.

In the North West Mauritius are two barges called the Emilly and Water Lily which are full of colourful fish at about 25 meters deep. It really feels to be great in this site and remember to carry a camera to capture the great scenery underwater.