THE PLIGHT OF THE BIG MAMAS
By Alex Brylske Photo by Joseph C. Dovala
 In
case you haven't already noticed, you'll find an article in this month's
issue on a subject we've never done before. In fact, it's a subject that has
been all but ignored in mainstream recreational scuba magazines since the
1960s. The article in question is Jesse Cancelmo's feature, "The Underwater
Hunter: The History and How-to of Responsible Spearfishing."
Let me begin by saying that I am neither a spear nor line fisherman. I'm the
ultimate hypocrite. While I love eating fish - and a wide assortment of
delicious mammals - I'd never consider taking an active part in the demise
of any potential meal. Whether it's with a hook or a spear, I just find
absolutely no pleasure in trying to catch fish. Still, I recognize that, if
fishing is legal in any form, spearing them is just one legitimate way to
the same end.
Jesse's piece is a great introduction into what has been viewed by many as
the ugly stepchild of diving. But actually, spearfishing really isn't
fishing at all; it's a form of hunting. And as a marine scientist and
conservationist, I'm particularly pleased to see Jesse address the benefits
of the selective nature of underwater hunting. On the surface, the idea that
underwater hunting is superior to the hit-or-miss nature of line fishing
seems to make sense. But before you all run out and burn your fishing rod,
let's consider a possible downside.
The first argument that any line fisher worth his tackle box will mount to
counter the idea of hunting with a spear as a virtue is that there's no such
thing as a catch-and-release form of the latter. After all, you can't throw
back a shish-kabobed undersized fish in hopes that it will grow up, or offer
someone else the experience of catching it again. But that's not my main
beef with underwater hunting. My concern, as well as other conservationists,
is that underwater hunting can in some instances be too selective. Recent
insights into the reproductive biology of fishes have clearly shown that
bigger fish are disproportionately important to the survival of their
species. Bigger mama fish don't just have proportionally more eggs; they
have exponentially more. For example, a 16-inch (40-cm) grouper produces 1
million eggs, whereas a grouper just over twice that size produces 15
million eggs. Equally amazing, a single 24-inch (61-cm) snapper produces the
same number of eggs as 212 16-inch (41-cm) snappers. There's also been some
very recent evidence that the offspring of older male fishes are more likely
to survive than the offspring of smaller, younger males. The message is
clear: Big Mamas (and Daddies) are far more important than we realized.
The recognition that to promote the conservation of fish we must protect
both the very small (young) and very large (old) is the rationale for any
new fisheries rules. "Slot" limits - the regulation that a fish must be
within a certain minimum and maximum size to be kept - is just one example.
Personally, my biggest fear with selective hunting of fish rather than the
more random hook-and-line method is that the Big Mamas may be too
vulnerable. Let's face it, when an underwater hunter talks about being
"selective" he or she may be aiming for the biggest fish. Unfortunately,
taking only the biggest members of a species flies in the face of what we
now know about recovering or maintaining healthy fish stocks.
The purpose of my remarks is not to trash underwater hunting, nor even to
discourage it. It's simply to make it more responsible. I'm confident that
all responsible underwater hunters value a healthy, thriving environment
over the biggest trophy on the reef. Let's just make sure there are enough
Big Mamas left to ensure future generations.
THE PLIGHT OF THE BIG MAMAS
By Alex Brylske Photo by Joseph C. Dovala
In case you haven't already noticed, you'll find an article in this month's
issue on a subject we've never done before. In fact, it's a subject that has
been all but ignored in mainstream recreational scuba magazines since the
1960s. The article in question is Jesse Cancelmo's feature, "The Underwater
Hunter: The History and How-to of Responsible Spearfishing."
Let me begin by saying that I am neither a spear nor line fisherman. I'm the
ultimate hypocrite. While I love eating fish - and a wide assortment of
delicious mammals - I'd never consider taking an active part in the demise
of any potential meal. Whether it's with a hook or a spear, I just find
absolutely no pleasure in trying to catch fish. Still, I recognize that, if
fishing is legal in any form, spearing them is just one legitimate way to
the same end.
Jesse's piece is a great introduction into what has been viewed by many as
the ugly stepchild of diving. But actually, spearfishing really isn't
fishing at all; it's a form of hunting. And as a marine scientist and
conservationist, I'm particularly pleased to see Jesse address the benefits
of the selective nature of underwater hunting. On the surface, the idea that
underwater hunting is superior to the hit-or-miss nature of line fishing
seems to make sense. But before you all run out and burn your fishing rod,
let's consider a possible downside.
The first argument that any line fisher worth his tackle box will mount to
counter the idea of hunting with a spear as a virtue is that there's no such
thing as a catch-and-release form of the latter. After all, you can't throw
back a shish-kabobed undersized fish in hopes that it will grow up, or offer
someone else the experience of catching it again. But that's not my main
beef with underwater hunting. My concern, as well as other conservationists,
is that underwater hunting can in some instances be too selective. Recent
insights into the reproductive biology of fishes have clearly shown that
bigger fish are disproportionately important to the survival of their
species. Bigger mama fish don't just have proportionally more eggs; they
have exponentially more. For example, a 16-inch (40-cm) grouper produces 1
million eggs, whereas a grouper just over twice that size produces 15
million eggs. Equally amazing, a single 24-inch (61-cm) snapper produces the
same number of eggs as 212 16-inch (41-cm) snappers. There's also been some
very recent evidence that the offspring of older male fishes are more likely
to survive than the offspring of smaller, younger males. The message is
clear: Big Mamas (and Daddies) are far more important than we realized.
The recognition that to promote the conservation of fish we must protect
both the very small (young) and very large (old) is the rationale for any
new fisheries rules. "Slot" limits - the regulation that a fish must be
within a certain minimum and maximum size to be kept - is just one example.
Personally, my biggest fear with selective hunting of fish rather than the
more random hook-and-line method is that the Big Mamas may be too
vulnerable. Let's face it, when an underwater hunter talks about being
"selective" he or she may be aiming for the biggest fish. Unfortunately,
taking only the biggest members of a species flies in the face of what we
now know about recovering or maintaining healthy fish stocks.
The purpose of my remarks is not to trash underwater hunting, nor even to
discourage it. It's simply to make it more responsible. I'm confident that
all responsible underwater hunters value a healthy, thriving environment
over the biggest trophy on the reef. Let's just make sure there are enough
Big Mamas left to ensure future generations.
buddy lines
HOOKED ON MNEMONICS
Hooked on Mnemonics
I've devised a simple mnemonic for when I dive with my two children, ages 14
and 16, both of whom are extremely safety minded. The mnemonic is similar to
our predive checklist, "Burger With Relish And Fries," easily remembered by
teenagers. Our mnemonic is a mental checklist for when we begin our descent,
and then later, when we begin our ascent to the surface.
We use "DOCTORS," for our descent, which stands for Descent signal, Orient
our position for descending, Change from snorkel to regulator, Time noted,
Offset buoyancy for wet suit compression, Release air from BC, and then Slow
going. We have a similar mnemonic for our mental checklist upon beginning
our ascent. We use "ACTORS," which we easily remember as Ascent signal,
Controlled ascent always, Time noted, Overhead arms, Release air from BC,
and then Safety stop. It works well for us.
Tony A. Discoe
San Clemente, California
Unqualified Concern
I really enjoy your magazine, and, to be quite honest, if my students or
customers can only afford to get one magazine, I recommend yours. I can only
imagine how difficult it is to come up with new articles and ideas each
month. We have had an issue come up in our store lately. There are a lot of
people out there who think that because they are a certified diver that they
can teach someone else to dive. The worst case I have had recently was a
mother who said her 7-year-old son dove in the pool with his dad all the
time. She said that Dad was planning on getting him his own small tank so
that they could dive together. After I explained to her why I thought this
wasn't a good idea, I hope she went home and relayed it to Dad. We have had
a number of people like that lately. I have always told people that they can
die scuba diving even in a shallow pool. I hope you can address this in a
future issue. Keep up the good work.
Linda Hannifin
Midland, Texas
Story, Photo Disagree
I am a longtime subscriber to your magazine and have learned a lot by
reading the many articles about scuba safety that you publish.
However, I was surprised when I read the article "Sharing the Adventure: The
Buddy System Re-examined," (Dive Training, July 2007) and especially the
photo that accompanies it. On Page 39, you state that the octopus should be
attached to the BC [buoyancy compensator] inside the "golden triangle," that
easy-to-reach area between the chin and the bottom of the rib cage. This is
the method supported by many of the training agencies. The diver in blue in
the photo has the octopus clipped to the bottom right of the BC, nowhere
near the chest area.The same diver has his mask perched on his forehead. A
mask on the forehead is the sign that a diver is in trouble. This is
re-enforced in the article on Page 114, "Final Check: What it Looks Like
When...You Play It Safe On the Surface" and in many other articles that you
have printed.
John Shore
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Editor's note: Thank you for closely scrutinizing the photos that
accompany the article. We agree with and support standardized scuba
equipment configurations and we recognize that many divers, for a variety of
reasons, choose to configure their equipment differently. Divers who choose
alternative methods for gearing up should make sure their dive buddy or
buddies are familiar with it. In the future we will strive to see that the
photos we publish more closely illustrate the articles.
As to the mask on the forehead as a "sign that a diver is in trouble," it's
not always true. Some divers who are in no trouble at all elect to wear
their masks on their foreheads. Granted, the diver who chooses to wear his
or her mask on the forehead may be at greater risk of losing the mask, but
isn't necessarily a diver in trouble.
Tethered Dive Platforms
In Alex Brylske's response to the question about using a Jet ski as a dive
platform (No Dumb Questions, September 2007), you failed to mention that a
number of PWC (personal watercraft) have been outfitted with compressors and
are being used as tethered dive platforms. The majority of the ones that I
have seen have two 60-foot lines with second stages attached to the bitter
end.
Don Ferguson
San Antonio, Texas
dive observer
DIVE SCHOOLS AWAIT GOVERNMENT DECISION ON BRIDGES
By Gene Gentrup
In the aftermath of the tragic Mississippi River bridge collapse in
Minneapolis on August 1, the scuba diving world is getting some unusual
attention, and it's coming in many forms:
Some of the world's most highly trained scuba divers - the U.S. Navy dive
team - have been called on to carefully navigate the twisted steel and
concrete from the downed Interstate 35 bridge. Their mission: Search for
victims and any clues as to why the structure came crashing down.
The tragedy has propelled the issue of deficient bridges onto center stage,
and Congress is now discussing where to find enough money to fix the
problem, and possibly prevent a similar tragedy. Divers could be called upon
to inspect and repair the structures in numbers never seen before.
Feeding a media appetite for a diver's perspective, especially diving in
conditions like those encountered in the Minneapolis search-and-recovery,
dive store and commercial dive school officials have found themselves the
subject of newspaper and television interviews.
Navy Dive Team
The Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) team of Navy divers assisting in
search-and-recovery consists of 16 divers and a five-member command crew.
The divers battled swirling currents and low visibility. In addition, steel
rebar and concrete from the bridge itself can hook hoses or trap divers,
making for treacherous conditions.
President George W. Bush visited Minneapolis on August 21 and thanked the
divers for their work during search-and-recovery operations. Bush arrived at
the 934th Air Reserve Base aboard Air Force One, and following a briefing on
the search-and-recovery operations with state and federal officials, Bush
was escorted to a hangar bay where he met with the divers. He shook hands
with each one, thanking them for their efforts and service.
"Thank you also for your prayers and the compassion you've shown to the
families (these past few weeks)," Bush told the divers.
Bush also posed for a group photo, holding a dive helmet that his father,
former President George H. W. Bush, also held in a group photo with another
MDSU detachment in 1992. Bush then gave each of the divers a presidential
challenge coin before departing.
Commercial Dive Schools
A few weeks after the bridge collapse, commercial dive schools said they
have not seen a notable increase in enrollments. But with the spotlight now
on bridges across the country, and a likely surge in the requirement and
need for underwater bridge inspection and repair, that may change. That
said, the demand for commercial divers is already high. There is generally
more demand for commercial diving graduates than the number of students the
schools around the country can train, and it's been that way for a number of
years. Normally a cyclical business, the commercial diving industry has been
unusually strong, aided in part by already-increasing demands of the inland
infrastructure and oil rig repair in the Gulf of Mexico, part of the
continuing repair work from Hurricane Katrina. If a larger labor demand
develops, hopefully all the publicity about infrastructure repair will
prompt an increase in interest in commercial diving as a career.
Media
An online story from a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, television station is
typical of stories written across the country about the bridge accident. The
story "Divers Doing Important Jobs" includes not only a favorable headline
to the dive industry, but it also explains that diving in bad conditions is
something that many divers around the country routinely do, whether
searching for bodies or evidence.
"A lot of people get on dive teams and think, oh gee, I'm a great
recreational diver and like to dive in the pretty Carribean water and then
they get thrown into the Sioux River [South Dakota] with an eight-mile
current and no visibility," one diver said in the story.
An Associated Press story included rave reviews about the Navy dive team
after they entered the water shortly after they arrived - in the middle of
the night. Local officials encouraged them to wait and enter the water after
daybreak. The divers didn't listen.
"Two in the morning, they dove into the water," Minneapolis Police Capt.
Mike Martin said, calling them "the best divers in the world."
Martin said that the situation was so dangerous that Navy divers were the
only ones skilled enough to handle the search, he told the Associated Press.
"The divers are facing extremely swift currents, experiencing very dark and
deep places where lights aren't going to be able to help them see what
they're doing," EMT Adam Wojciekhowski told CBS News.
Another story published by Popular Mechanics addressed the use of remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs) in the search-and-recovery mission.
PHOTO: Navy Diver 1st Class Joshua Harsh, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU)
2 from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia, surfaces after
completing a salvage dive in the Mississippi River as the vehicle he and his
team rigged is lifted from the water. PHOTO BY SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
ANDREW MCKASKLE
DIVING NOTES AND NEWS
SCIENTISTS TAKE UNDERWATER ROBOT ON BLACK SEA EXPEDITION
 Using
an underwater robot, University of Delaware marine scientists will help
reveal the mysteries of the Black Sea's geology and maritime history,
including ages-old shipwrecks, during an international expedition now under
way.
The Institute for Exploration and the Institute for Archaeological
Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of
Oceanography are leading the mission, which will conduct geological and
archaeological research in the Aegean and Black Seas - waterways that have
served as major trade routes for centuries.
Robert Ballard, oceanography professor at the University of Rhode Island,
and president of the Institute for Exploration, is the principal
investigator on the research cruise.
The expedition will shed light on important geological features in the
Mediterranean while also uncovering vital information about ancient trade
routes and the maritime history of the Black Sea, said Ballard, perhaps best
known for locating the sunken ocean liner Titanic in 1985.
Last year, in partnership with the Department of Underwater Heritage in
Ukraine, Ballard's research team found numerous shipwrecks in the Black Sea,
including a vessel from the Byzantine period that will be revisited and
explored during this expedition.
The research vessel NRV Alliance will serve as the scientists' home, lab and
the platform from which remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) with
high-definition cameras will be deployed to provide high-resolution images
of the deep.
From the Ukrainian research vessel Flamingo, Art Trembanis, University of
Delaware assistant professor of marine and Earth studies, and two graduate
student, together with colleagues from the Center for Coastal and Ocean
Mapping at the University of New Hampshire and Ballard's own team, will
operate the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) DOERRI (pronounced "Dory"),
which stands for "Delaware Oceanographic and Environmental Research Remote
Instrument."
The 83-inch-long (221-cm), 240-pound (108-kg) DOERRI, which Trembanis
designed, will map the seafloor of the Black Sea off Sevastopol, Ukraine, on
missions up to 14 hours long and to depths of about 656 feet (200 m).
The DOERRI carries a sophisticated sensor system including devices to
measure salinity, temperature and oxygen levels and two types of advanced
sonar systems for mapping the seafloor. Multiple computers and safety
features work in tandem to keep the systems operating, and to safely return
the vehicle back to the ship at the end of each day.
In many ways, DOERRI may serve as the scientists' "agent into the unknown"
much like the AUV's namesake, the cartoon fish "Dory," did in the Disney
film "Finding Nemo."
"Just like her eponymous namesake, we hope that DOERRI will be a finder of
lost things," Trembanis said. "We hope DOERRI will provide unrivaled data
that will allow us to discover very ancient shipwrecks, previously unknown,
on the Black Sea floor," he said. "Along the way, DOERRI will also give us
new insights into the dynamics of dissolved oxygen and internal waves that
help to shape and mold the seafloor."
Shipwrecks in the Black Sea often are remarkably well-preserved due to the
waterway's chemistry. Nearly 90 percent of the Black Sea is a no-oxygen
"dead zone," where only a few bacteria live.
"At depths beyond 150 meters (495 feet), the Black Sea is not unlike a giant
natural bell jar from which life-supporting oxygen has been entirely
removed," Trembanis said.
Live video from the expedition will be available on the Web site of
Immersion Presents, the expedition's education partner (www.immersionpresents.org),
on the Institute for Archaeological Oceanography Web site at (http://iao.gso.uri.edu)
and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Explorer
Web site at
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.
In memoriam. Jim Watt, an underwater
photographer whose photos were published in more than 400 books and
magazines, died July 19, 2007, after a 15-month battle with lung cancer. He
was 56.
Born in 1951 in Los Angeles, Watt learned to dive at the age of 14. As a
child he was inspired by a TV program about diving off California's Catalina
Island. In the early '70s he started to take underwater photographs, a hobby
he continued to pursue while working as a commercial abalone diver, medical
technician and live-aboard dive boat captain.
He became a full-time professional marine life photographer in 1982 and
quickly established himself on the wildlife photography scene. Over the last
25 years his images have been published in more than 400 books and
magazines. Nine years ago Watt and his family moved to Hawaii, where he
spent his final year battling lung cancer.
For more information about Watt and his work, visit
www.oceanstock.com.
EVENTS
2007 HISTORICAL DIVING SOCIETY CONFERENCE OCTOBER 26-28
The 2007 Historical Diving Society Conference will return to the famous
Greek sponge diving community of Tarpon Springs, Florida, October 26-28,
2007. Tarpon Springs is about an hour's drive from Orlando, Florida.
The Historical Diving Society has partnered with the City of Tarpon Springs
for this year's conference. The conference will include the Friday evening
"City Welcoming Reception" at the historic Sponge Exchange, full Saturday
conference at Tarpon City Hall, and an awards banquet with Zale Parry at The
Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort. There will also be a traditional Greek sponge
diving demonstration on Sunday.
Presentations at the conference:
"Wooden Tanks and Live Sharks" by Zale Parry. Internationally recognized as
the pioneer female Hollywood diver, Parry carved her own unique spot in
diving history when it was predominantly a "man's world." In 1954 she set a
new international scuba depth record, and was on the cover of Sports
Illustrated in 1955. Her career includes appearances in "Sea Hunt," "Kingdom
of the Sea," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," and "The Aquanauts." Parry
will recount her adventures on both sides of the Hollywood underwater
camera.
"The History of Great White Shark Diving" by Carl Roessler. From the early
Australian adventures to current world operations, Roessler will recap the
history of controlled (and some uncontrolled) encounters with the ocean's
ultimate predator. Roessler has hundreds of "in cage" hours filming the
Great White Shark. He is a pioneer of diving tourism, having operated tours
to diving's remotest regions since the 1960s.
"Hollywood Underwater" by Kent Rockwell. From "20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea," "Sea Hunt" and "The Creature From the Black Lagoon," this program is
an overview of diving in the movies and on TV. Rockwell is the associate
editor of Historical Diver magazine and a leading authority on scuba
history, including the behind-the-scenes history of TV's first major diving
show, "Sea Hunt."
"The Sponge Divers of Tarpon Springs" by Tom Lowe. Tom is head of Eagle
Productions and maker of the critically acclaimed PBS documentary on the
history of the divers of Tarpon Springs. Lowe will lead a visual journey
back through time, from the birth of American sponge diving up to the
challenges of the modern-day sponge diver.
"The Japanese Divers of California" by Scrap Lundy. Internationally
recognized as one of the leading authorities on the history of abalone
diving, Lundy's 1997 book on the subject sold out. In this presentation
Lundy will show the development of a diving industry on the opposite coast
of America that was also established and developed by immigrants starting in
the late 1800s.
Conference tickets are $35 each and available. Tickets for the awards
banquet cost $55 each, and tickets are limited. "Smart Casual" dress is
required for the awards banquet.
Tickets are available from the HDS office at (805) 934-1660, Monday through
Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific time. To get tickets by e-mail, put HDS
Conference in the subject box and contact the HDS office at hds@hds.org.
The conference hotel is The Hampton Inn and Suites, 39284 U.S. 19 North,
Tarpon Springs. When booking, mention that you are part of the HDS block to
get the reduced conference rate. Early booking is highly recommended. For
reservations call (727) 945-7755.
Transportation will be provided from the hotel to and from each event. More
details on this event will be posted at www.hds.org.
'LEGEND OF THE SEA'
TO ADDRESS GATEWAY HAMMERHEADS
Legendary filmmaker Stan Waterman is scheduled to speak at the annual
banquet of the Gateway Hammerheads, set for 6:30 p.m. November 17 at View
Over Westport, Westport Plaza, St. Louis.
Earlier this year the "Beneath the Sea" dive show and the Historical Diving
Society honored Waterman as their "Legend of the Sea."
Tickets for the St. Louis event cost $75 for Gateway Hammerhead members and
$85 for nonmembers. Admission includes a meet-and-greet with Waterman,
dinner and dessert, the presentation, an open bar, and prizes. Waterman will
sign copies of his book "Sea Salt" before and after dinner. Copies will be
available for purchase.
For more information, e-mail n2airnsea@charter.net or call (314) 497-4828.
ENTRIES SOUGHT FOR 'BENEATH THE SEA' PHOTO, VIDEO CONTESTS
Beneath the Sea 2008 invites underwater photographers and videographers to
its annual "Worldwide Underwater Photo/Video Competition."
The deadline is December 31. Prizes include a live-aboard trip to Fiji. For
contest rules and entry blank visit Beneath the Sea at its Internet site:
http://www.beneaththesea.org. There you may see the images of previous
winners, get a set of rules and regulations, and download an application
form for this year's competition.
The winners of the Beneath the Sea 2008 Worldwide Photo/Video Competition
will be announced at the Saturday Night Film Festival the weekend of Beneath
the Sea's Ocean Adventure Exposition and Dive Travel Show, March 28-30,
2008, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. In
addition to the awards that each grand-prize winner will receive, there will
be prizes for placing first, second and third.
There is a contest hotline, (718) 409-0240. For more information about
Beneath the Sea, call (914) 664-4310, e-mail info@Beneaththesea.org, or
visit www.Beneaththesea.org.
OUR WORLD-
UNDERWATER SHOW ANNOUNCES 2008 DATES
The 38th annual Our World-Underwater Show is scheduled for February 15-17,
2008, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, in Rosemont Illinois. The
show features hundreds of booths on dive travel, equipment, environmental
agencies, training and retailers.
A number of workshops covering various aspects of diving will be held
throughout the weekend including equipment repair, dive medicine training,
photography, videography, archaeology and treasure hunting. The popular film
festival also will return.
The host hotel for the 2008 show is the newly renovated Hyatt Regency
O'Hare, adjacent to the convention center. Rooms can be reserved directly
from the show Web site online or by calling direct (800) 233-1234. Callers
should mention that they are registering for the Our World-Underwater Show
to receive the show rate.
For additional information contact
Eileen@ourworldunderwater.com.
always learning
HONORING A HIGH-WATTAGE FRIENDSHIP:
Remembering My Friend Jim
Story and photos by Marty Snyderman
 As
soon as the skiff maneuvered into position and the skipper gave us the
go-ahead, Jim and I slipped as quietly as we could into La Paz Bay in
Mexico's Sea of Cortez. It isn't always easy to be calm and quiet when
entering the water from a skiff, especially when your heart is in your
throat because you think that in a matter of a few seconds you could find
yourself face to face with the biggest fish in the sea, a whale shark. But
experience had taught both of us that getting into the water without making
a lot of noise when freediving with big animals can be the difference
between getting the photographs we want and getting nothing but tired and
frustrated.
Jim and I had already agreed that we would enter the water as quietly as
possible with cameras in hand, and once we were in the water, without
surfacing, we would quickly tuck our upper bodies so we were in a horizontal
or head-slightly-down orientation. Then we would kick toward where we
thought the whale shark would be with our bodies and fins submerged.
I had learned this technique - enter quietly, tuck, level out and kick -
from Jim roughly 20 years earlier while we photographed ocean sunfish off
San Diego. Jim had a lot of open-ocean experience and was a very
accomplished freediver. Not only was he a very graceful diver who could hold
his breath for a long time, Jim was extremely efficient at minimizing his
oxygen-consuming effort without sacrificing the momentum gained when sliding
into the water.
Jim had the photographs to prove the value of his techniques. So from my
perspective, there was no need to reinvent the wheel. I just wanted to learn
from a master who was willing to share his knowledge.
As the combination of good luck and preparation would have it, shortly after
kicking away from the skiff Jim and I soon found ourselves looking right
into the open mouth of a whale shark that was feeding on concentrations of
plankton. For the next several minutes we composed and shot as fast as we
could, and both of us got some great images.
One of my photographs was of Jim with his camera raised to his eye while he
was right in front of the oncoming, open-mouthed whale shark. I showed the
shot to Jim and others on the boat later that day, and for the rest of the
trip everyone was calling Jim "Jonah," in reference to the biblical story of
Jonah and the whale.
That dive with the whale shark was just one of many wonderful diving
experiences I enjoyed with my friend Jim, and the memory brought a smile to
my face. The smile was unexpected, because it came amid grief; Jim died
recently, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer.
You might know him as James Watt or James D. Watt, as those were the ways
his name usually appeared in photo credits with his published works. I know
him as Jim, Jimmy, Jimbo, Watt, Jonah and as a friend.
For the last three decades or so, Jim's photographs have appeared in
numerous publications all over the world. He was especially well known for
his images of whales, dolphins, sharks and other large or unusual animals,
and he was often one of the teaching "photo pros" at underwater photographic
events. Jim loved the ocean and he never hesitated to speak up in behalf of
conservation causes and policies founded in common sense.
As a way of honoring my friend and dealing with my grief I went and sat up
on a cliff that overlooks the ocean near my house. While there I thought
about the many good times I had with Jim and the things I learned from and
with him. Somewhere into my time on the cliff I realized that I was smiling
a lot. Despite the intense feelings of grief, there are a lot of good
memories.
I smiled when I remembered how happy Jim was with an image of a goatfish
being cleaned by a Hawaiian cleaner wrasse. He took the photo on our last
dive together in Kona, Hawaii, this past May. Jim was in a battle for his
life, but that did not make him bitter or prevent him from getting pleasure
from a dive and a pleasing underwater photograph.
I remembered another day in the Sea of Cortez when we were diving at a sea
lion rookery. One of Jim's great teachings as a photographer was to always
push himself and his friends to "think outside the box" and photograph
animals in ways we hadn't shot them before. That philosophy is one of the
reasons that Jim's works always stood out.
That day at the sea lion rookery, while the rest of us were in the water
photographing sea lion pups, Jim inched his way up to the rocky shoreline
where he positioned himself directly below a large bull that was perched
upright on a rock. From water level at the shoreline Jim was looking skyward
toward a towering 600- to 800-pound (273- to 364-kg) animal. The bull was
looking downward and Jim ended up with an absolutely stunning shot of the
body and face of a bull sea lion framed against the crisp blue sky. I had
never seen an image like it before, and I have never seen one like it since.
The image was truly "out of the box," but that was so typical of my friend
Jim. He was widely known among his peers for pushing the envelope in
creativity when shooting marine wildlife. Jim was also known as a master of
"split images," a type of photograph in which the subject matter is partly
underwater and partly in air or on land, and he was one of the first
underwater photographers to commit to digital image making.
I smiled again when I thought of how Jim relished sharing tales of
photographing alligators while sitting in a lawn chair under an umbrella and
enjoying a cold drink. He had rigged up what photographers refer to as a
"pole cam," a device that supports a camera at the end of a pole so the
camera can be placed underwater while the photographer retains the ability
to trip the shutter from a topside location. In this case, Jim could see the
alligator on the surface from his chair in the shade. When the animal got
close to his camera, he tripped the shutter, and as was so typical of him,
Jim acquired some one-of-a-kind split images.
But what brought a bigger smile to my face was the memory of Jim chiding a
bunch of other photographers in good fun by telling us "taking pictures
underwater isn't hard." Tongue-in-cheek, Jim would grin and make his point
by saying, "I got this shot without even getting wet. Nothing to it!"
Jim was always quick to help other photographers get images they wanted. In
many instances these were people who licensed the use of their images in the
same marketplace where Jim was trying to market his work, and who,
therefore, might be considered Jim's competition. But to Jim these so-called
competitors were his friends and colleagues, so he helped as requested.
Along the same lines, I'd often get a congratulatory e-mail or a phone call
from Jim when he saw one of my published images that he appreciated, and I
am certain that I was not alone in this regard. He was always quick to
"share the stage" with other underwater photographers and filmmakers at
diving events where he showed his work. To Jim, the shows were about a
celebration of the ocean and nature, not for the public recognition. To me
these qualities say a lot about who Jim was as a human being and as a
friend, and that thought made me smile.
I am going to miss my friend Jim Watt. I know that the grieving process and
figuring out ways to get on with life is different for others, and what
works for me won't necessarily work for everyone. But for me, while I sat on
the cliff I decided that instead of thinking about Jim's passing and the
last few weeks of his life, I am going to make every effort to take the good
from the times we enjoyed together and put to use the photographic, diving
and life lessons I learned from those times as I live out the remainder of
my life. I also want to share those experiences and life lessons with
others. I think that is the best way I can honor my friend and his love
affair with diving, the sea and all its creatures.
no dumb questions
WEIGHTING FOR DIVING, ASSISTANCE FROM BUDDIES, LIGHTNING STRIKES
 Q:Gray Pruitt
writes this month with a question about what may be the single most common
topic addressed in this column: buoyancy control. "Has Dive Training (or for
that matter, any source) ever published a chart showing how different dive
environments and different types of equipment can affect how much weight a
diver needs to dive with? For example, I normally dive in the Caribbean
using a 5- or 3-millimeter suit (depending on the time of year) and steel
tanks. I know from experience how much weight I need. However, recently I
dove in a quarry using an aluminum tank and wearing a wet suit (including
hood, gloves and booties). Having little experience diving under these
conditions, I severely underestimated the amount of additional weight I
needed. Had a weight chart been available, I might have known about how much
more I'd need, and dialed in the exact amount during my buoyancy check."
A:To my knowledge, the most comprehensive chart containing guidelines on
weighting was published many years ago as part of a video produced for
PADI's Specialty Diver course, Peak Performance Buoyancy. I've provided it
on the previous page.
While I've found this chart to provide a useful starting point, remember
that no two people are alike in their body size (displacement) and equipment
configuration. This makes it very difficult to give precise recommendations
on how much weight to wear under any given circumstance. That's why it's
always a good idea to spend a few minutes fine-tuning your weights and
buoyancy after any long period of inactivity, or if you change your
equipment configuration. As you indicated, you should always conduct a
neutral buoyancy check, and make any adjustments before continuing your
dive.
Q:From a reader identifying him or herself only as "an avid diving
enthusiast" came this question. "Have you any suggestions for those
handicapped divers who cannot use the 'Figure 4' method to remove their
fins? I had a hip replacement and am having a difficult time removing my
left fin because I cannot cross my legs. Being an independent soul, I shy
away from asking other divers for help as much as possible. As I am sure I
am not the only diver with this dilemma, I would appreciate an article in
which you share this knowledge with all us handicappers. If you have tips
for putting equipment on they would also be appreciated."
A:You'll be happy to know that we do, in fact, have an article planned for
next year that will address these issues. However, in the interim, let me
provide this advice. One of the most fundamental aspects of scuba diving is
the buddy system because divers assisting one another is a common and
necessary part of safety. And this doesn't just apply to critical
situations. For example, to avoid straining my back, I commonly ask for help
when donning my tank; and I almost always need some assistance in zipping up
my rear-entry wet suit. So, having your buddy or boat crewmember help you
remove your fin seems eminently reasonable.
A broader issue brought up by your question is how diving is beginning to
change because of the aging population of its participants (this will be the
subject of our article). Probably the most common example of how technique
is changing is what I mentioned before - dealing with back problems. To
divers waving goodbye to middle age, this is no small matter considering the
weight we must bear when entering the water using the standard giant stride
technique. To address the situation, an increasing number of divers now opt
to don their scuba systems in the water rather than prior to entry. You can
expect to see more of these adapted scuba techniques become standard in
years to come. For now, I take solace in a tag line from an old TV
commercial: You're not getting older, you're getting better! Relax and don't
feel bad about asking for help when you need it, or just want it.
Q:Jesse Jourgensen had an interesting question that I've never addressed in
this column. "I read that someone in Florida was killed recently by
lightning while scuba diving. According to the press report, it struck his
tank while he was swimming back to the boat on the surface. This bizarre
incident started an argument between me and some of my dive buddies. The
disagreement is over what a diver should do during a lightning storm. My
opinion is that, if you're on board a boat, stay on board, but if you're in
the water, stay there, too. One of my dive buddies says you should always
exit the water. Another maintains that you're always safer in the water than
out, so get in the water if you see lightning coming. I haven't seen this
issue addressed anywhere. What's your advice?"
A:First, some perspective. Lightning is something everyone should take
seriously. Potentially, it's the biggest weather danger that mariners -
including divers - face. In fact, each year lightning kills more people in
the United States than tornadoes and hurricanes combined. Only floods are
more deadly. The stats are pretty grim. According to the National Weather
Service, over the past 30 years, on average, floods kill 139 people
annually. Tornadoes account for 82 deaths per year, and hurricanes 27. By
comparison, on average lightning kills 87.
Now for the good news. According to NASA, data from their satellites show
that, compared with land, the oceans rarely get hit with lightning.
Apparently, it's because in most places the surface water doesn't get warm
enough to cause the positive charge needed for a lightning strike to happen.
However, around 10 percent of lightning deaths in the United States occur in
or near the water. (Sorry, the stats don't indicate what the victims were
doing at the time.)
We do know that lightning generally strikes the highest point in the
vicinity, which is why a tree isn't a good place to take shelter during a
thunderstorm. This means that if you're in a boat during a thunderstorm, it
- and the people on board - are the highest things around. This is probably
why one of your friends said he'd opt to get in the water. The problem is
that when lightning hits the water, the electricity flows through it.
It may sound like a cop-out but the truth is that scientists don't really
know a lot about what happens when lightning hits open water. Probably, the
electrical current spreads in all directions, and quickly weakens as it
spreads. Evidence for this is that masses of dead fish aren't found after
thunderstorms at sea. So the distance over which the current weakens is
probably very short, probably within the range of 30 feet (9 m) from the
strike. Still, as a diver, I wouldn't want to be the subject in an
experiment to test the theory. We do know that, while water conducts
electricity well, it does not "attract" lightning.
Another aspect of lightning safety is that most people are not killed during
a storm but either before or after. This fact led the Lightning Safety Group
of the American Meteorological Society to update their recommendations. The
group noted that "many lightning casualties occur in the beginning, as the
storm approaches... Also, many lightning casualties occur after the
perceived threat has passed." Therefore, "[g]enerally speaking, if an
individual can see lightning and/or hear thunder, he or she is already at
risk. Louder or more frequent thunder indicates that lightning activity is
approaching, increasing the risk for lightning injury or death." You should
also be aware that the danger from a lightning strike can persist as long as
30 minutes after a storm has passed and the last thunder is heard.
Unfortunately, lightning has been known to hit as far as 20 miles (32 km)
from the nearest cloud, and far from any rain source. The take-home message
is simple: If you see just one lightning bolt or hear one clap of thunder,
get into a safe place. Of course, it's a bit more problematic for scuba
divers.
According to the National Weather Service Lightning Safety Web site (www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.
htm), boaters should exercise the following precautions. First, always have
a radio that can receive the NOAA weather channel, and make sure that you
monitor it. For small vessels with no cabin, the best advice is to avoid
boating when thunderstorms are forecast. Or, return to port and seek shelter
in a building or vehicle.
Boats with cabins offer a safer but far from perfect environment. Safety is
increased if the boat has a properly installed lightning protection system.
First, lower, remove or tie down the radio antenna and other protruding
devices if they're not part of the lightning protection system. If you're
inside the cabin, stay away from metal and all electrical components.
Importantly, stay off the radio unless it is an absolute emergency. If
you're caught out in a small open boat, then you should anchor and get as
low as possible.
The Weather Service's advice for scuba divers is also enlightening (couldn't
resist). "If the boat you are in does not have a safe cabin to be in during
lightning activity, then you are safer diving deep into the water for the
duration of the storm or as long as possible. Your first choice is to head
in and get in a safe building or vehicle." This could be the rationale for
your friend's opinion that it's safer in the water than out. However, as the
diver death you mentioned shows, the real issue seems to be depth. You're
safe as a diver provided you are well underwater, not on or near the
surface.
DT Quiz
Test your knowledge of the information featured in this month's issue of
Dive Training.
1. Six months of
commercial diver training at a cost of $20,000 can lead to job growth with
starting pay in what range?
A. $10,000 to $20,000
B. $20,000 to $30,000
C. $30,000 to $40,000
D. $40,000 to $60,000
2. The best coping strategy for dealing with fearful situations is:
A. Diving with a buddy
B. Learning breath control
C. Avoiding the situation
D. Closing your eyes
3. Spearfishing combines which sports:
A. Hunting
B. Fishing
C. Diving
D. All of the above
4. A diver's greatest buoyancy challenge occurs in the first:
A. 3 feet of depth
B. 13 feet of depth
C. 23 feet of depth
D. 33 feet of depth
5. The Philippines are comprised of how many islands?
A. 3
B. 20
C. More than 1,700
D. 3,000
6. Advantages of a public charter flight over a scheduled airline flight
include:
A. Lower price
B. Better chance for a nonstop flight
C. Often not being required to purchase a ticket in advance
D. All of the above
7. Storytelling helps instructors:
A. Make students feel like
"one of the gang"
B. Generate student interest in a subject
C. Impress on students important concepts
D. All of the above
8. Camera system O-rings should be inspected:
A. Prior to each time you take the camera into the water.
B. Monthly
C. Annually
D. None of the above
9. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is actually a:
A. Dolphin
B. Sea horse
C. Sea bass
D. Squid
10. Identifying marks for scuba gear should:
A. Be contrasting
B. Show up easily
C. Not fall off, rub off, dissolve or fade
D. All of the above
Answers: 1. D 2. B 3. D 4. D 5. C 6. D 7. D 8. A 9. A 10. D
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