COVER STORY Castle Comfort Lodge, Dominica Not the Same Old Caribbean Above or Below The Caribbean is dotted with low, scrub-covered Caribbean islands where the tallest relief is a bump in the sand, but Dominica is different. It's a land of contrasts: lush rainforests, hot, volcanic springs, high mountains, and deep valleys. The underwater topography is as varied as the topside landscape, with 600-foot walls, gaping craters, and inviting swimthroughs. Though there's spectacular diving, with each dive site different from the last, it's not a place for five-star hotels. One reason it's remained so unspoiled is that development is minimal, and Castle Comfort Lodge is one of the few dive resorts around. Find out the highs and lows of a back-to-nature trip as our correspondent rates the accommodations at Castle Comfort on food, rooms, and service as well as pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of Dive Dominica's dive program.   Diving Dominica's North Side Dominica's north-side diving is very different from the south side, but it's every bit as good. Check out what one reader thought of his two and a half week trip diving the north side of the island and how some local dive operators stacked up. Octoplay Octopuses are the geniuses of the invertebrate world, navigating mazes, unscrewing jars, and escaping into neighboring tanks to feed. Recent research shows they may even know how to play! Spare Air Mystery When I read a Spare Air ad about a diver's air gauge that dropped from 2500 psi to 0 in less than 30 seconds - as all his air rushed out - I decided I needed to find out how it happened. I tried a lot of things, from removing the high-pressure plug on my regulator to anticipating a broken gauge, in an effort to recreate the scenario and figure out what special circumstances could have allowed the tank to empty so quickly. Get the full story. Scuba Drowning Deaths, Part Two: Going It Alone Twenty years ago, even talking about diving alone was heresy, but today, it's become common practice. So many divers prefer not to rely on a buddy for rescue that a group of Australian researchers decided to find out what impact solo diving has had on dive safety. The results are definitely worth reading. How Risky Is Scuba? When a researcher at Brigham Young University asked several hundred men and women to rate the riskiness of "high risk" sports, diving was perceived to be safer than sports like skiing and rock climbing. So why doesn't that perspective translate into increased popularity for our sport? Editor's Notes on DEMA, Travel, and Trouble The dive world's always changing, and 1998 was no exception. Dive mag acquisitions, a new Caribbean island, hurricane damage, live-aboards moving, and a shift from an El Niño to a La Niña year make for a lot of changes. Not to worry: organizations like DEMA and PADI are looking toward the future. Why, PADI even has a new promo to attract the intellectual crowd to scuba: turn a friend onto diving, and earn a chance to appear on an episode of Baywatch! Thumbs Down: Keel Hauled Divers While most divers are helpful folks, there's always the exception to the rule, and readers Keith Young and John Murphy apparently met up with it in Honduras last May. It all started when they followed the wrong strobe on a night dive, came up alongside the wrong boat, and were denied permission to come aboard. They were just trying to get back to the resort, but they didn't expect to get over 800 sea lice stings in the process. Aladin Air-X Nitrox Safety Questioned A Greenville SC jury has rendered a $2 million verdict against Uwatec, the Swiss manufacturer of dive computers, in a suit that has called into question the safety of Uwatec Aladin Air-X Nitrox dive computers manufactured since 1996, a charge the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating. Also unresolved is an investigation of Uwatec's president, Bret Gilliam, on charges of perjury, suborning perjury, and obstruction of justice. Jellyfish Sting Stings from the jellyfish Carukia barnesi can give rise to symptoms that mimic the bends and are extremely painful. Now the syndrome, first encountered in Indonesia a few months ago, has become a troubling malady among divers in Queensland. Learn where Irukandji syndrome has become a problem, how to avoid it, and what to do if you are stung. Flotsam & Jetsam Catch up on the latest news shorts: investigators determine the safety of Luxfer aluminum cylinders after one explodes in New Zealand; diving attains a new milestone as Olympic opening ceremonies are enlarged to include an underwater torch relay; and a treasure hunter with a checkered past bids us all adieu. Check out what underwater exercise does for lobsters and how scientists think Caribbean islands got their animal population, and measure the latest mega-dividend from a cruise ship line recently fined $8 million for dumping at sea.