Flotsam & Jetsam

MOVING WRECK: The 325' cargo ship Balboa, which lies in the Cayman’s George Town Harbor in 50' of water, will be moved from the entrance to the harbor to allow for dredging of the bay. The Balboa, which sank during a 1932 hurricane, will be hauled up from the bottom and its pieces gathered together at an alternate site. Cayman dive operators welcomed the move as increasing ship traffic has made diving the wreck difficult.

PURGING PEDOPHILES: The British Sub- Aqua Club, the primary training agency for divers in the United Kingdom, has begun screening members for convictions involving pedophilia and any form of cruelty to children. The controversial policy was introduced in the wake of two recent cases in which known pedophiles were drummed out of the club and a third in which an instructor was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. Some members have reacted angrily, claiming it is an unnecessary infringement of their civil liberties. A BSAC spokesman said the clause is aimed at protecting youngsters who attend the BSAC’s snorkeling clubs, which “could be a magnet for these sort of people. . . . one member came up to me and said that not only was he in favor of the policy, but that anyone found to have a pedophile conviction should be taken on one last dive, from which he would not surface.” (from Diver)

FIJI SEASON: Our June article about the Fijian live-aboard Nai’a reported that cyclones are “more likely April- May.” However, according to our own Undercurrent Online Seasonal Dive Planner at Undercurrent, which provides free info regarding best and worst dive seasons for most of the world’s dive destinations, Fiji’s hurricane season is December through March. June through October is the dry, windy winter season with clear but cold (low 70s) water. Summer (November-April) weather is generally warmer (water temp in the 80s), calmer, and somewhat rainier with lower visibility due to plankton blooms. The best time to go depends on your weather and water preferences.