Flotsam & Jetsam

Apeks Second-stage Regulator Recall. HEAD Watersports has recalled certain Apeks XL4, XL4+, and Apeks Ocea Regulator second stages manufactured between April 2025 and April 2026: A manufacturing defect in the second-stage spindle assembly can restrict the flow of gas at depths exceeding 148 feet, posing a risk of inadequate air supply to the diver at depth. Recalled regulators have serial numbers ranging from 250402212 to 260402893, laser-marked directly onto the second-stage regulator body. Should you have a recalled model, stop using it and return the regulator to either the authorized Apeks dealer from whom it was purchased or an authorized Apeks service center. us.apeksdiving.com/pages/recall-information-xl4-xl4-ocea

Lahaina's Maui Dive Reopens: Three years after it was destroyed in the 2023 wildfires, Maui Dive reopened on July 10. "Losing the shop in the fire broke my heart, but reopening in Lahaina was never in question," said store owner Jessica Pickering. "This town gave me everything I have right now. Rebuilding right here in Lahaina is my way of saying we're still standing, we're still here for our community, and we're ready to enjoy this life with you." https://mauidiving.com

Trump Realizes Maybe We Need Healthy Oceans After All: In June, we reported that the Administration intended to dismantle the $368 million deep ocean observation system, but a pushback from Democrat senators and some Republicans representing coastal fishing states has put a kibosh on the misguided plan. The National Science Foundation had said that it intended to "descope" the Ocean Observatories Initiative by removing most of its ocean-based infrastructure, which had been installed at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, taking instruments out of service from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, Greenland and elsewhere. But on June 18, the NSF buckled, announcing that it would "not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment and will continue operations."

Deep Vanguard Deployed in Florida: Installed 55 feet deep on the seafloor at Tennessee Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, it's the first open-ocean subsea human habitat built, tested, and deployed in the U.S. in 40 years. The reef is of great scientific interest, and Vanguard enables scientists to live and work there for days at a time, dramatically increasing their volume and continuity of research, and, hopefully, accelerating the understanding of coral health, ecosystem dynamics, and the impacts of climate change.

Argentine Instructor Charged with Manslaughter After Trainee Dies. 23-year-old Sofia Devries from Buenos Aires vanished in February during an open water dive off the coast of Punta Cuevas in Argentina. She had been completing her diving certification with instructor Thiago Pocovi and six other trainees. Poor visibility made it difficult for the group to stay together when they reached the bottom at 60 feet, the deepest depth of the dive. She had shown signs of distress, removing her regulator. Her body was found two days later. In July, prosecutors charged Sofia's instructor with manslaughter, citing criminal negligence, with lawyers alleging that Pocovi continued the dive in breach of safety protocols and failed in his duty of care toward the group.