Current Upwellings
The Latest Dive News

Shark: Stories of Life and Death... Snorkeling with Salmon Antimosquito Coils Release Toxic Fumes Court Dismisses Andrea Doria Suit How to Photograph Underwater UWATEC Recall Coming up in October "Shark: Stories of Life and Death from the World's Most Dangerous Waters" September 30, 2003 Nathaniel May has pulled together 20 pieces of great fiction and nonfiction shark stories. His selections mix modern-day monster tales with works that reflect a more complex view of this mysterious species. Arthur C. Clarke tells of pushing his luck almost too far during a surprise encounter with a 10-footer on the Great Barrier Reef. Zane Grey tries to reel in a whale shark and learns that there are limits to his skills. And there's Ernest Hemingway's epic struggle from "The Old Man and the Sea." Other contributors include Peter Matthiessen, James Dickey, Eugenie Clark, Jack London, and Peter Benchley. Paperback, 398 pages, published by Thunder's Mouth Press, $17.95. You can purchase these books at the best discount rates available on our web site. Some of our profits will go directly to preserve coral reefs. Snorkeling with Salmon September 30, 2003 If you live near British Columbia, you can join thousand of migrating salmon in October on a unique shorkeling trip. $89 a person for four hours, which includes two floats down the river and wet suits and snorkeling gear. Paradise Found Adventure Tours Campbell River, British Columbia 800-897-2872 or www.paradisefound.bc.ca. Antimosquito Coils Release Toxic Fumes September 29, 2003 In your room in the tropics you have no doubt burned those green, insecticide-treated spiral strips, letting them smolder through the night to keep mosquitoes at bay. Scientists have found, however, that they can cause asthma and wheezing in children. Furthermore, the smoke carries pollutants such as formaldehyde. A single burning coil can release as much of the carcinogen as 51 cigarettes. The airborne particulates in the smoke are equivalent to those released by 137 cigarettes. Particles that small can carry toxic compounds deep into the lungs. (Science News, July 12, 2003). Court Dismisses Andrea Doria Suit, Upholds Liability Releases September 30, 2003 If you read "Fatal Depth: Deep Sea Diving, China Fever, and the Wreck of the Andrea Doria," by Joe Haberstroh, (reviewed in the July Undercurrent) then you know about Chris Murley, the 350-lb. diver in poor health with fewer than 100 dives, who died on his third attempt to reach the Andrea Doria. His heirs filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Technical Diving International (TDI), Cincinnati Diving Center, and the Deep Explorers, Inc., the operators of the dive boat Seeker. This month, a judge ruled against Murley, upholding the liability release he had signed, which represented that he was exempting the defendants from "any and all liability for personal injury, personal damage, and/or wrongful death, or otherwise, caused by negligence or otherwise ..." The full story will be in the October issue of Undercurrent. Order "Fatal Depth". How to Photograph Underwater September 30, 2003 Norbert Wu has several copies of his excellent books available at deep discount. Go to his website at www.norbertwu.com. Enter the words "Undercurrent special" on the order form and just enter $8 per copy instead of the normal price of $16.95 per copy. Shipping is free. UWATEC Recall September 29, 2003 If you had one of the 6,000 UWATEC SmartPRO and SmartCOM computers recalled in August, there is a 90-day wait for replacement. However, Undercurrent has learned that if you call 800-808-4948 to request priority service you may get it much sooner. Coming up in October September 29, 2003 Cases on Why Divers Die, The Best of Kona, Valet Diving: Where it is and isn't, Dry Suit Foibles, Continuing Instability at the Divers Alert Network, Aggressive Requests for Tipping -- thumbs down to this live-aboard, Divers Bust Shark poachers, New Twists on Theft in Bonaire ... and much, much more! You will get this issue if you subscribe to Undercurrent today. -- Ben Davison, editor/publisher Previous Upwellings I want to get the full story! Tell me how I can become an Undercurrent Online Member and get online access to the complete articles from back issues of Undercurrent as well as thousands of first hand reports on dive operations worldwide, or subscribe to the printed Undercurrent newsletter