Current Upwellings
The Latest Dive News

Bali Air Fare, Round Trip, $559 “Dark Descent: Diving and the Deadly Allure of the Empress of Ireland” Bonaire Town Pier Halcyon Power Inflators Recalled Tanks, Rebreather Bottles and Spare Airs May Be Confiscated Bali Air Fare, Round Trip, $559 June 5, 2004 Been dying to dive Komodo or other splendid Indonesia destination? Now Cathay Pacific is offering a round trip to Bali for $559 from New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. You must purchase the ticket in June, use it between September 1 and November 30 of this year, and there may be stopovers. From New York, there are two aircraft, and the one stopping briefly in Vancouver is the one with more seats (thanks to Undercurrent correspondent Jose Kirchner for the tip). “Dark Descent: Diving and the Deadly Allure of the Empress of Ireland” June 1, 2004 Written by Kevin F. McMurray, the author of “Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria,” this fascinating new book, “Dark Descent,” relates the sinking of The Empress of Ireland, which consigned 1,012 souls to the depths after a collision in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1914. The book also details the development of deep water technical wreck diving, taking readers down 150 feet to discover the controversies of the ship’s last night and subsequent salvage attempts. Best-selling author Clive Cussler calls it “the most comprehensive and impressive account of the investigation of a shipwreck” he’s ever read, adding, “Kevin McMurray has revealed the secrets of the Empress of Ireland in a spellbinding read.” For a good summer read, you can order the book through us and read more about it on our Books page. You can also find plenty of other books for the diver on our website, at the lowest prices anywhere. The profit from any purchases through the Undercurrent website is shared to preserve coral reefs. Hardcover, 270 pages, Amazon price of $16.97. Bonaire Town Pier June 2, 2004 If you like diving the pier, better get there before July 1. It may soon be fenced off to comply with the international Ship and Port Facility Security Code, to make it more secure from terrorist attacks. Bruce Bowker, proprietor of the Carib Inn, told Undercurrent: “I’m not at all sure what will happen immediately, but I would assume that security will be set up at the piers and diving will possibly be banned.” Look for the same to happen anywhere there is a pier to be dived that handles international shipping. Halcyon Power Inflators Recalled June 8, 2004 A defect in the air barrel of a few of the inflators can cause a slow leak into the bladder. The affected units started shipping on all Halcyon BCDs after October 21, 2003, and can be identified by their stainless buttons. Owners should return the entire BCD to their local dealers for a replacement. Halcyon: 800-425-2966 or techservices@halcyon.net Tanks, Rebreather Bottles and Spare Airs May Be Confiscated May 24, 2004 The U.S. Transportation Security Administration specifically prohibits scuba tanks “or any compressed gas cylinders” from being included in carry-on and checked luggage. This prohibition applies to pony tanks and rebreather bottles. Submersible Systems, the makers of Spare Air, interprets the TSA regulation to mean that it’s okay to include a Spare Air in checked luggage (never in a carry on) as along as the valve is off, so the screeners can see it’s empty of compressed air. Undercurrent, however, has received reports that some screeners have confiscated empty Spare Air cylinders, and Spare Air is aware of “15 or 20” Spare Airs being confiscated, which a Spare Air spokesman attributed to untrained inspectors. Keep in mind, when something is confiscated, you may not know it until you get off the plane. -- 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