Current Upwellings
The Latest Dive News

Dive Computer Recall Cuban Travel Warning My Underwater Journal Sea Lice Take The Test Dive Computer Recall February 21, 2005 Dacor's Darwin Air integrated dive computer is being recalled. Darwin Air units with serial numbers 3265 through 3415 and the Dacor Darwin Console dive computers with serial numbers 8503 through 8592 were improperly calibrated, resulting in incorrect calculations. The serial number will be visible on your dive computer's screen after removing and reinserting the batteries. If you own one of these models, you should immediately stop using it and return it to an authorized Dacor dealer for a free repair. Call Head USA at (800) 874-3236 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or log on to http://www.divedacor.com for more info. Cuban Travel Warning February 21, 2005 While travel to Cuba has been banned for decades, for years the restriction was loosely enforced, allowing divers a chance to explore Cuba's reefs by making a quick detour through countries like Canada or Mexico. The Cubans didn't stamp passports, and as long as you took the Cuban baggage stickers off your dive bag and smoked your cigars before you got home, there were few worries. However, over the last four years the Bush administration has been steadily clamping down on Cuban travel, and penalties have now reached onerous levels. Travelers caught today risk fines of up to $65,000 per person plus a chance to add their names to a decidedly unchic social register: the Homeland Security watch list. Some of the cases of divers caught in the crackdown have started working their way into court. Craig Ostrem (Edina, MN) booked a dive trip through Canada in Jan./Feb. of 1999, returning with two bottles of rum, some candy, and artwork valued at $30. He was caught upon reentry and fined $7,500. Last month a judge softened that fine to $780 - certainly a relief, although it's unclear whether Ostrem's name has joined Cat Stevens' in the Homeland Security database. My Underwater Journal February 21, 2005 Cathy Church's how-to books and the numerous articles she's published in Skin Diver over the years, along with her renowned underwater photo centre at Sunset House on Grand Cayman, have secured her place as a teacher of U/W photography. But her new large-format, hardbound book, My Underwater Photo Journey, exhibits Cathy Church the photographic artist. It's a beautiful display of the U/W world as seen through her experienced eye. While the beauty of the photos is reason enough to put this book on your coffee table, there's a bonus: an online site that allows you to access additional commentary and photo tips, making the book an excellent work of art that also instructs. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ivan seems to have set back the addition of some of the online information, so the web material is a work in process. Click here to check out this and other dive-related books. All profits from our book sales go to protect the underwater realm. 145 pages and 144 plates, including some excellent black and white photos, $39.95. Sea Lice February 21 , 2005 Undercurrent is preparing an article on sea lice, and we're gathering first-person accounts. If you have encountered a problem with sea lice, please e-mail the location, time of year, and a short description of your experience to BenDavison@aol.com. Take The Test February 21, 2005 Every ocean is different, from the color of the water to the size of the waves, every beach and shoreline unique. Undercurrent readers are among the best-traveled divers in the world, and they know their oceans. Click here and study this photo. The first person to correctly name from what island this ocean photo was taken wins a six-month subscription to Undercurrent Online. If you are already an online member, your subscription will be extended for an additional six months. E-mail your answer to BenDavison@aol.com. -- 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