Current Upwellings
The Latest Dive News

Website for Travelers Bonaire Ripoff Ms. Eddy's Wild Ride Key West Dive Boat Captain Dies Speigel Grove Website for Travelers:  August 2005 Www.medicinenet.com provides information on immunizations, medications for maladies such as diarrhea and malaria, antibiotics to carry, and dealing with motion sickness. A section called Travel RX answers such common questions as how to best pack your drugs. Bonaire Ripoff:  August 2005 Undercurrent has reported about continuing theft and robbery on Bonaire, but now the Bonaire Reporter has several reports of people getting cheated at local filling stations. The actions involved "duplicate credit-card billing from the 'auto pump,' being charged more than shown on the pump meter - the attendant blocks the view of the pump meter, incorrect change being given, and dispute over the denomination of the bill presented after being given incorrect change." Be forewarned, you shore divers with rental vehicles. Ms. Eddy's Wild Ride:  August 2005 A 40-year-old diver in Lake Michigan had the ride of her life in July, after she vanished in front of her buddies. While diving at 40 feet, Joan Eddy was sucked into an 8-ft. wide water intake pipe for the Consumers Energy power plant. She was pulled half a mile, until she emerged in an open-air canal where plant workers found her. Her trip took seven minutes and the only physical injury was a bloody nose, though we can imagine seven minutes of stark terror. The pipe had no grates nor warning signs. A Consumers Energy's representative said: "Divers need to be aware of the area and avoid the pipe. It is a diver's responsibility to use all due caution whenever they dive, whether it be in a shipwreck or in caves or near an intake for an industrial facility." Yeah, right. Key West Dive Boat Captain Dies:  August 2005 Ralph Chiaro was driving Subtropic Dive Center's 42-foot Island Diver near Garrison Bight on July 29, when he leaned into the hatch for some engine maintenance. His hair became entangled in the engine's machinery, pulling him in and killing him instantly. Chiaro started as a divemaster at Subtropic seven years ago. Divers remember him by his daily announcement "The eagle has landed," as he docked at the end of each day. Speigel Grove:  August 2005 When that 510 ft. ship was sunk off Key Largo as an artificial reef, the Florida diving community went bonkers because it inadvertently landed on its side. Well, now it's upright, thanks to powerful current from Hurricane Dennis, which flipped it right-side up. It's open for divers, but many Florida dive operators don't measure up to the standards of Undercurrent readers, so check the Chapbooks or, go on line if you're an OnLine member, before you select one to take you there. -- 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