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The Latest Dive News

Galapagos Liveaboards Shut Down :  August 13, 2007

On July 9, the Galapagos National Park (GNP) immediately suspended dive operations in the area, affecting 15 liveaboards. Some have stopped running, others are only doing Southern itineraries and skipping Wolf and Darwin Islands. Only Peter Hughes' Sky Dancer and the Galapagos Aggressors I and II are still operating. They have special GNP permits to combine diving and land activities while the others do not, however the GNP hasn't required these permits in the 18 years Galapagos liveaboards have been diving. The decision came a week after the United Nations placed the GNP on the list of World Heritage sites in danger from environmental threat and overuse. The liveaboards are negotiating with Ecuador's government to reopen dive operations. Divers worldwide are also putting on the pressure by protesting to the Ecuadorean ambassador in their country. An agreement may soon be worked out to let dive boats finish their 2007 trips and apply for dive permits in 2008. If you have booked a GNP dive trip, contact whomever you booked for more information.

Free Online Access :  August 13, 2007

Print subscribers to Undercurrent now have full online access to 12 years of issues, 12,000 reader destination reviews and the current issue, all for one low price. Interested in a trip to Belize? Easter Island? The Maldives? Anything included in Undercurrent in the past ten years is accessible with a simple search. Want to know if you’ll be treated as a serious diver or seriously restricted, what the water temperature is that time of year, and whether the shore diving is real or the food decent? It’s all at Undercurrent. Visit for a sample issue and sign up for a special introductory rate.

Online Members and print susbscribers should note that the delay in putting up the current issue is gone -- issues are posted to the website around the first of every month when they are published. Also the issue as a whole is now posted on the website as one file that can be downloaded at your convenience. With your activated Online Membership, you can retrieve the August issue from either our home page or at the Online Members home page.

Has Another Diver Ever Put Your Life at Risk? :  August 13, 2007

For an upcoming article, we're interested in your stories about dives gone bad due to the actions of another diver. Whether it was your good dive buddy or a total stranger, what did that person do to put you in harm's way before, during or after a dive? Please send your story to us at PublisherBen@undercurrent.org

Those Flashing Computer Lights :  August 13, 2007

If you’re frightened when your computer begins to blink or you think it’s a big deal if your computer says you’ve gone into decompression, you need to read this important new article by Bret Gilliam.

Missing Buoyancy Skills :  August 13, 2007

According to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC), poor buoyancy skills are to blame for the rise of dive-related incidents. In its 2006 Diving Incidents Report, BSAC recorded 99 ascent-related incidents, the highest number to date, and says most included a rapid ascent and missed decompression stops. The final ascent is critical, says BSAC safety advisor Brian Cummings. “Be properly weighted so that when your tank gets down to 500 psi, you can safely maintain a safety stop at 10 feet with minimal air in your BC.”

Dive with Ned DeLoach :  August 13, 2007

During the entire month of September, Ned DeLoach, co-author of the Reef Coral-ID, Reef Fish-ID and Reef Creatures-ID books, and his wife and fellow naturalist, Anna, will host a Marine Life Education program at Bonaire’s Buddy Dive Resort. They’ll host slide show presentations, boat dives and mangrove snorkel tours. Buddy Dive offers special packages starting at $564 person, with free Nitrox and buddies-dive-for-free discounts. Call (866-GO-BUDDY) or e-mail reservations@buddydive.com

Free Chapbooks :  August 13, 2007

We have a few boxes of 2007 Chapbooks left that we can send to a subscriber to deliver to his or her dive club. If you're interested, email me at PublisherBen@undercurrent.org.

Coming Up in The September Issue :  August 13, 2007

• Cayman Aggressor, Cayman Islands
• Update on destinations in the Caribbean, Indonesia and the Pacific
• The skinny on no-see-ums
• Lionfish invade the Caribbean
• Can dive operations be carbon-neutral?
• A better way to get out of rip tides
• Secondary drowning
• Is Merino wool really the warmest ever wetsuit lining?
• And much more