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Scubapro Computer Recall
Come Back to Undercurrent
Join the New England Aquarium on Its Bahamas Collecting Expedition -- It’s Tax-Deductible
What You Missed in the Last Issue of Undercurrent
Great Perks for Supporting Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Important New 3D Film
What to Use: A Dive Travel Agent or the Internet?
A Tax Deductible Trip to Tag Turtles and Sharks at Cocos Island
Coming Up in Undercurrent
Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification: Indo-Pacific
Will Paul Allen’s Billions Fix This Cayman Reef?

Scubapro Computer Recall  February 17, 2016

Scubapro is recalling 1,486 of its Galileo SOL and Luna dive computers that have been sold in the U.S. since May 7, 2015 – the screen freezes. If you’re an owner, read more here, which tells which specific serial numbers are affected.

Come Back to Undercurrent  February 17, 2016

Former reader Alec Hirschfeld (East Hampton, NY) is coming back to the fold. “I was a subscriber in the 80s but stopped diving when my daughter was born. She's grown; I'm diving again. It’s great to see you are still publishing this valuable information. Looking forward to getting back in the loop.” Whether you’re a former subscriber or never have subscribed, get into the loop of diving’s insider information, undercover travel reviews, hard-hitting investigations of the dive industry, in-depth equipment reviews, the different angles of diving that no other publication covers, and more. Subscribe now here.

Join the New England Aquarium on Its Bahamas Collecting Expedition -- It’s Tax-Deductible  February 17, 2016

Looking for a unique experience? How about collecting tropical fish and invertebrates for the New England Aquarium on its April 13-21 expedition to the Bahamas aboard the MV Coral Reef? Besides learning about the animals from top marine biologists, you’ll make as many as five dives a day (many just for fun), and the $3,500 cost is tax-deductible. Read a 2013 Undercurrent undercover review of the Coral Reef here, see a great trip video here, and for more information, contact Sherrie Floyd at 617-226-2283 or sfloyd@neaq.org

What You Missed in the Last Issue of Undercurrent  February 17, 2016

Galapagos Sky: where the wild things are . . . what rats can tell us about drinking, diving and DCS . . . the Sun Diver abandons another diver . . . two top dive sites with great underwater photo classes . . . what every liveaboard needs for their aging clientele . . . why divers die: factors to consider before you go underwater . . . why this diver got a post-dive call from the U.S. Air Force . . . what really happened to the Truk Siren? . . . and much more.

Great Perks for Supporting Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Important New 3D Film  February 17, 2016

Cousteau is the director of Odyssea 3D, a groundbreaking 90-minute 3D documentary about diving the oceans. But JM is on a tight schedule because he wants to have his film ready for the May Cannes Film Festival as a tribute to his father (it will be the 60th anniversary of Jacques winning the Golden Palm award for The Silent World). Cousteau’s filmmaking partner, 3D Entertainment, has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise $300,000 to complete post-production (editing, music, sound effects, narration, and final 3D rendering). See the movie teaser here, then provide your financial support here and enjoy the great perks offered to donors.

What to Use: A Dive Travel Agent or the Internet?  February 17, 2016

Some divers prefer to book their trips with a travel agent, others prefer the DIY approach. But travel agents see an uptick in business so they must be doing something right. In Part I of this story, we see what dive travel agents bring to the table. Read the article from this month’s issue at www.undercurrent.org

A Tax Deductible Trip to Tag Turtles and Sharks at Cocos Island  February 17, 2016

Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) does an honorable job in saving sea turtles worldwide, but it needs the help of you, my fellow diver, both financially and physically, to do so. They’re offering three splendid dive trips to Cocos Island to tag and track sea turtles and sharks to protect their migration routes -- April 22 to May 6 and August 19-31 aboard the Sea Hunter, and November 29 to December 9 aboard the Argo. Rates start at $6,132 and include meals, nitrox fills, marine park fee and transfers from hotel to the dock -- it’s largely tax-deductible because it helps finance the research expedition. And there’s more! TIRN is raffling off one spot on its Argo trip -- tickets are $100 each. For information, go to http://seaturtles.org/events

Coming Up in Undercurrent  February 17, 2016

Part II of our story about what gets you a better dive package deal: the Internet or the travel agent? . . . buying your next wetsuit: the unpublished secrets . . . the liveaboard fuel surcharge rip-off . . . Puerto Rico’s Mona Island: No, not the Galapagos of the Caribbean, as advertised . . . what to know about destination rental gear for the traveling diver . . . why dark chocolate makes for sweeter diving . . . Cuba: The tricks of planning a dive trip there . . . the latest on deep stops . . . the problems with Windows 10 and computer downloads . . . and much more.

Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification: Indo-Pacific  February 17, 2016

Indonesia has so much to offer the nudibranch enthusiast. For example, in Lembeh Straits, nudibranchs litter the seabed at Nudi Wall as if a great big sack of Gummy Bears has been carelessly tipped out. There are so many varieties, but how do you know which you've seen? New World Publications has come to the rescue with this weighty tome of 400 pages packed with color pictures, along with basic information to help the reader get the best chance of the right identification. Order it through us and you’ll get Amazon’s best price -- and our profits will go to save coral reefs.

Will Paul Allen’s Billions Fix This Cayman Reef?  February 17, 2016

If you’re the co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, of course, you own a big yacht. But Paul Allen’s 303-foot Tatoosh has been charged with destroying a large swath of protected coral reef in Grand Cayman. The Tatoosh was anchored near the Doc Poulson wreck and The Knife dive site in the West Bay on January 14 when its anchor chain destroyed 14,000 square feet of the coral reef, 80 percent of it. Allen, probably distracted because his Seahawks failed to make the Super Bowl, could incur a hefty fine if he’s found responsible, but the Cayman government seems to shrug its shoulders at the giant cruise ships and billionaire mega-yacht owners who have dismantled the beautiful reefs with errant chains.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
Contact Ben

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Note: Undercurrent is a registered 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization donating funds to help preserve coral reefs. Our travel writers never announce their purpose, are unknown to the destination, and receive no complimentary services or compensation from the dive operators or resort.

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