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The Sixth Liveaboard Disaster for the Siren Fleet
Explosion at Orlando
Eight Great Liveaboards (and One Disaster) plus Eight Great Dive Resorts (and One Dog)
Did Your Travel Insurance Cover You?
The Perfect Gift for a Dive Buddy
Watch That Warranty
Not a Subscriber? Free-to-Read in this month’s Undercurrent
What You Missed in Undercurrent for November

The Sixth Liveaboard Disaster for the Siren Fleet  November 19, 2017

Last week, the Fiji Siren struck an underwater object, causing the craft to sink, after all divers and crew were evacuated safely. It’s the sixth event in a long line of disasters for Siren now reported by Undercurrent and we will provide the full story on this disaster in an upcoming issue. In the meantime, Worldwide Dive and Sail is looking at options for customers currently booked with the liveaboard. For information, contact: fiji@sirenfleet.com

Explosion at Orlando  November 19, 2017

Foreign visitors to the Dive Equiment and Marketing Show in early November were taken aback by the quick-reference guide given them, which advised what to do should there be an active shooter at the convention. Afterwards, an explosion at Orlando International airport on November 13 might have put nerves on edge. Somebody left their camera turned on with the lithium-ion battery installed and it exploded in their carry-on at the security checkpoint causing a big scare. Hopefully, an underwater photographer wasn’t to blame!

Eight Great Liveaboards (and One Disaster) plus Eight Great Dive Resorts (and One Dog)  November 19, 2017

Undercurrent is in its 43rd year of publication and if you give a membership a try, I’ll give you get these two 40-page books free. Undercurrent is the ad-free monthly guide for serious divers, with first-hand resort and liveaboard reviews from our incognito writers who pay their own way, as well as the latest on diver safety, health, equipment problems and much much more. If you join, you can download these free books or, if you live in the US or Canada, I can mail you hard copies. Then each month you will receive in your inbox our 20-page, advertisement-free, issue. If you don’t like it, I’ll refund your payment, yet both books are yours to keep. Sign up here for a $19 seven-month trial subscription and join the more than 10,000 experienced divers who read us regularly.

Did Your Travel Insurance Cover You?  November 19, 2017

Have you had an issue with travel insurance that you’d like to tell us about? For example, did you book a trip to a Caribbean diving destination that was trashed by a hurricane and you made a claim? Did your insurer pay off without a fight? And what about the flights? Were they covered? We’d like to know. In fact, let us know about any travel insurance problem you may have hade. Write to BenDDavison@undercurrent.org

The Perfect Gift for a Dive Buddy  November 19, 2017

That would be Tropical Ice, the facing moving scuba thriller written by the founder of Undercurrent. Set in Belize at Capt Jack's Rum Point Inn, the opening chapter will knock your socks off, followed by a dangerous night dive, the discovery of shark fins on a remote cay, and a beautiful owner of a rain forest lodge with her own deep secrets. Click here to order an autographed copy (we'll email you to see how you want it inscribed), or get it from Amazon by clicking here.

Watch That Warranty  November 19, 2017

Jon B Felice bought a Pro Diver watch, rated to 975 feet (300m) deep, on the Internet for $80, but it leaked water. He found that to activate the warranty cost an additional $28 plus the cost of shipping, so he bought another similar one instead. That too proved unsuitable for diving when the wristband fell apart, a fault specifically excluded from the warranty. He’s had enough and is pursuing the Invicta Watch Company in the US District Court in Florida.

Not a Subscriber? Free-to-Read in this month’s Undercurrent:  November 19, 2017

Is that liveaboard you booked on properly insured? What if, as a passenger, you suffer loss or injury in some way? Does the vessel have Protection and Indemnity insurance? . . . www.undercurrent.org

What You Missed in Undercurrent for November:  November 19, 2017

Crystal Blue Resort in the Philippines . . . A new tip for avoiding catching a cold while traveling . . . Are octopuses taking over? . . Giant sea bass – Friend of Food? . . . Are some warranties worth anything? . . . Two depth-record bids end in tragedy . . . Deadly air kills diver . . . Are today’s regulators better than before? . . . Frogfish scandal in Kauai . . . If you make a mistake – tell . . . Regulating scuba diving? . . . and much, much more.

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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