Alex in the Water

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

2009-10-03T22:09:00.001+08:00

Aquariums tend to serve a similar function to scuba divers, as porn movies to an aging Casanova. They remind you of things past, or provide ideas for future endeavors, but hardly match the real thing. That was, until today.

We visited the Churaumi Aquarium near Nago, Okinawa. A truly mind-blowing experience. The first time I found myself at an aquarium thinking: "I might spend the rest of the day here, and not get bored for a minute, nor cry over not diving today."

Yes, it has the large pools that other aquariums feature with turtles, humphead wrasses, etc. But then, there is the main pool. Ten meters deep, and about 25 meters by 25 wide. The main window is 8 meters high, and 22 meters wide, in one single pane. It's like watching Odyssey 2001 on a really large screen, only its for real.

Inside, the pool features three whale sharks of about 8 meters length, several large manta rays, schools of yellow fin tuna, eagle and cow rays, smaller sharks, and who knows what else. Absolutely mind-blowing. Like a lava lamp, there is always something going on, reconfiguring, and changing yet again. And you cannot stop watching.

The rest of the aquarium features sea turtles, dugongs, and a dolphin show (of which I don't quite approve). Still very nice, but nothing can compare with the main tank.

So anytime in Asia, make sure you make the trip.

Hiking the Hunsrueck

2009-09-17T21:02:00.002+08:00

Bernhard and I hiked the Hunsrück mountain range, in southern Germany. The hiking trail Saar-Hunsrück-Steig had been recommended to us by one of Bernhard's friends, head of the German hiking association, and professional hiking trail evaluator. (Funny profession, no?)

So, Wednesday morning 10am, we arived in Orscholz, at the famous Saarschleife. We both had about 12 kilos of luggage, fo rthe next 5 days, and were goign to stay at local inns. I had brought my Olymous SLR, but only a single and (as it turned out) broken lens. Bummer, so I was not going to take any pictures.

Anyhow, on the first day, we hiked the relatively short segment from Orscholz to Britten, just to get into the mood. The only inn in Britten was closed, so we continued another 3 km to a horse ranch with camping and a B&B facility. Things were basic, but cheap, very friendly, and exactly what we needed.

The next day, we hiked the two segments from Britten to Weiskirchen. After checking into the hotel, we immediatley left for the local spa. After trying the six saunas, the whirl pool and having had a couple of beers, we felt much better.

Friday was going to be a killer. Thritythree kilometers, from Weiskirchen to Hermeskeil. Run. Don't look left; don't look right; don't pause. Eventually we got there, and they had another firendly inn.

On Saturday, we wanted to hike the Erbeskopf the highest peak in the area. These two segments would have covered at least 37 km, and after the previous day, this looked a bit too long. hence, we took the bus to Nonnweiler, and saved the first 9 km. Hiking then was easy, total dream, very beautiful. At 6 pm, we decided to hitch-hike back to Weiskirchen. After about 30 minutes of waiting, we found a very freindly, although rather drunk, fellow to give us a ride. We arived jsut in time, to go for another hour of swimming in Weiskirchen.

On Sunday, our last day, we took the bus to Mettlach, and peacefully walked half the segment from Mettlach back to Orscholz.

Summary, the trip was a blast, weather a dream, and the landscape breathtaking. Anytime again.

Now, Bernhard managed to take some pictures with his mobile phone:

Back to the Reserve

2009-08-30T17:37:00.001+08:00

Today was Roger's birthday lunch in Carry-le-Rouet. Afterwards, we were to spent some time in the nearby marine reserve. Unfortunately, the waves of the previous day had disturbed the bay's warm top-layer, and water temperature had fallen to the lower 20s. Since none of us had any suit, this made for some FRESH snorkeling. Again, the water was full of fresh. Yet, we saw significantly fewer than two days before. First, the schools of Saupes were smaller. Second, the shallow area to the left, where we had seen Loups hiding in large groups of fish, were totally empty. Tons of fish had spent their Friday essentially sunbathing, but now had returned to other areas. Still, another incredible afternoon.

Saupes.

Poor Thiery lacked fins.

Movies by Roger:

Marine Reserve in Carry-le-Rouet

2009-08-28T19:48:00.001+08:00

When I landed in Marseilles at lunchtime, there was a big surprise: my luggage had not made it. Hence, we were not going to to spear fishing, as intended, since all my neoprene was still in Amsterdam. Instead, Christel's dad proposed to go to the marine reserve in Carry-le-Rouet. Situated in a protected bay, the water was going to be warm enough to allow extended snorkeling without a suit.

I had been to the reserve before, and knew about the abundance of fish. But what we saw was beyond our wildest imaginations. There were schools of Saupes comprised of several hundred specimens. Absolutely amazing. Also, we saw large Dorades, Loup du Mer, and others. Bravo, bravo, bravo. This little reserve provides a shameful reminder of what the Mediterranean would look like, if we had not fished it empty.

Saupes.

Me.

Roger and Saupes.

More Saupes.

Somewhere in here, was the Loup.

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Indoor Scuba Center Siegburg

2009-08-27T17:34:00.002+08:00

Today I attended the opening ceremony of the new indoor dive center in Siegburg. I first met owner and manager Manfred Narres at this year's Boot show, and have kept track of his project ever since. So today was the big day.

The dive center is part of a larger pool-complex, named Oktopus, comprised of several large pools, water slides, and indoor surfing. Also the complex includes a hotel. Although located in the same building, the three entities (pools, scuba and hotel) are operated by different firms.

The good news, Manfred's pool was ready. Although, the water was a bit fresh, since the central heating system was overloaded by simultaneously heating up the other pool as well. Also, I had learned that when the scuba pool was half-way full, the underwater-lights flooded. So they had to empty out 5 meters of water again, install new lights, and then fill it back up.

The evening itself was good fun. I met serveral of the new instructors, plus Robert and Ella Stoss, of Johnson Outdoors, plus Dirk Kuhlmann of Pressure Guard. Obviously, there was tons of food, and drink (from a neat computerized cocktail machine) and an entertainment program. Several dive clubs came to try out the pool, and even held an apnoe contest. All in all, and excellent start for Manfred and his crew.

The pool.

The shop.

The area between lobby and pools.

Manfred Narres, about to start his opening speech.

Ferrari Books

2009-08-11T19:49:00.004+08:00

Thanks to the scuba fair in the Hang Hau shopping mall, I extended my library by another two titles. "Macrolife" and "Reef Life", by photographer couple Andrea and Antonella Ferrari. Very, very very well done books. Most excellent. Most embarrassing to all other authors on the market: the photo credits. The reef life book has a full 30 pictures not taken by the authors; the other not one. this photo collection is a lifetime achievement.

Snorkeling at Dusk

2009-08-11T19:44:00.002+08:00

At 18:30, Wing Lung Rd., low tide. Water cooled down a bit, visibility still good, but daylight fading. Tons of crabs out, very active. Large swarms of little silver fry, shooting around sardine-like. Unfortunately, no octopus. This would have been octopus paradise; they have to somewhere. I must go at night, and bring a torch.

Snorkeling In Wing Lung Rd.

2009-08-09T17:35:00.003+08:00

Spent a good two hours snorkeling the bay below Wing Ling Road. Water was around 30 degrees; at 1.5 it got a bit more refreshing. First I followed the right shore to the big rock at the tip. Again, this was one of the more interesting areas. But given the limited visibility, it may be better to come back with scuba gear. The highlight however was a family of blennies, living directly on the rock. When threatened, they hide in empty barnacle shells, and only stick their heads out, to see if tings are safe again. very timid, with over-sized frog-like eyes, they were super cute. The entire right side of the little bay sports many more shellfish than Lung Ha Wan. Its like a town where nobody likes you, and as you walk down the street, doors are being closed. Similar, you snorkel down the right coast, and on every rock there are a half a dozne big oysters closing their shells. Equally, large snails were abundant. Later, I explored the left side of the bay. Coral-wise, this was one of the better spots in HK. Tons of it, in .5 to 1.5m of water, different types, healthy.

Snorkeling in Wing Lung Road

2009-08-02T21:00:00.002+08:00

My third day back in HK, we went snorkeling at the little beach situated at the bottom of Wing Lung Road, just down from the house. The little bay there is very shallow (<2m) and warm as pee. However, its flora and founa I found more interesting than Lung Ha Wan (Lobster Bay). There was a bunch of various corals, large crabs, and tons of fish. Visibility was good. Where the bay blends into the wider Port Shelter, conditions and visibility get worse, however there seems to be good opportunity to spot serious fish. This is certainly a place to investigate with full scuba gear. In anycase, I am sure to come back.

Shanghai Aquarium

2009-07-29T18:57:00.001+08:00

Since the 2009 China Dive Expo had been basically canceled, we had a free afternoon. So Claude, Peter and me visited the famous Shanghai Aquarium. Stretching over several floor, this was one of the more impressive institution. It is decorated like the inside of an Indiana Jones temple. There is a large tank with sharks and rays, and a 150m tunnel under another tank. Most impressive were the Chinese Giant Salamander. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring my camera, so I have to refer you here for pictures. In any case, if you are in town, don't forget to visit...

Monte Mare with Peter

2009-07-24T18:06:00.002+08:00

Today, I took peter to the Monte Mare Indoor Dive Center, near Bonn. We did two dives, checked out the pool, took photos and completed some more exercises. Afterwards, we went to the huuuge sauna center, featuring some thirteen saunas. The spa area was really pretty, too, and extends into a large outdoor areal. Unfortunately, the is positivley all-nude (and mixed sex), so I could not take photos to show you. Diving was particularly fun after the sauna; totally relaxed. Also, we were positively surprised by the sauna ramaining open just until midnight. And thanks to Manfred, we had 2-4-1 coupons, saving us a good 40 Euros. Yet another nice day.

Nemo 33 with Peter

2009-07-21T18:05:00.002+08:00

Today I took Peter to the 7 p.m dive session in the Nemo 33, Brussels. There was not much business, and only four other divers besides us. Hence, things ere much more relaxed than usually, and we very much enjoyed the pool. The one thing we learned was that a structurally complex pool can be quite fun, even if it only has blue tiles. Also, 33 meters are quite deep. The water was a pleasant 30 degrees, and free of chlorine. Super fun. Afterwards, we dined at the excellent Vietnamese restaurant inside Nemo 33. Nice day.

Edersee with Peter

2009-07-19T18:05:00.002+08:00

In the morning, I took Peter for two dives at the Edersee (TZ2). We performed basic ascent-exercises, and afterward looked for pike and schools of little fish. Due to all the dives with Jo and the German army, this type of training had become second nature. Peter did well, and performed all exercises entirely satisfactory.

Pool with Peter

2009-07-18T18:04:00.002+08:00

Horst and I took Peter to the Korbach public swimming pool, for a two hour drill of basic underwater skills. Cold weather, slight drizzle, the pool was completely empty; most excellent. Under water, it was warm and cozy, actually surprising how much fun a plain swimming pool can be. Peter did well, and showed all excercises flawlessly.

The German Army

2009-07-17T18:07:00.003+08:00

Horst had a contract with the German army. As part of some R&R, ten soldiers in their mid 20s were to learn scuba diving in Edersee; andI was to help conduct the open water training. The first day I conducted seven dives (four in the morning, three after lunch) back-to-back, the second day six. The third day, I took a group of divers to the bridge. This was obviously physically extremely demanding, and at night it almost took a stretcher to carry me to bed. Teaching however was fun, the soldiers being physically fit and used to take orders. Personally, I learned a lot about instructing, and perfected my skills with the dry-suit. As for all training dives, I could not take pictures, and hence have nothing to show.

Diving in Carry

2009-06-27T18:41:00.003+08:00

Christel took me diving with Plongee Passion Carry-le-Rouet, where she had received her two and three star training. The drill was easy, dress and setup the gear in the harbour, ride the boat for 5 min, jump in the water, and dive. There were quite some people on the boat, so you had to be reasonably well organized. We dove along an underwater ridge, penetrated by a small tunnel. The water was quite warm and reasonably clear. Directly under the boat there was a small moray, and furhter down the dive we saw two octopusses. Some of the walls were covered with gorgonia. I took the 520 with the 9-LED Fisheye light, and got some nice shots.

Freediving with Roger

2009-06-26T18:40:00.003+08:00

I arrived in Marseilles a day early, just so Roger could take me freediving, We spent a good two hours in the usual spot near Carry le Rouet. It is a great plane of five to ten meters of crystal clear water. Similar to the Calanques, the ocean floor consists of wahed out rock, full of crevices and holes. We did not see much fish, but had a most excellent time. I used my Olympus E520, without flash. Due to the bright day and clear water, I got some good shots, without loosing my agility due to an external strobe.

Bridge and Jo

2009-06-21T22:10:00.001+08:00

On Saturday, I guided Markus, one of Horst's Students to the Bridge (die Brücke) in the Edersee. At 27 meters of black water, this made for a chilly dive. We crossed underneath the first arch, and swam around it a couple of times.

On Sunday, I conducted some ascent-exercise with Jo. Afterwards, we looked for pikes and schools of little fish.

Newts, and more Pikes.

2009-06-07T02:54:00.003+08:00

Another day at Edersee, Tauchzone 2 ½. Horst and me looked after four of our regular kids, Udo (a former student of Horst) and Markus and Marvin (a father and his 13 year old son). Horst was to complete two dives with two kids each, Markus was to dive with Udo, and I was to look after Marvin.

We slowly descended to about 10 meters, with multiple stops for Marvin to equalize his ears. We stayed at this depth and followed the wall to the left for some while. Finally, we ascended to 5 meters, and swam back to the entry point.
Over the dive, we saw a good half a dozen pikes, including a rather monstrous one. Also, we saw quite some newts.

The water was a bit colder than last week. Visibility had dropped from 10m to about 4m. The weather in general was a bit strange. It was drizzling, and in the early evening, the temperature had dropped down to 7 (!) degrees Celsius.

The rest of the afternoon, I spent filling tanks.

Pike

2009-06-04T22:12:00.002+08:00

Edersee, yet again, TZ2. And some massive pike...

Diving all weekend in the Edersee

2009-06-01T22:16:00.001+08:00

I spent all weekend with Horst, touring his students through Edersee. Saturday morning we dove from the Eiche, in the afternoon in the sight called "2 1/2". Here, visibility was breathtaking 10 meters, and we saw a half a dozen of pig pikes (Hechte) in 3-5 meters of water. They like sunny days like this, and commonly sit in or near the submerged bushes. Plus, total highlight, we saw an adult eel resting in a bush. During daytime, these are an extremely rare sight.
Sunday, we went back to "2 1/2". On an 75 minute dive, we must have seen something like forty pikes. Especially the large ones could not be bothered to move, and commonly let us get close to 30cm. I just wish I had brought the SLR.

Equipment wise, I traded the Oceanic liner for an old Aquata one, and was totally fine with the 13 kg. However, I will have to buy a larger weight system, the current one puts too much weight on the side of my hips, and not in the front.

The man.

This bastard could not bother to move.
Finally he swam a 2m circle, to park himself just in the same position.

My Student.

Six days in Venice, Italy

2009-05-25T22:02:00.002+08:00

We spent six days in Italy, the city of Marco Polo, Casanova, Inspector Brunetti, and once the dominant sea power in the Mediterranean. Situated right in the city center, our hotel displayed an impressive building, basic service, and a premium-price. For six days we ran around the city, took the vaporetto (water bus), trampled over American tourists, and paid through our noses. Murano turned out a culinary feat, but tourist trap glass-wise. I found a very cute dry-point print by an Brazilian-Japanese artist, featuring a fish with a moustache. (I guess I have to scan this on put it online). Also, we visited the marine historic museum, the Museo Storico Navale. On four floors, its collection was a bit random, but still very interesting. In particular, it had an ancient Italian scuba suit, and several torpedo-submarines, used very sucessfully during the second world war. All of that, for 1.44 Euros.
Many more things to say about the city, amazing, expensive, full, amazing again, etc. I jsut have to cut things a bit short. Looking forward to come back.

Theory and two dives in Edersee

2009-05-11T16:31:00.001+08:00

Today, I taught four hours of scuba theory to five teenagers and one adult. In Horst's basement (the "meeting room"), I covered everything regarding water and pressure (i.e., the laws of Archimede, Boyle-Mariott Dalton), as well as temperature and light underwater. Some of the kids were well prepared, others a bit scared of the physics; all girls, they were probably high-school traumatized.

In the afternoon, I completed two dives on a single 15l tank. First I conducted an OWD with a student, a 13 year old girl who I kept on my right side. This turned out to be somewhat of a mistake. Her buoyancy was off, and she regularly floated up. In this situation, it was not possible to control the ascent, as she would pull my right side up, and the left arm (with outlet valve) down. Lesson learned, next time I take the student on my left.

The second dive was with Christian, who lead us from the Eiche (oak tree), across open green water to Klostermauer, the foundations of a monastery which had been torn down when Edersee was flooded. The dive was most excellent, altough the gear was sub-optimal. The new Oceanic liner tunred out to be too bulky around the arms. Also, the extra bulk made me positively buoyant, and towards the end of the dive I had to carry a big rock, in addition to 13 kg of lead. Nonetheless, it was superb feeling being back in Edersee.

Bernd and Christian after the dives.

European Space Agency

2009-04-26T20:03:00.000+08:00

Today, we dove at the European Space Agency (ESA) Diving Center in Köln, 20 minutes from my new home in Bonn. It was Horst, Bernd, me, and four teenagers who had just completed their OWC. Diving was excellent. At 17 by 22 meters surface (corners rounded off) and 10 meters of depth, the ESA pool is significantly larger than Montemare. Walls consist of plain concrete, painted in blue, and lacked the decorations and paintings (plastic wrecks and plaster temples) typically found in pools targeting recreational divers. Surprisingly, the absence of decoration made little difference, and we were very happy playing games, or taking pictures. This is not to say that underwater entertainment does not have a tremendous impact on the overall experience. It simply means that e.g. Montemare does such a poor job at decoration that the improvement is too small to notice. Water temperature was a pleasant 24 degrees, and a 3mm full suit was more than sufficient. With a 10l tank and 4 kg of weights (plenty), I spent a good hour, mainly taking photos of my fellow divers.

Normally, there are two large models of exit systems from space rockets and the International Space Station (ISS). Here, astronauts practice extra vehicular activities (EVA) in a dummy suits, before flying to Houston for training on the actual gear. According to our guide, who has also trained astronauts in Houston, space training is very different from normal scuba diving. The astronaut is crammed into a humongous suit, with very restricted movement, and is to stay positioned at a 45 degree angle at all times. He requires three auxiliary (real) divers to get him into the water, watch his umbilical, and achieve neutral buoyancy. A single dive can take the better part of a day, and requires tons of patience. This takes a toll on even the fittest and psychologically most stable space explorers.

Prices were rather steep, especially, given that you have to bring your entire gear, including tanks and weights. Yet, the experience was great, scuba was fun, we received a great tour through ESA, and I even signed up for their club, so I am sure to come back on a monthly basis.

Tauchersymposium Bonn

2009-03-13T20:00:00.000+08:00

Today I attended the 9th Bonn Congress on Scuba Medicine (Bonner Tauchersymposium). Incidentally, it was held just two minutes from my temporary home at the university guesthouse. In the morning there was half a dozen lectures on general interest topics such as hypothermia and motion sickness, in the afternoon, there were more topic-specific workshops. Speakers were recruited mainly from academic research centers, the German navy, or rescue organizations. Many of them had previously authored for Divemaster, the only serious scuba magazine on the German market. (Even in an international comparison, this particular magazine ranks high.)
The event was well organized by the Wasserwacht (water rescue) of the local Red Cross. Legions of Wasserwachtler must have spent the entire night, making sandwiches and setting up the venue. Outside the auditorium, there were booths by various vendors of scuba and first-aid equipment. I will not go into too much detail about the specific talks; but this was surely an exceptional event, on the highest level one can imagine. No wonder that many of the participants had happily accepted a six to eight hour commute.