Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving goes to Hollywood

The producers of The Running Man franchise have set their sights on a film or documentary series based on the book ‘Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving: A Pioneer’s Journey’.

Released by Dived Up Publications, the book by Howard Rosenstein documents his incredible life as a pioneer of dive tourism – first in the Mediterranean and then the Sinai, Red Sea.

The production team who have now optioned the rights to the book are George Linder, Ziad Batal and John Ptak, three Los Angeles-based creatives who bring a wealth of experience in high-impact motion picture and television production.

In his book Howard details the extraordinary true story of how modern scuba diving bloomed in the region, starting from a makeshift base in a WWI train carriage on the edge of the desert.

Howard Rosenstein

George Linder, producer said: “This is a powerful, untold story of exploration and risk at the limits of underwater discovery.

“The historical depth and sheer adventure make it perfect for the screen. We look forward to translating this remarkable work into a visually stunning film.”

The deal grants the producer trio the rights to create a documentary that will explore the book’s narrative – Rosenstein’s remarkable first-hand account of pioneering the earliest discoveries and expeditions in the Red Sea. It details how he built an industry from scratch, attracted adventurous (and sometimes famous) guests drawn to pristine coral reefs, and navigated the complex political machinations in an area still technically at war to secure environmental protections for one of Earth’s most important ecosystems.

You can read a review of the book on British Diver. It’s available to purchase now from Dived Up Publications, priced £25.

The dive industry in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula is mature and extensive, but it hasn’t always been so. 

Tourism pioneer Howard Rosenstein was first on the scene back in the late 1960s, and saw the potential of the area even though Egypt and Israel had only recently finished fighting. In his new book ‘Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving’ Howard delves into his memory banks to share a lifetime of memories, from an era that was the beginnings of Red Sea diving tourism as we know it today.

The new book, which is on sale in paperback by Dived Up Publications, is a kaleidoscope of events that is kick started following a trip from the US to Israel to study at Tel Aviv university in 1968. During his downtime Howard took up snorkelling to recover coins in the waters of ancient Caesareum, at a time when antiquities weren’t regulated and were a steady source of cash. The mixture of history, underwater excitement and a clear propensity for entrepreneurship was setting the path forward for the young Howard at a time when scuba diving was in its infancy. In short order he had opened a dive centre in Gaza on the Mediterranean.

The focus of the book soon shifts to the Sinai, an area of land between the Gulf of Suez in the west and Gulf of Aqaba in the east. In the early 1970s this was little more than open desert and mountains, with Bedouin fishermen the only locals, where there were any at all. The author recounts that with his commercial senses awakened he and his girlfriend soon-to-be wife Sharon cajoled, bartered, begged and borrowed their way to establishing a dive centre in Sharm El Sheikh, that boasted little more than an old WW1-era train carriage and a compressor.

The world of a half-century ago was still discovering the sport of scuba diving. Unlike the resorts boasting every comfort of modern tourism that exist there today, diving operations were carried out from the carriage using rudimentary dive boats, vehicles and equipment – although the one hotel that was created in Sharm El Sheikh quickly became a popular magnet for Israeli tourists.

What comes across in Howard’s account, nicely told, is how ‘hot’ the region was at the time. There are regular and ongoing interactions with the Egyptian and Israeli militaries, particularly in the years following the Yom Kippur war in 1973. Most military personnel he seems to have come up against were seemingly sympathetic to his dive outfit, and invariable ended up helping him in one way or another – perhaps bemused by this bunch of oddballs goofing around in the Red Sea with scuba.

Rosenstein’s reputation became large enough to attract celebrities too, and he recalls many visits from and dives with David and Anne Doubilet (celebrated underwater photographers) and Dr Genie Clarke, together working on behalf of National Geographic. Naturally, the resulting footage was spectacular and no doubt helped cement Red Sea diving firmly into the public consciousness.

Reading the book gives you a sense that Howard struggled with deciding what to leave out, as much as what to include. In its 200-odd pages he documents the full spectrum of dive tourism in the Sinai, often with laugh-out-loud anecdotes and with plenty of self-modesty too. As a true pioneer of an industry we modern divers take for granted, it would be easy for the book to come across as ‘it was better in the olden days’ kind of war story, though the author has helpfully managed to avoid this trap.

What is certainly true is that the Sinai area has been in tumult for many of the years since Red Sea Divers (the name of Howard’s business) came into being in the 1970s, and his foresight laid much of the groundwork for diving in the area today. For example, he quickly realised that a shipwreck was desperately needed to draw tourists in, although there was only one problem: not a single one was known about! The book recounts how Howard and his team set about speaking to local Bedouin fishermen (with suitable bribes) to discover where they were fishing offshore, which in time revealed a mysterious wreck out beyond Ras Mohammed. I won’t reveal which one this turned out to be, suffice to say it’s an absolute classic and will be well known to most scuba divers who have dived in the Red Sea…

By the 1980s and after a 25-year run Egypt and Israeli agreed a new treaty, which meant a withdrawal from Sinai for Israeli citizens including Howard and his family. Although this isn’t the end of his story, as he explains how this led to a new venture running liveaboard boats in the Red Sea and beyond, which is of course how many divers experience the beautiful reefs nowadays.

‘Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving’ has the word ‘pioneer’ on the front cover and in Howard’s case, it is true: he has fitted more into his 70-plus years than many of us would manage in half a dozen lifetimes. There are many books about history on the shelves of diving enthusiasts, but not so many about the history of diving – and certainly not the history of diving tourism. This book rights that wrong, and it is long overdue.

The next time you are diving in Sharm El Sheikh and wonder at the spectacular reefs, just imagine young Howard was doing it in the early 1970s with only the Israeli military for company. And the sharks of course…

Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving by Howard Rosenstein is available now direct from Dived Up Publications and other book retailers, priced £25 RRP.

Northern Diver has introduced its new Odyssey full face mask (FFM).

The Odyssey was designed and developed to be the most low profile diving mask available on the market, reducing snag hazards, components and weight.

It is intended for use in harsh commercial diving environments, high-pressure rescue operations and military missions.

Northern Diver has rigorously tested this FFM in real-world conditions to ensure reliability when it matters most.

Every unit is manufactured at Northern Diver’s state-of-the-art TechHub in Appley Bridge, Lancashire, where it undergoes comprehensive quality checks to guarantee peak performance.

The Odyssey has been designed and developed to meet the requirements of EN250.

Due to the central location of the second stage regulator the mask is extremely well balanced and comfortable, ensuring minimal drag on the diver’s head when turning. It has been designed with flexibility for diverse teams and female divers too.

Diver communications can be integrated and used in conjunction with the system.

The second stage regulator testing has been conducted via independent laboratory using certified ANSTI Breathing Machines.

You can learn more and order the Odyssey from the Northern Diver website.

A new publication by one of the Red Sea tourism industry’s founding fathers brings the early years of the region to life in vivid detail.

The paperback edition of Treasures, Shipwrecks, and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving by Howard Rosenstein has just gone on sale from Dived Up Publications.

The Red Sea, Straits of Tiran and Gulf of Aqaba have been busy shipping routes for centuries, which is why they are peppered with lost antiquities and wrecks from long ago.

Rosenstein was one of the first to see the potential of scuba diving tourism for the Sinai and northern Red Sea area, after a passage on a ship in the late 1960s. Back then, the area was largely desert with a few Bedouin settlements at best, not to mention some disputed territory.

Nevertheless the lush coral reefs and marine life clearly enthralled young Howard, who began his long journey to help develop the area into the huge draw for scuba divers and snorkellers that we know today.

His acclaimed memoir, Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving, is a visual feast, showcasing over 200 stunning images above and below water by legendary photographer David Doubilet, the author and others.

This book explains how a makeshift diving school in a train carriage has morphed into world class resorts at the forefront of global dive tourism.

Rosenstein’s narrative weaves together thrilling underwater adventures, historical discoveries (from Roman coins to unmapped reefs), and encounters with a fascinating cast of characters, including underwater legends and world leaders.

Witness how his passion for the underwater world not only shaped a generation of divers but also subtly influenced the delicate peace process of the region. This is a story of adventure, discovery, and the enduring allure of the Red Sea.

Treasures, Shipwrecks, and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving by Howard Rosenstein is available now from Dived Up, with a British Diver review to follow shortly.

Pandora Lab, a leading innovator in scuba diving equipment, has officially launched new K1 Dive Lights - the latest in high-performance lighting designed for divers who demand the best in visibility and durability.

The K1 Dive Lights are engineered to provide exceptional brightness, extended battery life, and unparalleled toughness in the challenging underwater environment.

As scuba diving continues to grow in popularity, divers are increasingly seeking advanced gear that offers both performance and reliability. The K1 Dive Lights were developed with input from professional divers and feature cutting-edge technology to meet these needs, ensuring that divers can explore the depths safely and with confidence, no matter the conditions.

Pandora Lab: continuous innovation

Pandora Lab has already shaken up the scuba diving scene when it introduced unique products including the Pandora Vr3 Tool, Digital IP gauge and Zero G lumi line spool. Things are about to get interesting in the dive light market, thanks to the Pandora K1 Dive Light range.

You may think that this is just another dive torch but ALL the Pandora Lab K1 dive lights and strobe range have one very unique feature: sealed head construction.

The sealed head means that if you did unfortunately flood your dive torch you can wash out the sealed head in fresh water, blow dry and re-use again.

Unique to the K1 Rescue Torch is a sealed compartment for emergency marker dye. This marker dye is designed to be used when you see or hear you’re a helicopter or boat coming to look for you. The environmentally friendly marker dye can be released and streak up to 1km (sea conditions dependant) allowing your rescuers to pinpoint your location far more easily.

Pandora K1 Rescue with marker dye

Listed below are the current Pandora Lab K1 Dive Light models that are stocked in the UK by Diving Distribution along with their features and RRPs. All other Pandora Lab K1 or K2 torches are available by special order.

All torches are supplied with the required Lithium-ion batteries and USB chargers:

K1 Strobe RRP £129.95 Doubles as a video light

150 min burn time

Sealed head unit / 200mt

1400lms / 5600K 160 beam angle

No switches or buttons to fail

K1 Mini Torch RRP £155.95 150 min burn time

Sealed head unit / 200mt

1400lms / 5600K 8-9 beam angle

Can be converted to umbilical canister light

No switches or buttons to fail

K1 Rescue RRP £175.95 with Rescue Dye RRP £199.95 300 min burn time

Sealed head unit / 200mt

1400lms / 5600K 8-9 beam angle

Can be converted to umbilical canister light

No switches or buttons to fail

Distress marker paint compartment

You can learn more about the Pandora Lab K series torches, including technical specifications, on the website.

The Pandora Lab K1 Dive Lights are available to purchase now from selected UK and Ireland dealers. For more information or to become a distributor, contact Diving Distribution.

An almost unbelievable story of human survival has been told on the new book from Dived Up Publications.

The Diver and the Cook by Lasse Spang Olsen recounts how a galley chef was found at the bottom of the ocean by a rookie saturation diver, against all odds.

The Jascon-4 tugboat sank in in a storm in 2013 off the coast of Nigeria, seemingly with no survivors. A grim recovery mission quickly began, pushing a team of commercial divers to search through the wreck for the grim task of recovering bodies.

Or so they thought.

almost unbelievable story of human survival

Diver Nico van Heerden was the diver who single-handedly combed the cramped, debris-strewn, zero-visibility Jascon 4 shipwreck searching for any sign of the lost crew.

The Diver & the Cook is the incredible true story of a seemingly impossible underwater rescue.

Written with first-hand accounts, authentic images and detailed reconstructions as part of the narrative, author and documentary maker Lasse Spang Olsen now brings this gripping tale to life. The book is the result of over four years of work, including intensive interviews, access to previously unknown material, and deep study of conversations and film recorded during the actual incident.

Dived Up’s latest book is an incredible survival story against all odds, with an equally surprising aftermath.

The Diver and the Cook (ISBN 978-1-909455-61-0) is available now in paperback and ebook. It is available via online retailers, bookstores, from DivedUp.com

Deep Trekker is introducing a new navigation system called ROV GPS to its Revolution and Pivot models. 

One of the biggest challenges facing Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operators is knowing where the robot is, and where it’s headed. Deep Trekker describes its new system as a ‘Game Changer in Underwater Navigation.’

How ROV GPS works

Traditional GPS – which triangulates using satellite fixes – is ineffective underwater. Deep Trekker’s ROV GPS system utilises enhanced surface positioning to keep the ROV in the right place.

Looking like a stubby periscope mounted on the top of the vehicle, the ROV GPS system is constantly recalibrating when on the surface. It calibrates in tandem with Deep Trekker’s dead reckoning module to improve tracking precision further.

Traditional GPS – which triangulates using satellite fixes – is ineffective underwater

To achieve the highest accuracy, ROV GPS supports Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) corrections.

RTK integration enables positioning accuracy as fine as down to 2.5 centimetres, significantly improving the precision of underwater surveys and inspections.

The system supports major satellite constellations including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo.

With the ability to log GPS waypoints and record the complete history of ROV movements, operators can analyse data post-mission.

No USBL system required

One of the key benefits of Deep Trekker’s ROV GPS is its ability to deliver precise surface-based navigation without relying on a USBL (Ultra-Short Baseline) underwater acoustic system.

This feature is particularly valuable in challenging environments, such as noisy or magnetically disturbed waters where USBL systems may be impractical or cost-prohibitive.

To learn more, visit www.deeptrekker.com

A new book focusing on the often overlooked smaller creatures of coral reefs is published this autumn.

‘Coral Triangle Cameos – Biodiversity and the small majority’ opens up the world of the coral reef ecosystem by celebrating its smallest inhabitants.

Forget sharks, rays and large pelagics: the real inhabitants of the reef are the millions of shrimps, damselfishes, cephalopods and many others who make up the ‘silent majority.’

If you’re not familiar, the Coral Triangle is an area of ocean in the western Pacific. These pristine coral reefs lie in the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.

Forget sharks, rays and large pelagics … meet the real inhabitants

Author Alan Powderham with his book (and camera rig)

The book’s contents promise to be a visual feast. Author and acclaimed underwater photographer of 40-odd years Alan J Powderham has crammed around 300 high quality images in glossy format, to represent the Coral Triangle in full.

Additional context and commentary is provided within the text courtesy of renowned marine biologist Dr Sancia ET van der Meij.

Available now in hardback from Dived Up Publications and from retailers, ‘Coral Triangle Cameos’ promises to enthrall underwater photographers, particularly those interested in close-up and macro photography.

It sounds like an overdue celebration of important creatures which help maintain healthy reefs, and will be well-received by nature enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

A collection of images from ‘Shipwrecks of the Dover Straits‘ by Stefan Panis.

Thousands of ships have foundered in the Dover Straits over the centuries, each with a fascinating story to tell, as a new book reveals. 

Author Stefan Panis did his first dive at the age of 6, and gained his first scuba qualification all the way back in 1992. Since then, he has gone on to have an impressive career as a wreck and cave diver, photographer and underwater explorer.

He has previously co-authored a book on underwater treasures, also available through Whittles Publishing, but Shipwrecks of the Dover Straits is his first solo publishing effort. And what a treat for the eyes it is.

Consider how long Great Britain has been a mighty sea power, and how many vessels have sailed through the Dover Straits taking cargoes and crews between nations: this has been a vital passage for centuries, possibly millennia.

visibility in the Dover area can often be very ‘challenging’…  it is therefore a pleasant surprise that there are some many beautiful colour pictures included

The sheer number of interesting wrecks that have foundered in this small stretch of sea during storms, wars (large and small) and through poor seamanship has left an astonishing underwater museum for divers to find.

Stefan has spent years trawling through the museum so we don’t have to.

Any diver who knows the Dover area will attest that visibility here can often be very ‘challenging’ (diver-speak for awful to non-existent.) It is therefore a pleasant surprise that there are some many beautiful colour pictures included. While camera technology has greatly improved in recent years, the basics of taking compelling underwater photos in silt or sediment mean underwater story books often lean heavily on words or drawings.

Not so here, and anyone who finds reading too taxing will simply enjoy flicking through Stefan’s image collection showing hundreds of years of crockery, glassware, clothes and artefacts, wreckage, ship’s timbers, machinery and even foodstuffs.

Gallery – view the wrecks

Context is everything however, and Stefan is also an accomplished researcher who has taken the time to understand fully why shipwrecks have ended up where they are. Invariably there are cuttings or press reports from newspapers or maritime journals making oblique reference to a lost vessel, which he somehow manages to unearth.

Using the knowledge gleaned by keen wreck divers and skippers in the Dover area, Stefan is able to paint a picture of some of the lives lost to the sea in these busy waters.

Is the book a dive guide? Not really, in the sense that you won’t find GPS marks or diving advice for these sites – many of which will undoubtedly be very challenging to visit for the average recreational diver.

However, Shipwrecks of the Dover Straits is a fantastic starting point for anyone who has every looked out to sea and wondered what treasures and stories may lie undiscovered not far from our shores. As Stefan has proved with this new book, the answers are many – and there are many more left to tell no doubt.

Published by Whittles Publishing, ISBN 978-184995-496-9 240 × 170mm 208pp profusely illustrated in full colour plus c.125 newspaper reports softback £18.99 April, 2024