One of the main justifications for the recent shark cull trial in WA is the long-standing programs in QLD and NSW. However once you look into the realities of these shark control programs it’s easy to see that there are many alternatives that would better protect ocean-goers and have less impact on our wildlife.

What are shark nets and drum lines?

Drumlines are large hooks, baited with a piece of fish or shark meat. Some experts have warned that hanging ‘meat curtains’ of baited hooks may actually attract sharks to the area.

Beach nets are, contrary to common belief, not a barrier that provides a save swimming enclosure. They are more like small sections of fishing net, aiming to entangle and kill animals swimming past. They are 150m (NSW) to 186m (QLD) long and 6 m tall, set in 10-12m of water allowing sharks to swim over, under or around. Many sharks and other marine animals are caught on the beach side of the net.

Right now, around Australia’s coastline, there are huge baited hooks and stretches of entangling net off our beaches. These shark control programs (SCPs) kill thousands of sharks every year, not to mention all the other animals they catch by accident including dolphins, turtles, seabirds, whales, dugongs, rays and seals. This is a lot of carnage for a program with no hard evidence that they are protecting any people.

Shark nets and drum lines kill marine animals indiscriminately, capturing and killing any species unfortunate enough to swim by. In the 52 years of the QLD SCP, almost 50 000 sharks have been caught and tens of thousands of other marine animals.

The Western Australian shark cull program

The Western Australian government is currently establishing a shark cull programme despite huge international protest and a record amount of submissions to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are planning to have 72 drum lines in place from 15 November to 30 April, targeting great whites (a protected species) and tiger sharks and shooting all target sharks over 3m long (potential killers).

A trial period over the 2013-2014 summer caught 172 sharks (mostly tigers), 50 of these were shot and many of the released sharks also died. No great whites were caught, and there has not been a recorded fatal attack from a tiger shark in WA since 1948.

The NSW shark netting program

NSW has had beach nets in place since 1937 and currently has 51 netted beaches. The nets are in place for 8 months of every year (1^st Sept – 30^th April), and only for a minimum of 14 days in each month. There is no evidence that they work, and 63% of shark incidents at ocean beaches in NSW have been on netted beaches. The nets are listed as a ‘key threatening process’ internationally as a result of killing so many endangered species.

The Queensland shark cull program

Queensland is home to Australia’s largest shark control program, which uses both nets and drumlines, including within marine protected areas like the Great Barrier Reef. As of 2014, there are more than 360 drum lines and 30 shark nets deployed, with all drum lines and most shark nets in place all year round.

There has been a significant decline in fatal shark accidents in QLD however, despite some misleading media, this decline started 40 years before the shark control program began. In 1992 an 8-year-old boy was entangled & killed by a shark net. It’s easy to see that the shark control program itself is a threat – providing a risk of entanglement and a false sense of security.

Why does any of this matter?

Lethal shark control methods are harming oceans already under pressure. We know that they are impacting on many endangered species, like sea turtles, dugongs and grey nurse sharks. In an ocean where 90% of the large predatory fish have been wiped out, it’s hard to justify a program that arbitrarily kills sharks.  In the last decade in QLD (2001-2013), 6250 sharks were caught on drum lines alone – 97% of these sharks were considered to be at conservation risk according to the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). All this carnage for a program that isn’t protecting any people or making our beaches safer.

Since the 1930s we have learnt a lot about sharks and how to reduce shark incidents, and many places like Florida, Cape Town and Hawaii have moved on from shark culling to non-lethal alternatives. We need to understand the risks, appreciate that the ocean is where sharks live, and look at alternatives that will protect humans without decimating the marine environment. 

On September 6^th & 7^th there will be protests Australia-wide to rally for the removal of these out-dated and cruel shark control programs. Join in:

No Shark Cull Rally – Sydney
https://www.facebook.com/events/267872433336653/

No Shark Cull Rally – Gold Coast
https://www.facebook.com/events/1451726285090315/

No Shark Cull Rally – Central Coast – Hunter – Newcastle
https://www.facebook.com/events/547581975345906/

No Shark Cull Rally – Adelaide
https://www.facebook.com/events/344492659037692/

No Shark Cull Solidarity Event – Perth
https://www.facebook.com/events/1538423583044284/

We hope you can join us at one of the events.

If you are new to diving or perhaps you have never completed a night dive before, check out our night diving tips to ensure you get the most out of your night diving.

1. Choose a familiar site:

Make sure you dive a site that you have dived previously during the day. This will not only ensure that you are familiar with the area and how to navigate it, but it will also mean that you will get to experience the unique transitional changes in the marine life and their behaviours on a site between day and night.

2. Get ready early:

On your first night dive, make sure you get ready in good time. There is nothing worse than rushing around at the last minute for unnecessary added stress, so allow yourself plenty time to get ready, set up your equipment and do your checks.

3. Start at twilight:

Not only is the twilight time less intimidating for a first time night diver, it is also one of our favourite times to dive. At twilight, you will get to experience the change in creature behaviour from day to night and as a result it is often a very “busy” time in terms of animal behaviour. Day time creatures will be settling into position for the night, whilst the night-time creatures such as crustaceans, rays and sharks will start to become more active, preparing to commence their night time hunting.

4. Take a back-up light:

It is recommended that each diver carries a primary light source (their main torch) and a back-up light. The back-up light is used in case of primary light failure and can be a smaller torch or a even a glow stick. If your primary light does fail, don’t panic. Even with no light at all, it is amazing how much you can see on a night dive once your eyes adjust, especially if it is a full moon. Diving with the light turned off completely is often our favourite way to dive at night!

5. Go slowly:

You really do not need to venture very far on a night dive to experience the dive, so slow down. As many of the smaller invertebrate critters come out at night, slowing down will ensure that you get to see them.

6. Keep it simple:

Keep your navigation simple to avoid disorientation and loss of direction. A simple out there and back navigation pattern works well and avoids the added stress of a complex navigation course. Do not panic if you’ve lost a sense of direction, for that’d only aggravate the situation. Do not take deep breaths either because you’d be limited by your oxygen tank. Stay calm and try to remember familiar points on your way there. If possible, before you dive in, take up meditation or stress management classes at Legacy luxury rehab.

7. Spread out:

Whilst ensuring that you maintain close buddy contact on your night dive, do give your buddy a little space. It is actually quite difficult to get lost on a night dive with the torch beams, so spread out a little. There is nothing worse than buddies on top of one another and kicking each other’s masks and regulators out on a night dive so give each other a safe amount of space for a more relaxed experience, especially when diving in a group.

8. Go with an experienced diver or dive professional:

Certainly for your first night diving experience, and until you are familiar with night diving procedures, it’s a good idea to go guided. Listen to the dive briefing and ensure that you are familiar with the briefed procedures for night diving and/or procedures that may be unique to the area. These should include night dive specific hand signals, night diving etiquete such as not shining your torch in other divers eyes, having respect for sleeping creatures, emergency procedures and so on.

9. Do not disturb the marine life:

Just as divers do not like to have torches shone in their eyes, neither do marine life! As always, be a responsible diver, do not disturb or cause unnecessary stress to the marine life via your night diving behaviour. Many fishes use the night time to sleep or may exhibit unique nocturnal behaviour. For instance, parrotfish often surround themselves in a scent-proof cocoon of secreted mucous to avoid detection by sharks; Turtles lower their heart rate down to just a few beats per minute to allow them to sleep without having to return to the surface to breathe. Disturbance from divers’ lights being shone in the sleeping animals eyes may cause confusion, stress, disorientation, an increase in heart rate and so on. It is still possible to observe the animals via shining the light source off the animal to illuminate but reduce the level of stress from a direct torch beam so please be responsible. This is certainly the case with sharks who often get startled by torch beams and may end up swimming directly towards the light source!

10. Try to relax:

Many divers have an over-imaginative brain at night and worry about the potential monsters of the dark. Try and relax and ‘switch your brain off’ from these thoughts. And if you don’t like night diving at first, give it some time. Overcoming your fears of the dark will be worth it to experience the often unique events of diving at night.

So what are you waiting for? Get ready to dive in to night diving to experience a whole new underwater world.

Do you have any night diving experiences or tips you would like to share? We would love to hear from you.

Diving as a sport can, in essence, can be as dangerous or as safe as you make it. With diving comes risk. However, with appropriate risk management and associated safe diving practices, training and experience, the level of risk can be appropriately mitigated. If a diver applies appropriate risk management in their diving practices, the residual risk involved in diving should make diving a “safe” sport. We all need to acknowledge that there will always be risk involved in diving; it is essentially our decision as to whether we accept this level of residual risk in our sport. If you are looking for the latest coupons and offers available online, in CouponsCollector you can find a wide range of coupons that you can uses to buy what you need.

But what about drinking and diving? Does drinking either before or after diving change the levels of risk associated with our sport? Lets find out.

Drinking the night before diving

When it comes to drinking the night before diving, take it easy. Drinking too much the night before diving can lead to the standard hangover type symptoms: dehydration, headaches, fatigue and nausea. Combine these symptoms with being on a boat and you can almost guarantee some sea sickness thrown in for good measure too!

So why does it matter that you feel less than average before a dive as a result of self-induced behaviours? Well for a start, feeling this way will likely have impacts on you both physiologically and mentally, potentially impairing both judgement and coordination. This will ultimately have an impact on the level of risk involved in diving, not only for you, but also for your buddy. A hung-over, “impaired” buddy is unlikely to react as quickly and conscientiously as somebody that is firing on all cylinders. Hung-over divers on the boat are likely to be unfocussed and may skip important checks. All of this ultimately increases risk, however, with impaired judgement, the diver is not able to make a fully informed decision regarding the acceptance of this risk.

Perhaps an even more significant issue associated with diving the day after drinking is dehydration. Dehydration is a primary cause of decompression sickness (“DCS”). Indeed, the risk associated with DCS increases significantly with dehydration. With this in mind, I’d recommend limiting your intake of alcohol the night before diving to a sensible amount, ensuring you get plenty of rest (8 hours sleep) and drink plenty water to ensure you are fully hydrated before diving.

Drinking before diving

In any day, as soon as alcohol passes your lips, there should certainly be no further diving for you on that day. The impacts of dehydration are still valid here, however, the largest impact regarding drinking followed by diving in the same day relates to judgement. Impaired judgement caused by alcohol really does impact the level of risk associated with the sport. Unlike driving a car, where there may be a “safe” limit of alcohol to consume, with diving, a zero tolerance rule should be applied.

Drinking after diving

So what about drinking after diving? Obviously the issues and risks associated with diving and drinking are not a problem after you have finished diving. Although bear in mind that drinking may potentially mask the symptoms of DCS, leading to delayed treatment with potentially sub-optimal outcomes.

Dehydration caused by alcohol consumption post diving is still a risk factor. As we’ve already found out, the risk of DCS clearly increases with dehydration. I would therefore recommend making sure that you are well hydrated before you consume alcohol post diving and ensure you stay hydrated by alternating your alcoholic drinks with plenty of water. Diving itself is very dehydrating for the body, add to this some post dive alcohol and, without compensating by drinking lots of water, you are well on the way to becoming extremely dehydrated.

Timing is another consideration to bear in mind with post dive drinking. DCS is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming from nitrogen absorbed into a diver’s tissues under pressure. This nitrogen will naturally work out when a diver surfaces, known as off-gassing. However, dehydration caused by alcohol consumption can effectively impede the off-gassing process and increase DCS risk. Fluid consumption (not alcoholic fluid!) is therefore recommended, as is leaving as long an amount of time between diving and drinking to ensure off-gassing is well progressed. Just like the dive tables you used on your Open Water course, the deeper and longer the dive, the longer the ‘surface interval’ should be. In this case, consider the surface interval the ‘dry’ period.

So, whilst most divers appreciate a beer, try to drink as responsibly as possible the night before and immediately after you dive to mitigate your risk. Give yourself a few hours (at least) after a dive before starting on the booze, and don’t overdo it! If you do overdo it and end it staying out into the wee hours of the morning (and let’s face it, we’ve all been there!), be responsible enough to cancel that 6.00am dive and give your body a chance to recover! And if you decide not to heed this advice, remember you are increasing the risks associated with diving, potentially not just for yourself, but also for your buddy.

Do you have any advice or stories on drinking and diving? We’d love to hear them! Safe diving to you all.

Schools of bannerfish and pulsating anthias added the vivid splash of colour missing from our failure to focus on the reef. The neon blue scissor-like tails of a large school of red-toothed triggerfish complimented the azure waters. A bumphead wrasse levitated lazily in the current. Then the mayhem commenced, good thing we were prepared, we recommend you if you are in the water to get prepared with  a wide selection at Buy4Outdoors. A loud “swoosh”, as 1000′s of fusiliers darted by in unison being hunted by a ravenous army of giant trevallies (GTs). The ocean almost appearing to boil in shimmering silver chaos. Then the dog toothed tuna moved in for the kill, exhibiting stealth like accuracy and incredible speed.

And then, once again, there was silence and calm. Batfish slowly encroach forwards, almost ignoring our presence. Teams of surgeonfish systematically ebb and flow with the movement of the ocean. And then the swoosh again. This time from behind. The GTs rapidly nailing the fusiliers. Another show of silver panic but this time, coming straight for us; leaving two diver shaped gaps as they dart by in an otherwise silver wave.

Eighty minutes later, we deployed our SMBs before climbing back onto the zodiac with grins from ear to ear. We had just experienced one of those very special dives, one that we will never forget. We were in Komodo, and more specifically a dive site called Takat Toko (Castle Rock) in the north of the national park.

Komodo National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Listed diving

More commonly associated with the Komodo Dragon, Komodo is often referred to as “the land that time forgot.” With stunning scenery and spectacular arid hills, Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to protect the endangered Komodo Dragon. Since then, the park expanded to cover not only the island of Komodo but also Padar, Rinca and 26 smaller surrounding islands. In 1991, protection was extended to the marine area and Komodo National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its unique biodiversity. It is this unique biodiversity that is a major draw card for divers in the know.

Diversity of diving

So what is it that is so very special about Komodo? In a nutshell, quite simply, it is the stunning diversity of diving that is on offer. We completed 28 dives in our 10 day Komodo liveaboard dive safari and can say that this place is like no other in terms of what it has on offer. No two dives were the same. This place really does have it all and will not fail to please every diver fortunate enough to see her.

In planning our trip, we were amazed how many people stated that Komodo was not on their bucket list because it is “just macro”. This came up so much in conversations that self-acclaimed “big-stuff” addict J9 was getting rather worried! So categorically speaking, Komodo does have superb macro and the density and variety of critters that we saw on our trip was mind-blowing. From zebra crabs, coleman shrimp and pygmy seahorses to decorator crabs, squat lobsters and rare pipefish, you simply cannot fail to be impressed with the macro diversity on offer. Add to this the superb “big-stuff” encounters, from sharks and large fish aggregations in the north, to the manta rays in the south. Then mix in reefs carpeted in crinoids, sponges, sea-squirts and pristine hard corals. Finally top off with quite simply some of the most vibrant soft corals you can dream for and you should start to get the picture! Quite simply, in terms of diversity and quality, Komodo is hard to beat.

Dive sites of Komodo

And to give you an idea of what we mean when we talk about the diversity of diving, here is just a snapshot of some the dives that we completed:

Hot Rocks - Off the magnificent Sangeang volcano, north of Komodo Island, Hot Rocks is aptly named for quite literally its hot to touch volcanic rocks and volcanic gas bubbling from the black sands against a backdrop of vibrant fans, beautiful corals, anthers, nudibranches and pygmy seahorses.

Takat Toko – Castle Rock. Just off the northern tip of Komodo Island, Castle Rock has ripping currents and nutrient rich waters make for a great opportunity to hook yourself into the reef and watch the hunting sharks, GT’s, barracudas, mackerels and chaos.

Batu Bolong – On the north eastern side of Komodo Island, and perhaps our favourite dive site. Quite simply stunning, pristine reef with millions of brightly coloured anthias, turtles feeding on colourful sponges and napoleon wrasse mixed together with deep walls, and some funky down-currents.

Pink Beach – The most colourful and stunning night dive ever. Basket stars, sea apples, bobtail squid, spanish dancers and lots, lots more.

Cannibal Rock - Horseshoe Bay, Rinca - Rinca is an island to the east of Komodo Island, and the aptly named Horseshoe Bay is on it’s southern tip and formed between Rinca and Nusa Kode. Rinca is also home to the famous Komodo dragons, and Cannibal Rock gained it’s name from early visitors witnessing a Komodo dragon feasting on their own kind on the nearby beach. A southern seamount with lower visibility at the time of year we visited, but famous for its densely packed hard and soft corals, crinoids, critters and invertebrate life. We saw many critters including fire urchins with their resident zebra crabs or pairs of coleman shrimp, as well as pygmy seahorses, tiny lady bugs, magnificent corals and equally magnificent down currents!

Manta Alley – Colder southern waters rip through an alley formed between Komodo’s southern tip and the smaller island of Tala making for some superb manta feeding action. With several cleaning stations also in the vicinity, you are almost guaranteed some manta interactions. Mantas or no mantas, this site has a stunning diversity of hard corals and invertebrates.

Three Sisters – Padar Island – A superb wall dive on three pristine pinnacles. Red toothed triggerfish tails protrude from the steep pinnacle walls, alongside beautiful, invertebrate laden whip corals, soft corals and abundant fish life. Worth the colder water!

Shotgun (El Toro) – Drift dive through the passage between the islands of Gilli Lawalaut and Gilli Lawa Darat in the north of Komodo National Park. A narrow passage which, in the current, “shoots” you through the passage! We saw plenty of whitetip reef sharks patrolling, schools of snapper, sweetlips, turtles and lots more.

Strong currents + cold nutrient rich water = great diving!

As you can see from our dive site overview, the area is renowned for strong currents, bringing in colder, nutrient rich waters that in turn support an incredibly diverse ecosystem. This ecosystem changes from the north to the south of the park.

In the main dive season, (May – November) the north (including Castle Rock) is renowned for it’s clear warm waters. This area showcases vivid hard and soft coral reefs and an abundance of fish life.

In the southeast, colder water upwellings around the island of Rinca ensure some spectacular biodiversity. In these colder, nutrient rich southern waters, whilst the visibility is lower during the time of year we visited, the upwellings provide perfect conditions for filter feeding invertebrates and some of the most colourful soft coral night diving experiences you could hope for.

In the south tip of Komodo island lies the famous “Manta Alley” where strong currents are pushed between two rocky outcrops providing the perfect feeding conditions in what can only be described as a manta gym. Here we saw 7 of the largest mantas we have ever seen feeding in the ripping current. The mantas elegantly winging stationary in the current as if on a manta treadmill whilst we were looking slightly less elegant, being hooked into the reef getting violently thrown forwards and backwards in the surge and current! Also at this very special site, several cleaning stations exist with mantas circling as they each get cleaned by an array of cleaner fish.

With remote diving, be careful to select a great operator

With strong currents and often unpredictable down currents, the area is not for the faint hearted and certainly not for the novice diver. As always, a great operator, who knows the area, changes dive plans based on conditions and currents and thoroughly briefs each and every dive as well as your personal dive practices is the key to your safety. At DiveBuzz, we always research our trips thoroughly and as a result, had chosen well, diving with the excellent Mermaid Liveaboards aboard Mermaid I on their 10 day liveabaord trip from Bali. Komodo is extremely remote meaning that in the case of DCS or any type of emergency, you are a long way from medical attention, regardless of how much insurance you may have. A great operator, with appropriate amounts of emergency oxygen, medical supplies and professionally trained crew is worth the investment.

Destructive dynamite fishing in Komodo National Park

Despite National Park protection and UNESCO World Heritage listing, Komodo, like any marine sanctuaries, is not without its problems. Renowned for its biomass, some local fisherman, not benefitting from the tourist dive trade, have, on occasion, taken to illegal and destructive fishing to make a living. Explosive fishing or “dynamite fishing” is a technique where fishermen use fertiliser based homemade explosives to kill fish and in doing so decimate all life and reef in its path. We did witness the sad reality of this on some dives with pristine vibrant reef bordering areas of destruction, although nobody else even noticed this. This should certainly not deter you from coming and unfortunately no reef is without problems or potential stressors. The liveaboard operators do try to support the local economy by visiting the islands, purchasing sustainably caught squid from local fishermen, allowing locals to peddle their wares by visiting the vessels via boat and also providing food to the locals.

Komodo – World spectacular dive destination

Komodo National Park still remains one of Indonesia’s, and in fact the world’s, most spectacular dive destinations. Recently, the Indonesian government announced that manta rays within the archipelago will be protected from fishing and export, forming the world’s largest manta ray sanctuary. A positive step forward in conservation and recognition that manta rays are worth more, from a tourist dollar perspective, alive than dead. There are few places like Komodo on earth. Such rich oceanic waters, such vibrancy, such diversity. We feel truly privileged to have experienced this. We will be back! Who wants to go?

We have been diving for over a decade in Australia and there is nothing quite like it. To slowly slip beneath the surface of our amazing blue planet and witness, first hand, the labyrinth of sea creatures in their complex ecosystems is pure privilege. To not only observe, but to become truly one with this alien world is nothing short of spectacular.

As one portion of the 400,000 scuba divers in NSW, we are deeply concerned that the O’Farrell Government may be about to jeopardise the future and enjoyment of our sport by reducing protection for marine life and opening marine sanctuary zones to fishing from headlands and beaches. I’m writing to ask you to do something about it.

When diving, not only do we have incredible encounters and witness amazing sea creatures up close and personal, but we also witness first-hand the impacts of fishing. Locally in Manly, we see many endangered Grey Nurse sharks, juvenile Dusky Whaler sharks and rays with stainless hooks attached. In all areas where fishing is allowed, we see it’s impacts and find disguarded hooks and lines along the seabed and in the kelp. This is something that only divers witness first hand. We regularly return from local dives with a large bundle of fishing tackle wound up in my BCD pocket.

Along NSW’s coastal waters where most diving occurs, just 4% is protected. Put another way, that is just 4% of the coastline where you can dive and not come across disguarded fishing tackle or see it’s impacts. If divers are the ‘bushwalkers of the sea’ then these are our National Parks. Marine protected sanctuaries give plants and animals a chance to recover and rebuild, and divers get to enjoy the fantastic experience of seeing marine life in its natural state, completely untouched by human intervention. Marine protected areas work, there is no doubt in this fact, and we lay witness to this up and down the NSW coast each time we dive.

However, we understand that your government may soon decide to reduce even this small amount of protection by permanently allowing recreational fishing from the shore in protected sanctuaries, since there are many fishing enthusiasts  and using equipment as the best fly reels under 100 is a great choice for this. Such a move is bound to result in less fish, less diversity of marine life, more disguarded fishing tackle, and a poorer experience for scuba divers who invest considerable time and money in the dive industry and regional economies.

Recreational fishers already have access to 96% of our waters which abundantly caters for their needs. As a diver I urge you to ensure that the NSW government also provides for my recreational needs by guaranteeing my rights to access areas still in their pristine, natural state, with no impacts from human activity, including fishing. For those fishers interested in fishing on these waters.

No take zones should be just that. No take zones – with no exceptions

Without any no-take zones, you are losing the last few remaining areas that are untouched by human activity. Not only that, but you are also losing a base-line of small protected zones by which other areas, where fishing is allowed, can be compared to and studied by future generations. Once this is impacted by human intervention including fishing, the valuable baseline data is lost. We only have one chance.

What do you want as your legacy? The generation that gave fishing an access-all-areas policy and the known, and unknown, consequences that this will have?

Or the generation that secured small no-take zones, that will be left by this generation in exactly the same state as it is now, or arguably even better, by  protecting no-take zones for future generations to study, enjoy and experience.

DiveBuzz asks that you do whatever is necessary to ensure that your government maintains the current levels of protection for marine life in marine sanctuary zones.

So what caused the introduction of the shark cull program? Apparently a recent spike in the number of shark attacks in the region. More on this recent ‘spike’ later. In the meantime, DiveBuzz would like to share some key facts about why the shark cull is not an effective solution to beach safety.

1. Shark populations are declining globally

The status of all sharks and rays globally has been assessed as being at an overall high risk of extinction, with only one-third of species considered safe. Global populations of sharks are in decline with fishing (including shark finning) being the key factor in their decline. Being apex predators, these animals play a key ecological role in maintaining healthy oceans and decline and potential extinction can cause significant repercussions. A shark cull effectively makes a bad situation worse for shark populations and ecological balance.

2. When it comes to sharks, size matters

The shark cull in WA is targeting large species of sharks >3m. Animals >3m are likely reproductively mature animals. Removing such large animals from the population impacts the reproductive capability, in a direct contrast to 2010/2011 WA fisheries policy that protects breeding stock. Furthermore, to date, a number of sharks <3m have been killed in the program, already dead on the drum lines before drum line inspection has occurred.

White sharks are listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List and protected in Australia because of their reproductive behaviour. White sharks are slow-growing and can live for over 70 years, reaching sexual maturity at 17 years. When they do reach sexual maturity they are around 4.8 metres in length (above the 3m size limit for culling). Consequently, white sharks reproduce very slowly, with females giving birth to between two and 10 very large pups every 2-3 years. This slow reproduction cycle makes white sharks very vulnerable to over-exploitation. Where data exists, most estimates suggest white sharks are decreasing. And while accurate estimates are difficult, genetic work suggest that there may be as few as 700 breeding individuals in southwestern Australia.

Tiger sharks grow to approx. 4.5m and can live to 50 years. They are reproductively mature when 2.5-3.5m in length at 4-11 years of age. Tiger sharks produce relatively large litters, typically between 30 and 35 pups every 2 years. Although these relatively rapid rates of reproduction mean that tiger sharks are more resilient to exploitation than white sharks, they are listed as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Redlist. This is largely due to commercial fishing and by-catch driven by finning for shark-fin soup.

3. No science / No alternative

There is no science based proof that the culling of sharks will make beaches any safer. The only way culling will make beaches safer is if you cull all the sharks, and no one wants that. Alternative no-kill mitigation programs such as potential shark tagging programs where alarms sound at popular beaches when a large tagged shark is in the area, aerial patrols and public awareness about when not to swim to minimise risk have been dismissed. Why? We need to know more about sharks, their behaviour and their territory. You do not find this out by way of a cull. There is an opportunity to make a positive difference.

4. Target species

Large “predatory” sharks such as white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks are the target of the shark cull program. So far, seventeen tiger sharks have been caught on drum lines and killed, according to the Department of Fisheries. Nine sharks have also been found dead on the drum lines.

In total, 66 sharks have been caught – 23 in the south-west and 43 in the metropolitan area. 63 were tiger sharks, two were mako and one was a blacktip. No white sharks, the species responsible for the recent ‘spike’ in fatalities, have been caught possibly indicating just how vulnerable white shark numbers are? Also noteworthy is that white sharks are found in marine environments ranging from the tropics to cool temperate zones, tagging data shows that they undergo very long migrations across the open ocean and are unlikely to hang around popular beaches for any significant period of time.

5. By catch

It’s not only target species that are impacted by the shark cull program. Drum lines may also catch other threatened shark species in the region, including “endangered” hammerhead sharks, “vulnerable” sandbar sharks, “vulnerable” dusky whalers and “near threatened” bronze whalers. The danger to these animals and undersize sharks lies in setting drum lines for extended periods of time. If the lines are not checked regularly, non-target wildlife may be dead on the line or seriously compromised, rather than being released as intended.

According to the White Shark Recovery Plan, produced by the WA Government only last year, “Shark-control programs are expensive in that the equipment deployed requires regular boat-based maintenance, and they also incur associated environmental costs. Catches are not confined to dangerous shark species, but include species that pose little threat to human safety (Cliff & Dudley, 2011). The trialling of non-lethal methods to deter sharks is included as an objective of this recovery plan and may provide a sustainable solution to the dual issues of white shark conservation and human safety.”

6. The recent ‘spike’ in shark ‘attacks’

To quote Dr. Christopher Neff, “There may be times when you flip a coin and get five tails in a row. This doesn’t mean the odds have changed; sometimes these clusters just happen.”

The recent ‘spike’ is no more than an anomaly. There were 10 shark attacks in Australian waters in 2013 – the lowest annual total since 9 in 2008 and lower than the 12.3 average attacks per year during the past 10 years (2003-2012), according to shark incident file researchers at the University of Florida.

Australia’s two fatalities in 2013 are in line with its 1.4 yearly average over the same time period.

The numbers are low and quite normal, there is no need to take knee-jerk, destructive actions.

7. Are drum lines any different to shark nets?

Shark nets, which have been used for decades in NSW and Queensland, are just another shark culling strategy. So, in essence, drum lines are no different to shark nets – they are both intended to kill sharks found in the local area. We would argue to remove the shark nets as well, as they are responsible for killing even more non-targetted species, such as turtles, whales, dugongs, stingrays and dolphins. But one reason they are still used, in our opinion, is purely from a political standpoint. Simply put, no politician wants to be the one who removes the shark nets for fear of a shark ‘attack’ shortly afterwards. Political suicide. However unlikely it may be.

The same applies to the drum lines. The longer the drum lines are left in place, the harder it will be to remove them, purely from a political standpoint.

So what do we need to do? We need to implement non-lethal approaches that improve ocean safety such as tagging, beach alarms and better public awareness and behaviour. Divers who ‘collect’ on SCUBA and breath-hold spearfishermen are fully aware of the inherent risks involved in their sport. We need to educate the wider public to avoid swimming in certain locations at certain times of the day.

Otherwise all we are doing is placing additional pressure on already threatened wildlife.

The WA Government has launched a public consultation period which is open until 20 Feb. Please spend one minute of your time to submit your views. Click here to go to the link.

[Image by Matt Shepherd from aquaseen]

Hovering motionless, gazing into the blue abyss. Praying for Lady Luck. Hoping. We waited. Under more normal circumstances, the vibrant reef life, pristine corals, deep drop offs and crystal clear waters would be enough to capture our attention. This is certainly no normal place though.

Finally, as if in slow motion, our dreams were realised. Out of the blue, an ancient creature of the deep appeared. Like nothing else. We had come to Crystal Bay, off Nusa Penida to witness the mola mola (or ocean sunfish) and we were lucky. Within a flash, the monster was gone, our luck however stayed. Our superb local guide Made, had taken a gamble on our final dive of the trip, taking us away from the hoards of day trip boats visiting from many of Bali’s tourist hotspots. Made’s experience paid off. In all, we got to experience 6 mola mola on our dive. Even better, Made’s expert gamble meant that we had the selfish privilege of experiencing these dinosaurs of the deep all to ourselves. This is the fuel that feeds the DiveBuzz obsession for many years to come. The fuelthat will lure us back to Crystal Bay again like it has before. The fuel to feed our addiction.

Mysterious creatures of the sea, the mola mola is the heaviest boney fish in the sea; they can grow up to 3m in length and 4m vertically from tip to tip. These elusive creatures spend spend a large portion of their lives submerged at depths ranging from 200m to 600m. Their diet consists primarily of various jellyfish, but they also consume salps, squid, crustaceans, small fish and fish larvae. Burdened by parasites, they ascend to shallower reefs to be cleaned by reef fish. Crystal Bay is unique in that it is one of the few places in the world where sightings of mola mola cleaning activity, whilst not guaranteed, is reliably witnessed between the months of August and September each year.

We hovered motionless alongside the mola mola who, unthreatened by our relaxed behaviour, also hovered motionless, almost trancelike, to be cleaned. With our computers signalling deco, we commenced the long, slow and magnificent ascent up the Crystal Bay wall. This vibrant reef wall pulsates with life; colourful anthias dart forwards and back, redtooth triggerfish school, anemone fish protect their eggs, a snake eel glides past, a stonefish lays in waiting and in our peripheral vision a reef shark patrols. Mola mola or not, this is one spectacular dive site.

Suddenly, as if to be awoken from a dream, we were rudely brought back down to earth as we encountered our first group of divers, tank bangers and all. In what can almost be described as mola mola madness, Crystal Bay in peak mola mola season has almost become a victim of its own success. Countless hoards of inexperienced, ill briefed divers, lead by dubious dive guides and operators. This is one place where a good operator and an experienced local guide is worth their weight in gold. We had chosen well.

Winging slowly forwards, with the flow of divers heading towards us, our final mola mola of the dive appeared. Sighted by the large group, the mola mola quickly fled, unsettled by the over zealous divers chasing towards it. The divers had witnessed what they had come to Crystal Bay to see. They had ticked another item off their bucket list. We had truly immersed ourselves in the experience. At DiveBuzz, we believe that diving is so very much like travelling. It is so often not just about making it to the next destination, it is about stopping for a while. Becoming truly absorbed, rather than simply passing through and merely scratching the surface.

Diving around Nusa Lembongan

So enough about mola molas, what else draws divers to Nusa Lembongan? Lying off the south eastern coast of Bali and easily accessed via a short speed boat ride from Bali, Nusa Lembongan is the smallest island in a group of three islands known as the Pulau Penida group and including Ceningan and Nusa Penida. Diving aside, Nusa Lembongan offers a laid back alternative to the hustle and bustle of Bali. The island is also a mecca for surfers and, whilst popular, it has so far managed to escape the mass tourism obvious in Bali. Seaweed farming is still a major contributor to the island’s economy and watching the locals go about their labour intensive operation provides an interesting backdrop for a lazy afternoon or an after dive beer with your buddies.

However, what really makes this tropical island paradise so very special for divers is deep waters, strong currents (4 knots is not unusual) and cool waters (generally 5°C cooler, but up to 10 degrees colder than the neighbouring waters surrounding Bali!) Believe it or not, there are countless reasons why you want to experience rip roaring currents, deep walls and nutrient rich cold waters on your vacation, so please bear with me! The Toyapakeh Channel, between the islands of Ceningan and Nusa Penida, plummets to over 250m and is one of the deepest channels between two islands in the world. Further north, however, the walls on the north side of Nusa Penida plummet to a staggering 600m. Upwellings deliver nutrient rich cooler waters from the Java Sea and Indian Oceans through the Lombok Straight and provide perfect conditions to promote significant diversity. The flow through the Lombok Strait is, overall, south-tending, although the strength and direction of the tidal streams are influenced by the monsoon seasons.

Steep walls, stunning hard coral formations, dense sponges in an area with large schools of fish and pelagics, including sharks, turtles and, of course, the elusive mola mola, make for wonderful drift dives along the Toyapakeh Channel. Further south, on the south side of Nusa Penida, manta sightings occur year round, with both a cleaning station and a feeding station within reach to increase your chances of an encounter. We spent a magnificent dive hanging out at Manta Point experiencing the majestic mantas circling, barreling and effortlessly gliding around us. Add into the mix crystal clear waters and enough macro to please even the biggest macro addict and you get the idea. Yes, this place has something for everyone!

Strong currents and deep channels

So, what’s the catch, I hear you all say? Well, the deep channels and currents that make this place so very special are certainly no place for the inexperienced diver. You will need to be confident in diving in strong currents and be aware of your limits. The area is renowned for variable currents, including strong “washing machine-like” down currents and over the years, many divers have suffered fatal incidents here. For this reason, ensure you choose a good operator whose local knowledge of the conditions will prove invaluable. Also always dive with a delayed surface marker buoy (“SMB”) to be deployed on the safety stops of your drift dives. The guides will carry one but you should also have your own in case of separation. There are of course easier options in terms of dive sites for the less experienced diver so please don’t let us put you off if you are not that experienced.

We dived with the excellent World Diving Lembongan. Expats John and Sue run a fantastic, well oiled machine here and employ a great, long standing crew who really go all out to please their guests. With small group sizes to divemasters (maximum 4:1 ratios), Sue ensures that the experience and objectives of the guests are individually tailored as much as possible. We completed five days of diving in total and remained with the same excellent guide (Made) throughout our trip. Made went all out to please us, allowing us to enjoy long, deep dives in our preferred relaxed manner, and expertly spotting unique orangutan crabs and other superb macro life in 3 knots of current always with an enthusiastic smile! We were very fairly split between the larger traditional Jukung boat and the smaller speed boats which get divers out to the further away sites including Manta Point ahead of the Bali day trip crowds. Nusa Lembongan offers excellent year round diving. So what is stopping you? Head off Bali’s well beaten track and head to Nusa Lembongan for your next dive destination.

The first ‘mercy mission’ was to the island of Malapascua, a dive location renowned for interaction with thresher sharks, which took a direct hit from the storm.  Local dive centre operators Sun & Fun and Sea Explorers requested the Siren Fleet’s help in getting supplies to the island, and sponsored the trip, working closely with global charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

One of WWDAS’ 40-metre wooden phinisis (traditional Indonesian two-masted sailing ships) duly left Mactan on Thursday evening, arriving off Malapascua early the following morning carrying 15 tonnes of food, 16 tonnes of fresh water, blankets and clothing.  The trip was undertaken while awaiting official approval for a more substantial mission to Leyte Island at the behest of MSF.

WWDAS keeps a phinisi – SY Philippine Siren – stationed in the Philippines year round, operating luxury diving trips. At the time the typhoon struck, a second and brand new boat – SY Philippine Siren 2 – had just arrived in the archipelago from the boat yard in Indonesia where it was built.

Both boats and their mainly Filipino crews took shelter in Cabilao and Negros when the storm hit and weathered the typhoon unscathed.  While the Philippine Siren returned to her tourism duties, the new boat, which was not scheduled to start commercial operations until late December, was enlisted to help with the relief effort.

WWDAS representative Paul Collins accompanied the expedition and said: “Malapascua was severely damaged by the storm, but amazingly, the people we met there were in good spirits and already working hard to restore their homes and businesses. Local banca (outrigger boats) and dive centre boats came to help us unload the supplies and water into an assortment of containers.”

Philippine Siren 2 then returned to Cebu in preparation for the more extensive relief mission to Leyte Island in conjunction with MSF.

She left Cebu on Sunday night and arrived in Guiuan on the southeastern coast of Leyte Island early on Tuesday morning, carrying medical supplies, a small generator, gasoline and diesel supplies, and propane gas tanks as well as food and water to support the MSF operation there.  In addition, the boat is equipped with two water desalination units capable of supplying some 12 tonnes of fresh water a day.

The boat was due to remain in Leyte until Sunday, acting as a temporary field base for MSF personnel where they are able to eat, rest and shower.

WWDAS Director Frank van der Linde said: “What the Philippines needs right now is tourism! Tourist dollars are an economic mainstay for this country and crucial for the maintenance of its infrastructure.  Much of the country was not damaged by the typhoon and remains open for business as usual. As the devastated areas of the Philippines start the slow process of recovery, the whole country needs tourist dollars more than ever and we urge people not to put off planned visits to the country.”

It is a sentiment echoed by the Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT).  In an open letter to the European tourism industry, Venus Q. Tan, DOT Region Director Europe said: “Tourism for the Philippines continues to be one of the major contributors to the economy making up approximately 8% of the GDP. It plays a significant role in rebuilding lives and businesses in communities. The eventual business brought towards the country goes a long way in providing jobs and infrastructure support in numerous regions. Tourism is a multiplier industry. Encouraging more travel and tourism to the country now will provide much needed jobs and livelihood for our people; and indeed put meaningful contribution to survivors of this disaster.”

Both Frank and his business partner Mark Shandur, who together own WWDAS, have first-hand experience in dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters.  When the tsunami struck on Boxing Day 2004, Frank was diving in the waters off Phuket, Thailand, while Mark was in Sri Lanka, where he subsequently spent six months helping with the relief effort. They both recognise the harm done to recovery endeavours by the spontaneous dissipation of tourism in the wake of natural disasters, and urge visitors not to cancel planned trips to the Philippines.

To that end, for sailings between now and 31 January 2014, WWDAS has committed to donate 50% of the trip price for all remaining berths booked on both Philippine Siren boats to MSF and the Philippine Red Cross.

As far as diving is concerned, Frank said: “For the Siren Fleet the majority of our trips remain unaffected. Reports of good weather and diving conditions have been coming in from Cebu, Bohol and Negros (Dauin) as well as the all clear given for diving in Anilao and Puerto Galera. Whilst Leyte Island has been the most affected by the typhoon, the area of Sogod Bay is far south of the main path and all trips planned from February 2014 will be going ahead as scheduled. The Tubbataha reefs were not in the path of the typhoon so we can still expect great diving there when the park opens in February. The region around Donsol and Ticao was thought to be in the direct path of Haiyan but the typhoon moved south leaving dive centres and resorts with very minor damage. And thresher sharks have been sighted around Malapascua, where many of the deeper reefs remain unaffected.”

Busuanga airport was closed for a few days, but has now reopened, and although two trips have been re-routed to avoid Coron as a result, WWDAS hopes that by mid-December, both boats will be operating as normal.

How you can help

There are various ways to directly support recovery efforts through www.unicef.org and www.redcross.org, if you wish to make a donation. Thresher Shark Divers, owned and operated by Andrea and Trevor who are originally from the UK, are also personally assisting the recovery and have set up an online opportunity to donate by clicking here, if you’d like to assist the recovery of the local people from Malapascua Island. Funds are currently being used to provide food and water to the local Filipino people.

Lissenung Island Resort, based in PNG, have set up another fund-raising campaign. Anyone donating A$50.00 or more will go into a draw to win an 8-night holiday at Lissenung Island Resort, incl. all meals, airport transfers, 6 dive days with 2 boat dives per day, return flights from Brisbane to Kavieng thanks to Dive Adventures (taxes not included) and a regulator, occy and snorkel package thanks to Scubapro-Uwatec Australia.

MY FeBrina, based at Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay, have joined the fundraising efforts by donating an 8 night trip on Febrina for 1 person in twin share accommodation, incl. all meals on board, 6.5 days diving and airport transfers, to a value of $3,365. Dive Adventures are also covering the flights for the FeBrina trip (from Australia to PNG), which brings the total prize pool to over A$9,000.

So make a donation and go into the draw to win one of two trips, by clicking here.

Why do I need to be able to see clearly underwater?

Of course, one of the primary reasons why we dive is to see things! If your vision is not perfect, then this may well impact your levels of enjoyment whilst diving. Quite simply, you will see less.

More importantly however, it is essential that you are able to read your gauges, your computer and see your buddy whilst diving for obvious safety reasons.

Corrective vision options for diving

In terms of corrective vision, if you suffer from only mild near or farsightedness, you will probably find that you may not require any correction for diving at all. Try to get a proper revision of your eye sight from an eye care center or experts like PECAA, get more info here. Refraction of light in water passing through your mask glass and into the mask air space naturally results in items becoming magnified. You will learn on your Openwater course that objects appear 25% closer and 33% larger under water than they do in air.

Diving in contact lenses

If your vision is less than mildly imperfect, you should consider your corrective options to ensure that you get the most from your underwater experiences and ensure your safety.

Many divers wear contact lenses whilst diving and this is perfectly safe assuming that the lenses are gas permeable and that your optometrist has not advised otherwise. Be prepared however, that if you flood your mask, you risk losing a lens, so carrying a spare set of lenses when diving is advisable.

Hard versus soft contact lenses and diving

Hard lenses are generally not gas permeable and as a result, suction may occur on the eye as the diver experiences increased pressure at depth. This may lead to the diver experiencing discomfort. In addition, hard lenses may cause blurry vision, as air bubbles may form between the eye and the lens. For these reasons, hard lenses are not recommended for diving.

Soft lenses are gas permeable and so bubble formation on the lens or suction issues do not exist. It is for this reason that soft lenses are recommended for diving over hard lenses.

When performing mask removal and mask flood skills during training, a diver wearing contact lenses may prefer to keep their eyes closed to minimise the risk of lens displacement. For this reason, you should inform your instructor that you are wearing lenses (and your buddy) prior to the dive.

Corrective lenses in dive masks

If you do not normally wear contact lenses, corrective mask lenses are another option available to you. Many dive shops will carry a range of corrective lenses in both plus and minus prescriptions in 0.5 diopter increments. These lenses are pre-cut for a particular mask model that will usually have a split screen option to allow for different prescriptions to be fitted independently for each eye. An experienced sales assistant will be able to fit such lens in a matter of minutes.

As always, the most important consideration for a dive mask should be fit. For tips on how to choose the right mask, click here. The mask should be comfortable, sit well and seal all around your face without pressing in. With fit in mind, given the limited number of masks that pre-cut prescriptive lenses can be fitted to, you will need to be satisfied that the particular mask is a good fit for you and meets your requirements.

If you are unable to find a suitably fitting mask that accommodates pre-cut prescriptive lenses, you will need to have your prescription put into your mask by an optician. This is done by bonding lenses into your perfectly fitted mask. This method is the most costly option for correction, however, is a good option for people with astigmatism, significant far sightedness or fit concerns. Stick-in bi-focal options are also possible here as a cheaper alternative. Bear in mind that this option is prone to collecting a build up of dirt around the gap between the bi-focal lens and the mask lens.

Magnifying glasses and diving

Commonly divers, particularly those with a passion for macro subjects use a magnifying glass when diving. This may sound strange, however a small magnifying lens can easily be stored in a divers BCD pocket and be taken out when needed. Magnifying lenses are useful for looking at the detail on small macro subjects that would not normally be obvious to the naked eye!

Final message for divers with poor eyesight

So if you have less than perfect eyesight, this does not have to pose a concern for you as a diver. With careful selection of the best corrective solution for you, there should be nothing stopping you from seeing what the underwater world has to offer.

Do you have less than perfect vision and dive? DiveBuzz would love you to share your stories and insights on diving with contact lenses or corrective lenses!

DAN Diver fatality statistics

Whilst unfortunate, diving fatality data provides us with an opportunity to review and reassess our practices and helps us to make the sport even safer in the future. Divers Alert Network (“DAN”) produce a wealth of data regarding reported diver fatalities and it is true to say that I have an almost morbid fascination with this data!

Scanning through the pages of the DAN statistics, it does not take long to spot some key trends. In many cases, adherence to standard dive practices such as appropriate pre-dive safety checks and proper weighting could have prevented the fatality. Standard diving practices aside, a dominant cause of diver fatality is drowning, in many cases brought on by heart attack.

Growing obesity problems globally, associated heart issues and our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are becoming a real issue of the modern day. This is no different in the dive community. I see divers all the time that are unfit and overweight and, as a result, they are exposing themselves to higher levels of risk when they dive. Aside from the risk factor, nobody wants to see an out of shape, scantily clad body struggling to get into an ill-fitting wetsuit on the dive deck, it’s just not a pretty site! With this in mind, the importance of a healthy lifestyle and fitness is key in minimising your risks as a diver.

The strains of diving on your body

Diving exposes the body to a quite unique set of physiological demands. To ensure you get the most out of your diving and reduce the risks involved, it is important to have a suitable level of aerobic capability and strength. This will ensure that your body can meet the unique demands placed on it through diving. Of course, your level of fitness and preparedness will vary depending on the type of diving that you are participating in. Temperate water diving, technical diving or diving in sub-optimal environmental conditions will require a different level of preparedness to diving on warm tropical reefs with optimal conditions.

Recommended weekly exercise for divers

Healthy heart guidelines recommend that individuals between the ages of 19-64 years old should participate in 150 minutes of “moderate” exercise a week. Ideally, this should be taken in blocks of 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week. Yes that’s right, 5 days per week. It is recommended that the 150 minutes of exercise includes a combination of moderate intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or even fast walking and includes muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days that work all major muscle groups.

As an alternative to the 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 5 days per week you can try 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as running, squash, cycling or high intensity training (“HIT”). Plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that again work all major muscle groups. A combination of moderate and high intensity activities and strength training would also work. The important thing to remember here is whatever you do, it is better than nothing so even if you only have a few minutes, there are an array of activities that will help keep you fit and healthy, not just to dive but in general life. So no excuses that you don’t have enough time!

If you are new to exercise, it is recommended that you consult with your physician prior to commencing an exercise program.

Will I get fit by SCUBA diving?

Of course, diving itself, which is considered to be a moderate form of exercise, is a fun way of counting towards your weekly target. Be cautious here however, if you are a relaxed diver, diving from a boat in minimal current, the level of exercise that you are getting is obviously less than some alternative forms of exercise. Diving does however focus on specific muscle groups in the legs, glutes, back and core as we engage these muscles to glide through the water. It is also a low-impact form of exercise that is far more exhilarating than hammering your knees on the tarmac! Add to this carrying and lifting heavy tanks and weights and walking over sand in full dive gear when we shore dive and this has got count!

Don’t take your dive fitness for granted

Once a diver always a diver, as the saying goes! This means that diving careers can often be long. With this in mind, don’t lapse into neglect. As we age, it is often difficult to remain in peak physical wellbeing. But it is even more important for divers, above others, to try to maintain their wellbeing throughout their diving career to minimise their risk. So don’t take your physical fitness for granted.

Final recommendations for diver fitness

In summary, physical fitness – both strength and aerobic – is very important for divers. So after consulting with your physician, get out there and hit the gym, get a fitness “buddy” or a personal trainer, dust off that bike that is rusting in the back of your shed, fasten up your laces and get moving, whichever way you like. Happy training. Happy diving!

Are you a fit diver? What exercise do you do to stay in shape? We’d love to hear your stories!