News
UWP News from DEMA: Aquatica
Aquatica have been going since 1987, when the company started out as Aquavision Systems, but It was re-vamped and rebranded as Aquatica/Amphibico in 2000. Aquatica cover the underwater photography side of things, while Amphibico is the videography arm of the company. They are based in Montreal so we met up with Blake Stoughton, who heads up the company, at DEMA to see what was new.
The Aquatica housings look great, with their final coating of powder-coat paint, designed to make them really tough and scratch resistant, and making them very desirable. New at DEMA was their housing for the Canon 5D MKIV. There are plenty of new features to shout about on this housing, with the ability to put in the unique Ikelite TTL feature during the factory build. They also have a circuit board that will fire LEDs for fibre optic strobe connections. The team have worked on ergonomics, including a new function where ISO can be easily operated by your right thumb, without having to move your hands away from the comfortable grip position. The housings have a leak alarm, and the ability to add vacuum system too. What has not changed is the bayonette port system, meaning that all models from the 90s onwards can use the same ports, and you do not have to buy adapters or new ports when upgrading an Aquatica system. If you have a MKIII version of this housing – and want to upgrade to the MKIV – no problem, you can get an upgrade rather than buying a whole new housing. Also on show was the housing for the Nikon D500, again with all these new features being integrated into this new housing. Aquatica housings come in around $1000 less expensive than many rivals.
Also new on the market are Aquatica’s re-designed arms and clamps. The arms are hard anodized and Teflon coated. They are light and look great. The clamps have a finer thread, making them easier to adjust to get the best grip, but what really makes them stand out is their shape and design. These will certainly be the clamps we will be looking for when we need some new ones. They are much easier to grip and adjust than the others on the market.
At the pro end of the market, the Canon 1DX MK11 and the Nikon D5 housings were on show; however, it was the Sony A6300 that really caught our eye. This is brand new and first shipping will start just after DEMA. It has a magnetic tray, a “power cradle” that provides an additional 2 batteries worth of power and has an LED board on its way. It comes with a tray and handles as well as a soft hand strap for those that prefer this setup. It is also very well priced.
The most impressive housing on the stand had to be the Amphibico video housing for Red cameras. This will also soon be able to take the Sony FS7 II. It is an amazing piece of kit (although I would not want to have to travel with it!)
Distributed in the UK by www.camerasunderwater.co.uk.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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