Ken Kurtis
Contributor
We're back from the Maldives . . .
THE JETLAG IS MOMENTARILY WINNING - Nothing like adjusting to a 12-time-zone change. Got the better of me Saturday but I've been muddling through today (Sunday as I write this). Hopefully one more good night's sleep will help reset the body clock.
REALLY GREAT TRIP - In short, we all had a blast. We can't say enough good things about how the crew of the Manthiri goes out of their way to pamper you and make sure you're having a good time. Good diving, good food, and a good time had by all makes for a wonderful trip.
TRIP REPORT & PIX ON MONDAY - They're almost ready to go but I'll put the finishing touches on them tomorrow and will send out a separate note. In the meantime, you can get a quick sample of some of what were my favorite shots here: KEN'S MALDIVES FAVS.
MORE VIDEOS TOO - We shot two more videos after sending out last week's TWARS. One was of a wonderful turtle encounter we had and the other was one of the highlight dives of trip, to Shark Circus, where huge Nurse Sharks roam at dusk and we were in the middle of all of the action. Here are the links: MONDAY MORNING MALDIVES TURTLE TIME and SHARK CIRCUS.
LOCALLY, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES - Saturday the reports were of flat seas, great visibility, lots of Giant Sea Bass in the Underwater Park, and good conditions all the way around. By Sunday morning, that had all changed, at least on this side. 5-7' seas caused one boat to turn around after passing the breakwater, and the ankle-slappers at Redondo turned into constant 2-footers pounding the shoreline. It's amazing what an overnight change in wind direction and intensity can do.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT "E" DIVER REALLY MEANS? - 60/30 = E. It's one thing to get the right answer. It's quite another to understand what that answer means. This is the not-too-subtle pitch for the "Tables & Computers" class this Wednesday evening at Reef Seekers West(wood). IMHO, too many instructors don't really teach the physics and the whys/wherefores of tables and just teach you to get the right answer so you can pass your test. Then they plop a computer in your hand and say "Don't let it run down to zero." If you'd like to improve your knowledge of what's what, plan to spend 7-10PM with us and get some understanding into what it all means and how it relates to YOUR body. Boyle, Dalton, Henry, and Haldane can all be your new best friends. Best of all, it's FREE!!!(Which should underscore how important we think it is for you to really know this stuff.) If you'd like to attend, give us a call at 310/652-4990 or send an e-mail to get signed up.
THAT'S A LOT OF SQUID EGGS - Divers in Norway came across a huge floating blob underwater that, upon closer inspection, appeared to contain hundreds of thousands of squid eggs. Blobs like these have been encountered occasionally before. The Norway guys were able to shoot video of it as well and you can read about it and see the video here: MASSIVE SQUID EGG BLOB. (Thanks to Brian Biondi for sending this along.)
WHAT'S WITH BLACK-BELLIED MANTAS? - Mark Geraghty forwarded an article form the New York Times that deals with why some mantas in a few regions of the world seem to have primarily black underbellies. One thought is that this works against counter-shading and might make them more vulnerable to predation. You can read about it here: WHY ARE SOME MANTA BELLIES BLACK.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
(Like maybe November 9 to the Avalon Underwater Park???)
- Ken
THE JETLAG IS MOMENTARILY WINNING - Nothing like adjusting to a 12-time-zone change. Got the better of me Saturday but I've been muddling through today (Sunday as I write this). Hopefully one more good night's sleep will help reset the body clock.
REALLY GREAT TRIP - In short, we all had a blast. We can't say enough good things about how the crew of the Manthiri goes out of their way to pamper you and make sure you're having a good time. Good diving, good food, and a good time had by all makes for a wonderful trip.
TRIP REPORT & PIX ON MONDAY - They're almost ready to go but I'll put the finishing touches on them tomorrow and will send out a separate note. In the meantime, you can get a quick sample of some of what were my favorite shots here: KEN'S MALDIVES FAVS.
MORE VIDEOS TOO - We shot two more videos after sending out last week's TWARS. One was of a wonderful turtle encounter we had and the other was one of the highlight dives of trip, to Shark Circus, where huge Nurse Sharks roam at dusk and we were in the middle of all of the action. Here are the links: MONDAY MORNING MALDIVES TURTLE TIME and SHARK CIRCUS.
LOCALLY, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES - Saturday the reports were of flat seas, great visibility, lots of Giant Sea Bass in the Underwater Park, and good conditions all the way around. By Sunday morning, that had all changed, at least on this side. 5-7' seas caused one boat to turn around after passing the breakwater, and the ankle-slappers at Redondo turned into constant 2-footers pounding the shoreline. It's amazing what an overnight change in wind direction and intensity can do.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT "E" DIVER REALLY MEANS? - 60/30 = E. It's one thing to get the right answer. It's quite another to understand what that answer means. This is the not-too-subtle pitch for the "Tables & Computers" class this Wednesday evening at Reef Seekers West(wood). IMHO, too many instructors don't really teach the physics and the whys/wherefores of tables and just teach you to get the right answer so you can pass your test. Then they plop a computer in your hand and say "Don't let it run down to zero." If you'd like to improve your knowledge of what's what, plan to spend 7-10PM with us and get some understanding into what it all means and how it relates to YOUR body. Boyle, Dalton, Henry, and Haldane can all be your new best friends. Best of all, it's FREE!!!(Which should underscore how important we think it is for you to really know this stuff.) If you'd like to attend, give us a call at 310/652-4990 or send an e-mail to get signed up.
THAT'S A LOT OF SQUID EGGS - Divers in Norway came across a huge floating blob underwater that, upon closer inspection, appeared to contain hundreds of thousands of squid eggs. Blobs like these have been encountered occasionally before. The Norway guys were able to shoot video of it as well and you can read about it and see the video here: MASSIVE SQUID EGG BLOB. (Thanks to Brian Biondi for sending this along.)
WHAT'S WITH BLACK-BELLIED MANTAS? - Mark Geraghty forwarded an article form the New York Times that deals with why some mantas in a few regions of the world seem to have primarily black underbellies. One thought is that this works against counter-shading and might make them more vulnerable to predation. You can read about it here: WHY ARE SOME MANTA BELLIES BLACK.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
(Like maybe November 9 to the Avalon Underwater Park???)
- Ken
