Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Gear advice, Live underwater, and more
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Hopefully the worst is behind us and the healing can begin . . .(please scroll down for details)
A POIGNANT IMAGE - How did this Little Library in the Palisades survive? Look at the devastation around it. The tree three feet away from it burned. The house behind it is leveled. But the library and the books inside don't look like they were touched. Incredible.
IF YOU NEED YOUR GEAR CHECKED - If you have any gear that was exposed to the fire, please feel free to get hold of repair guru Robert Stark (310/947-8523) and we'll be happy to do an inspection and bench-check for you free of charge. Especially for rubber products - reg hoses, BC inflation hose, mask skirts - if they've been exposed to heat, they could be compromised and should be looked at by a professional before you use them again.
A WORD ABOUT TANKS - If you have a scuba tank that survived the fire DO NOT USE IT UNTIL IT'S BEEN HYDRO'D. Tanks exposed to extreme heat can be compromised and, in theory, could end up rupturing upon use. This may hold true even if you were simply near the fire area and there was heat but no actual flame. So if your tank survived the fire and you intend to use it again, PLEASE have it hydro'd first. We can't offer to do that one for free (we send those out and pay for the service) but we can certainly take a look at what you've got. The severity of a potential tank explosion is nothing to ignore and while we know you'll be anxious to return to diving, we want you to do it safely.
MALDIVES SPOT HAS OPENED UP - As you may know, we're doing back-to-back Maldives trips with the Manthiri in September. Both of these trips sold out months ago so we've been telling you they're full. Unfortunately, for reasons I won't go into, one of our divers is going to have to drop out so we've got a space. This is for the first trip (September 19-28 are the actual trip dates) and it is for a female-share room. Cost of the trip, including boat, hotel overnight, crew tip, taxes, and airport transfers, is $5,990. Airfare is not included and is running around $1,400 for Economy on Singapore Airlines. If you're interested, give us a call at 310/652-4990. But wait, there's more . . .
IF THERE'S TWO OF YOU INTERESTED IN GOING - The roomie of the person who's cancelling says she's willing to give up her spot in case there are two of you interested in going. So this could be two guys, or a couple, or whatever. So if you're a female going, "I'd love to go but I'd want my husband/partner to go as well" that's doable. If you're a guy who has another guy friend interested, that's doable. So basically we can do one female-share spot or two you-choose-the-gender spots. Again, if interested, call us at 310/652-4990.
THERE'S ALSO ROATAN IN JUNE - There's no question the Maldives is a pricey trip (but well worth the money). However if that's out of your budget range but you still would like to go on a Reef Seekers trip, how about joining us for a sojourn to Roatan June 28-July 5? We'll be staying at Anthony's Key (same as we did in 2024), will get in three dives/day plus two night dives, all meals are included, we're in over-the-water double-occupancy rooms (single supplement available), and a good time will be had by all. This one comes in at $3,195 plus airfare, which is running around $1,100. Again, if interested, call us at 310/652-4990 and see what it's like when you go on a trip that's organized and run by Reef Seekers.
WANNA LIVE UNDERWATER FOR A LONG TIME? - It's something that's been discussed many times over the years but is being brought to fruition by a group called Deep, based in the United Kingdom. They have an ambitious design for a large habitat but for right now are doing testing in a quarry with a depth of over 200 feet. You can read more about it here: LIVING UNDERWATER.
DO YOU DIVE WITH A GoPro? - I've been using a GoPro for years. Started with a 2, then a 4, following by a 7, succeeded by a 9, and I just got a 13. One of the issues I've always had is that the minimum focus distance on any of them meant that a lot of times I got in too close and got a well-framed but fuzzy shot. When I was in the Philippines in September, one of the guys there had a fancy-schmancy add-on lens he got from Backscatter that was essentially a close-focus wide-angle lens which allowed you to focus down to about two inches or so but still allowed for shooting large objects or even small ones up close. (He shot a pair of Flamboyant Cuttlefish who were almost touching the lens as they moved around. The resulting footage was fantastic and that's what sold me on the lens.) I got one for my new setup and I've just started playing with it but am happy with the initial results. The lens and attachments are around $300 but you get better sharpness and saturation as well as there's an ingenious way to slip a color-correction filter in (or out) as well. Here's a link to the Backscatter offer which includes lens, mount, and filters: GOPRO SPECIAL LENS.
SAMPLE SHOT WITH THE LENS - I was able to play with the new lens during one of my dives at the Aquarium of the Pacific last week. Here's a shot of our large Queensland Grouper. I was only a few inches away from him, used two Sola lights, and had one of the color-correction filters in as well. I think the filter made him look too orange so I tried to do some Lightroom color-correcting. But this will give you an idea of the potential of the lens. I think it's a worthwhile add-on if you shoot frequently with a GoPro.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving together somewhere in 2025!!!
- Ken
