Spring is here , just about . Now ’ s the time to book the regs in for service , make sure the drysuit hasn ’ t been nibbled to pieces by mice and work those muscles out of their winter atrophy . UK diving demands fitness , so drop that bacon sandwich and get down to the pool for your own pre-season maintenance . For those of you who kept diving over the winter , respect is due ... you should be primed and ready for Summer 2024 .
This issue of SCUBA has a subtle photographic theme , with the winners of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition ( page 24 ) and a feature on the growing trend of blackwater diving ( page 38 ). You could write it off as a novelty , but blackwater diving is one of the fastest growing movements in underwater photography right now .
It involves night diving in open water , preferably over a deep part of the ocean , using a line augmented with powerful lights as a visual reference . As Pash Baker explains in her excellent feature , it ’ s a way of photographing the creatures that migrate from deep water to the surface every night . It ’ s a world of alien beauty and endless wonder , and we ’ re only just starting to discover it .
Take , for instance , this month ’ s cover star . What you have here is a blanket octopus , arguably the most sought-after critter on blackwater dives . They are named for the beautiful , translucent webs that connect the dorsal arms of the adult females . Females may reach 2m in size , while the males are 2.4cm , which means a weight ratio up to 40,000:1 !
The photo was taken by Mike Bartick , manager of Crystal Blue Resort in the Philippines , which specialises in the dark art of blackwater diving .
If you can ’ t make it to the Philippines , don ’ t fret ; some of the best photographs in UPY were taken in the UK . BSAC member Sandra Stalker was named Most Promising British Underwater Photographer , largely due to ‘ Midnight Raver ’ a wonderful photo of a crab taken on a night dive off Portland . Blackwater UK-style !
Simon Rogerson – Editor simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Cover photo : Blanket octopus , Tremoctopus violaeus , by Mike Bartick
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