UKDIVING TRAVELSPECIAL
Exploring the Kensho Maru ’ s galley
squirt of helium is needed . Air is used as the diluent to minimise the use of trimix when you don ’ t need it . You also end up only paying for what you use when you need it , which is nice , scuttling around at 60m treating yourself to a bit of helium just when you need a clear head .
Medical issues for the trip are also very common . Not just diving related ( there were four minor bends while we were there ) but being located in the tropics , even small nicks and bumps take ages to heal and can easily become infected . Pete invites a diving doctor along for the trip , and for ours it was the wellknown diving specialist Simon Mitchell , a regular at various BSAC Conferences . You ’ re advised to turn up with antibiotics ; I went through a pack of Elastoplast Aqua Protect plasters on the trip too , protecting little nicks from getting infected . Grabbing a handful of United Airlines sanitising alcohol wipes from the cabin crew is a wise move . �
Medical safety
“ Ever since one of his earliest trips when there was a very stressful medical emergency , Pete Mesley has resolved to bring a diving doctor on all his trips to Truk . This serves a few purposes . Having a doctor on site to help manage emergencies is obviously one of them , and there have been several since the first one , where the doctor ’ s presence has unquestionably improved the outcome . More commonly , the doctor engages with divers over more minor issues . It is not uncommon around day 4-5 of a trip for divers to present with mild forms of decompression sickness such as rash or swelling under the skin . Navigating appropriate treatment of such cases and helping with advice around further diving , relevant future investigations and related issues is a bonus of having an experienced doctor on site . There are always some sore ears to look into , and usually a few wounds and coughs and colds that need attention .” Simon Mitchell , trip doctor
Herding divers
“ I break the trip into two parts , pre / post diving logistics and in-trip husbandry . My philosophy with the logistics is that people are looking for a one call solution to their Truk holiday . I arrange a flight option , have a luggage plan and provide suggestions on what documentation is needed , what spares to pack and what medicines to request from the doctor . Some divers are seasoned travellers , some are not , some simply do not have time or the desire to self-organise ; I tick that box . Over the course of a trip , Truk eats gear , the tropics are a harsh environment . It is also a very condensed amount of diving , as much as some will do in an average year . It is amazing what has been fixed … even more amazing are the known faults people take out there with them !” Kieran Hatton , trip organiser
Woz , travelling light-ish
Essentials
Flights – we did Heathrow – Zurich – Tokyo – Guam – Truk . Other routes are possible , but this route had one ticket all the way to Guam ( via Swiss airways ) before the final United ‘ island hopper ’ flight . Be warned that United will weigh your bag in pounds ( 50 of them ) which is slightly less than 23kg . And if you ’ re even a pound over , will charge you $ 200 . So pack 22.5kg ! Booking a Premium Economy ticket gets you 2 x 23kg bags , and a nice , big , comfy seat for the long Tokyo stretch and is cheaper than paying the extra baggage charge in Economy .
Costs – all in ( including flights ) you ’ ll need to budget £ 6,500 – £ 7000 , which includes lime , gas , room and food , a modest amount of beer , visas , insurance and a couple of nights in a hotel there and back . Plus a t-shirt and a novelty “ I fancy you ” poking stick .
Organisers - Kieran Hatton , divingindepth . co . uk l Lust for Rust , petemesley . com
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