Troporobo

I use 8 Stix jumbo floats, 2 on each arm segment, for both setups. The Nauticam 4.33” FE port is not very buoyant so that setup is almost perfectly neutral, while the macro setup is slightly negative.

You’ve described my system (well, the camera body is a generation older). I’ve been very happy with it. The 60mm macro lens is fantastic and produces top quality images, add a +5 diopter and you’d want for nothing. I use a Nauticam port with the 8mm fisheye and find nothing to complain about there either. A 12mm rectilinear will also work behind that port for a bit more reach. I’d guess that compared to a Subal the Nauticam housing won’t feel nearly as refined, but it’s plenty ergonomic for me. Good luck shopping!

There’s a bright spot then. Im sure that this group will be delighted to help with your GAS and spend your money!

Wow Tim, I can’t begin to imagine how traumatic everything about that experience must have been. So glad you’re OK! Thank for writing up the cautionary tale. My wife and I will be on a liveaboard next month and we’re already planning our contingencies with heightened attention. I have learned during decades of travel in dozens of countries that automating up-to-date backups of critical data is so important. My phone is backed up to iCloud and everything else to OneDrive, daily when connected, so I can recover from any device and location.

I see what you did there Alex! (At least, I think so - its hard to believe that the old site still limps along)

I’d like to join the chorus. UWP was one of the first resources I found when starting out and I downloaded every issue as soon as I got the notice. I too will be sad to see it go. Wishing Peter a well deserved and happy retirement!

It’s all over. The company has announced it can’t be saved. I just hope they get it off the reef safely. MV Fiji Princess “retired”

It’s not looking good for this vessel: Fiji Times: Salvage expert leads recovery for Fiji Princess

We’ve been watching this with keen self interest, since we’re booked on that very ship along with friends traveling from the US in October! The first reports said the ship was just stuck when her anchor dragged. More recent reports now allege severe damage, taking on water, and danger to the fuel tanks. Given the parlors state of ship repair in the Pacific, I don’t think we’ll be sailing in 6 months. 🤬

This is totally amazing! Well done for developing it and sharing as open source.

Very nice, thanks for sharing

Same for me, no issues with that lens in a Nauticam mini dome either

I saw this on FB and it made me think of the evergreen topic of “how to pack” that we all enjoy. The comments are entertaining too.

Hi Bill - If you've still got this, I will take it. Robert

Thanks Tim - I appreciate your diligent updates!

The lens will fit in the port and autofocus just fine. A zoom gear is necessary, of course. There are a couple of cheaper solutions out there including the Deepshot and at least one other. However note that they don’t provide access to the macro functionality, only the expensive Olympus gear and port will allow that.

No worries. One thing I didn’t mention before is the amount of open space at each place. Crystal Blue essentially takes up the slope with buildings and decks and has little in the way of gardens around it. Buceo is much more open feeling with lots of green. They are not so far apart so there is no difference in access or travel time to dive sites. Maybe Tim will chime in too about Buceo, I know he liked it very much. Both are nicely done in their own way and I don’t think you can go wrong at either. Being around Mike and his vast experience and enthusiasm for a week should be factored into the decision as well.

Many people have indeed had opinions, as a search here (and at the old site) will reveal. You can find my summary of Anilao resorts in this thread, and there are others scattered around. Anilao resorts

I’m also baffled, as I shoot verticals all the time and have not noticed this issue. Could it be that your secondary hose is too long and stiff, thus creating a bigger loop over your shoulder than necessary? Maybe try a shorter Miflex hose, they are super flexible. That plus a swivel would be a relatively cheap experiment.

In case it’s not popped up in your research yet, one thing to be aware of is the length of the boat ride to the dive sites. Most are about an hour from the dock. I didn’t mind at all, because the trip through the Rock Islands is so stunningly beautiful. I found the ride to be a highlight, not a problem.

Great summary Ben! I was there in September and really enjoyed it. I’ll add one resort and one operator recommendation. The Palau Royal Resort is very pleasant and decent value. It’s on the water, has a small beach and a good pool, and everything just works. Fish’n’Fins runs a very good operation. I found their dive masters and boat crews to be as good as anywhere I’ve been and very considerate, and the boats were excellent. On my last day, a group of 4 didn’t show up. After waiting a bit, they said, “well , let’s go” and took me out for a full day of private one on one diving. I think most ops would have cancelled so I really appreciated it.

A lot depends on your lens and camera. Mine achieves focus readily in 95% of daytime conditions, event at dim depths, without supplemental light. But I always have my light with me (also a Kraken 1800WSR, a great light) for the same reasons Dave stated. I’d leave other things behind before dropping it.

I’d say it’s a bull, but I’m not certain. I very much appreciate the thoughtful and balanced nature of this conversation! Thanks for all the links, they will keep me occupied over the weekend as I learn more.

I’d be very interested to see that documentary- is any part of it available online? As for associating divers with food, maybe not, but the potential for things to go wrong is clear. In this video from the same site, a very large tiger may have just been “investigating” but the consequences could have been very serious. Beqa interaction gone wrong I’m happy when they stay 20’ away!

The first minute of this video shows what the dive is like. This is the operator’s official version, there are many more on YT that confirm the scene as recently as last week. I understand why some people would find it exciting. It looks like a circus to me, a risky one at that. To be clear, this is a very good operator that’s done a lot for conservation. I dive with them regularly, just not on the shark experience. Beqa shark dive