In the right hands, a stick is a positive accessory. Places with no-stick rules are saving themselves from the 99% of divers with the wrong hands.
This is a valid statement, but I suspect in this instance the potential damage from the banning of the sticks from photographers outweighs the benefits. I have never seen another diver with a macro stick in Bonaire and am regularly asked by other divers what it is for… although I concede that this may actually be increasing the uptake in ‘non photographers’
I’m just not convinced that the rule shouldn’t be ‘sticks are banned unless you are carrying macro photography level equipment’ … Stinpa finally conceded that their original lionfish policy contributed to more harm than good. I feel this falls into the same category…..
I should add. I still can’t find any literature on Stinpa website, their marine park guidelines or any dive operator website stating that sticks are banned…
If it isn't listed by Stinapa, it isn't banned. The dive guide was mistaken or bolstering his/her personal beliefs by claiming they were in the rules. I don't support the use of muck sticks. I do, however, have this tank banger stick thing that I will occasionally use to brace myself in sand or against a rock or dead coral in a current so I can get a picture I want.
1 hour ago, Draq said:
If it isn't listed by Stinapa, it isn't banned. The dive guide was mistaken or bolstering his/her personal beliefs by claiming they were in the rules. I don't support the use of muck sticks. I do, however, have this tank banger stick thing that I will occasionally use to brace myself in sand or against a rock or dead coral in a current so I can get a picture I want.
What’s the difference?
No difference. Being facetious.
1 hour ago, Draq said:
No difference. Being facetious.
So perfectly dry I completely glossed over it!
And then there is the situation where diving alongside the 2019 Atlantis ImageMakers in Dumaguete several years ago there was a "professional" u/w photographer sprawled across several bits of coral, sea grass, and at least one nest while trialing the Nauticam EMWL. This wasn't one or two points of contact on the substrate, it was multiple body parts and most of their fins...
A muck stick is *much* more environmentally friendly.
If there is a marine park, why not try to ask them directly by email?
Should we keep in mind that we DON'T have to take the supermacro photo's. I'm not saying that sticks or two fingers on dead coral are not valid methods, but if someone doesn't want anyone to do this as it encourages less cable divers to do it - then maybe we shouldn't either. Options are to dive somewhere else without the ban, get less in focus pictures or just have to forgo supermacro shots?
Just wondering.
i was there in february and no one said anything to me and i wear it on my bc d-clip. blue heron does come to mind as a necessity and also my diving experiences of trying to capture a pygmy seahorse on the up current side of sea fan in banka. i think i bent my stick trying to hold me in front of that sea fan. i've been in plenty of places that you are issued grappling hooks to keep you in control.
On 6/24/2023 at 8:57 PM, toque said:
blue heron does come to mind as a necessity
I think they get overused at BHB in lieu of good buoyancy at times.
Being facetious.
.jpg.857dbbfbdc4d79d9c6ebf7b4ba96ed1b.jpg)
