Sat Oct 22, 2016 8:37 am
What no one said anything about the 1956 Voit "Sail Fins"???? Damn prima donna vintage double hose regulators always take up all of the limelight!
Hey Simon,
This reg came with an original band clamp, but it was a little metal fatigued so I went with a new one. I guess the original owner sprang for the extra $ for the up-grade. THOSE clamps are rare as hens teeth. I like band clamps because I dive so much here I like to open up the regs quickly for maintenance purposes about every 6 dives or so to check for ANY possible infiltration. So far zip, but it's a good habit to get into. Regarding chrome Tinnerman's I would definitely put on a set IF I could find some!!??@#%$#@! It is hard enough just finding functional black or green tinnermans. Damn it!
Scubalawyer,
The Trevally are still there and in good numbers on the Saudi side of the Gulf of Aqaba. Very few tourists obviously come here, unlike Sharm El Sheik, Hurgada in Egypt or Aqaba in Jordan. We must remember that spearfishing was one of the great reasons to get into diving backin in the 1950s and 60s. Responsibly done, as it is in Arkansas, Alaska (I believe) and Texas waters, it can be a sustainable eco-friendly sport. Cousteau himself fed his family during the war with fish he'd speared.
Here however, many but not all Saudi divers spear anything that moves. European tourists and expats (who in home waters which they've over fished and polluted and now have no spearfishing allowed) come here and do the same thing without real regard for size and type. Hypocrisy in the diving world? Nah, couldn't happen could it?
As you might have seen, the amount of human garbage floating around in Jordan is ridiculous and Egypt is is even worse. The Saudis have the terrible tendency to throw crap everywhere and feel no resposnsiblity for doing this. Nets and old fishing line abound and we will often go in beach and reef clean up dives to the Saudi's chagrin. All that said, I am old enough to remember how we in the US and Canada used to throw garbage out of car windows and leave crap all over the place when camping. When fishing, people would just throw shit overboard. This was in the 1960s and some of this crap continued clear on up into the early 1980s in parts of the US.
Down in south Texas we still have a problem with low lifes throwing crap all over the road and beaches and when they get caught they get hammered and then they wonder why they are getting hammered by the law. Idiots! Eastern Saudi is getting better. It is all about education and changing social norms that have been here for more than 100 years, but they are slowly changing for the better. As more Saudis realize what a wonderful coast and country they have, more and more are starting to admonish the idiot that throws garbage everywhere and force them to pick it up. Things are slowly changing for the better here IMO.
"Where'd ya get that ol' thang, don't cha' know them thare things ill kill ya!"
Live From the Red Sea,
Russ