Page 14 - AlertDiver_Spring2013

12 | SPRING 2013
FROM THE SAFETY STOP // L E T T E R S F R O M M E M B E R S
Corridor of Marvels
It was a pleasure to finally see an
article on the Egyptian Red Sea.
My daughter and I made our first
Egyptian dive trip in 2005 and have
been back every year since. The dive
sites are spectacular, the facilities
are first-rate, and the Egyptian
people are among the friendliest in
the world. Seeing oceanic whitetips
at Elphinstone (a magnificent reef)
and the two days our liveaboard
once spent on the wreck of the
Thistlegorm are tops in our dive
experiences.
As the author points out, it is a
definite plus to extend your trip by
exploring the country, but if you
are pressed for time — as we have
been on some trips — you can do it
comfortably in just a little more than
a week. Cairo is an easy overnight
flight from the U.S., either direct
on Egypt Air or via connection in
Europe, and a short one-hour flight
from Cairo will get you to the dive
sites at Sharm, Hurghada or Marsa
Alam. You can pick up a charter
flight from Europe directly to the
dive sites through any of the travel
agencies that package and book Red
Sea dive trips. You will enjoy it.
— Ed Pennisi, Port Washington, N.Y.
Staying Safe
I just finished the Winter 2013
issue of Alert Diver. You have raised
the bar yet again. At least three safety
items were either unknown to me or
needed renewed emphasis in our dive
team practices. Thanks!
— Rod Dillon, via email
My favorite article from the
Winter 2013 issue was “Trust Your
Instincts” (DAN Was There for
Me, Page 38). I had a dive accident
within a day or two of reading
the article. The image of the guy’s
stomach kept coming back to
me, and luckily I didn’t fight my
testosterone urge to ignore my
symptoms. Thanks DAN!
— Fernando Maldonado,
via Facebook
Accolades
I want to say thanks for putting out
such a great magazine. Weller’s work
from the Ross Sea is superb, and
there’s lots more interesting stuff
crammed into a well-produced journal
that maintains tremendous quality
issue after issue. Good job!
—Doug Perrine, via email
I worked in the scuba industry for
more than 30 years and have seen
every publication that was published
in the U.S. since the mid-1960s. I
recently renewed my membership
with DAN, as my wife and I have
been traveling a lot since our kids
graduated from college. I must tell
you that Alert Diver is by far the finest
collection of editorials and images I
have ever seen. Great job, and keep up
the fantastic work.
—Ron Pavelka, via email
Masters at Work
The piece by Ned and Anna DeLoach
(Encounters, Page 26, Winter 2013)
could be a tutorial for aspiring macro
photographers on how two world-
class shooters achieve their results.
Their endless patience, awareness
of their subjects’ behavior and great
respect for the local knowledge of
fine guides are apparent. They bring
the macro life of the famous Lembeh
Strait alive. It’s another fine issue of
Alert Diver with fascinating articles
Letters
ALEX MUSTARD
NED DELOACH