MOVING WRECK: The 325' cargo ship
Balboa, which lies in the Cayman’s
George Town Harbor in 50' of water, will
be moved from the entrance to the
harbor to allow for dredging of the bay.
The Balboa, which sank during a 1932
hurricane, will be hauled up from the
bottom and its pieces gathered together
at an alternate site. Cayman dive
operators welcomed the move as
increasing ship traffic has made diving
the wreck difficult.
PURGING PEDOPHILES: The British Sub-
Aqua Club, the primary training agency
for divers in the United Kingdom, has
begun screening members for convictions
involving pedophilia and any form of
cruelty to children. The controversial
policy was introduced in the wake of two
recent cases in which known pedophiles
were drummed out of the club and a
third in which an instructor was accused
of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy.
Some members have reacted angrily,
claiming it is an unnecessary infringement
of their civil liberties. A BSAC
spokesman said the clause is aimed at
protecting youngsters who attend the
BSAC’s snorkeling clubs, which “could be
a magnet for these sort of people. . . . one
member came up to me and said that not
only was he in favor of the policy, but that
anyone found to have a pedophile
conviction should be taken on one last
dive, from which he would not surface.”
(from Diver)
FIJI SEASON: Our June article about
the Fijian live-aboard Nai’a reported
that cyclones are “more likely April-
May.” However, according to our own
Undercurrent Online Seasonal Dive
Planner at Undercurrent,
which provides free info regarding
best and worst dive seasons for most
of the world’s dive destinations, Fiji’s
hurricane season is December
through March. June through
October is the dry, windy winter
season with clear but cold (low 70s)
water. Summer (November-April)
weather is generally warmer (water
temp in the 80s), calmer, and somewhat
rainier with lower visibility due
to plankton blooms. The best time to
go depends on your weather and
water preferences.