Middle East War, Redondo beach cam, & more

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As the world turns . . .

MIDDLE EAST WAR AND DIVING - Politics aside, the joint US/Israeli strike against Iran plus the Iranian response not only affects the Middle East and the world, but also specifically affects flying, as various airspaces in and around the conflict zone are either closed or under restrictions. So it's fair to ask, if you have a dive trip coming up to that general region of the world (I immediately think of the Red Sea), whether or not you and your flights will be affected by this. The other thing to remember is that flights to places like the Maldives, when coming from the eastern US, frequently have an overnight in Doha or Dubai or other places in the Middle East. Below is a map from FlightRadar24 showing where planes are and aren't on March 1. You can see that Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and the UAE show no flights in their airspace. Other areas are limited. How long this will last is anyone's guess. But if you're planning on traveling in or through that region anytime soon - ignoring whether the travel in and of itself is wise - check with your airline to make sure you don't get stranded some place you don't want to be.

TRAVEL INSURANCE MIGHT NOT COVER A CANCELLATION - The caveat is that I am not a travel insurance expert. BUT . . . If you've got a trip coming up which requires you to go to and/or through the Middle East and you're not comfortable going, read the fine print in your travel insurance policy. Most policies have a terrorism exemption (which this would likely not be characterized as) but some may also have a state-of-war exclusion which could come into play. There's certainly no sense in putting yourself in harm's way just to save money you spent on airfare if you don't have coverage. By the same token, what's your life worth? If the airline cancels your flight, that might be different. But if the flights operate and you choose to cancel, those clauses might come into play.

WEBSITES YOU CAN CHECK - I found two websites that might be useful to you if you have travel plans in general, let alone to/through the affected area. One is called Safe Airspace (https://safeairspace.net/) which gives you a map of the world showing areas with warnings or closures. The other is Conde Nast Traveler (https://www.cntraveler.com/story/middle-east-airspace-closures-latest-updates-for-travelers) which has some good info and advice, and which will be updated periodically.

REDONDO PIER WEBCAM - Closer to home . . . Those of you who regularly dive Redondo and Vets Park may use the Redondo Pier webcam to check out conditions. I looked at it today and it seems like the URL might have changed. What I normally use wasn't working but this one was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuVOKRP7IBA . Update your records accordingly.

ANOTHER RED SEA LIVEABOARD CATCHES FIRE - This happened over the weekend (Saturday). The Golden Dolphin II was between trips and docked for maintenance in Hurghada when it apparently caught fire. No guests were aboard at the time and the extent of the damage hasn't been reported yet. While one fire is concerning, two are even more concerning when they happen to boats in the same fleet. And it seems that the Golden Dolphin III mysteriously caught fire at the end of January, also between trips, also in Hurghada, also with no guests aboard, and was a total loss. On the one hand you can say, "Thank goodness no one was injured. " On the other hand, if you're a conspiracy theorist, you can let you imagination run wild since they both happened to the same fleet in the same port under similar circumstances. Hmmmm. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Of course, as Jethro Gibbs is fond of saying, "There's no such thing as a coincidence." (Rule 39)

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME STARTS THIS COMING SUNDAY (MARCH 8) AT 2AM - Roll those clocks ahead one hour before you go to sleep. Even worse, the time change happens on the same day as the 41st L.A. Marathon. Not only will the runners have to go 26.2 miles, but they'll have one hour less of rest to accomplish the feat.

And that’ll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!

- Ken