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Recent Pool and Open Water Dives

Newsflash : Howard Payne and Andy Browne completed their Instructor Examinations on Saturday 21st April. Congratulations!!!!

Also congratulations to Toni Mullins who has just completed her PADI Divemaster course and became our youngest DM yet :-)

2008 - New Premises and a 5* PADI IDC Centre

2008 looks like being another successful year with the renovation of our new premises almost complete. The premises will include a large classroom area, equipment sales, air fills and a space for the club to meet and listen to a variety of speakers.

After becoming a 5* PADI Dive Centre in 2007 we will move forward and become a 5* IDC Centre. This will mean we will be able to offer courses up to and beyond the instructor level with our local PADI Course Director.

We have already booked the pools for the same number of dates as last year but will be adding to these as we have already had our busiest start to a year. It appears that word of mouth from our customers past and present is letting new and present divers know about the quality and professionalism, not to mention fun, that is a part of all our dive courses.

In 2008 we have organised overseas trips to Egypt with Nuweiba in March, Marsa Alam in June and a Northern Red Sea Wrecks and Reef Liveaboard boat in November. We will also be heading to the marine reserve at La Londe on the French Riviera for a long weekend in September and will be looking at another long weekend to Gozo. UK diving won't be neglected and the senior club members will be getting together later this month to start organising an interesting variety of UK trips.

If you have any suggestions for trips please email or call on 02085406874 and we will try and arrange it.

We look forward to seeing all our old friends again as well as meeting new ones..

Best wishes

Roger and Jane

Dominican Republic 2007

How should we start the New Year?

A couple of dives off the north coast of the Dominican Republic seemed like a good idea.

Not the most famous spot for diving but the usual Caribbean fish and coral were on display. The water was 27 degrees and the sun was shining. What more can you ask for?

On the boat was Bo who owns the most northerly divce centre in the world. Where? Greenland of all places. Bizarely his business partner when he set up the business was a guy called Mike who took his instructor course with me just over 12 years ago. Small world!!!

Marsa Alam September 2005

Marsa Shagra, the house reef of the Kahramana Resort, was the perfect introduction to our week of diving. A generous entry area gives way to the reef which leads either north or south. Both directions are equally stunning.

We were taken out to the south side on a small rib (zodiac) and rolled off for a drift dive back into the bay. The coral gardens were so immense that we felt small in comparison. These huge banks of coral turned into a steeper wall before snaking into shore.. The corals were healthier than we have seen for awhile with large table corals and gorgonian fans. Picasso triggerfish were everywhere with their slash of colour across the face and they watched us as we passed. A large butterfly fish hung back cautiously.

Since diving in French Polynesia I have become addicted to seeing juvenile sharks on subsequent trips. On this dive I was not to be disappointed. I spotted a young black tip reef shark in the distance and fortunately it circled and came towards us. It was about 1.5 metres long and we watched it as it slunk through the coral on the 'prowl'. When we got nearer it darted away in fear disturbing a resting turtle.

Seeing a shark always adds a new dimension to a dive for me. They are mesmerising in their graceful movements as they patrol the reef with effortless sangfroid. A big fish to be admired and protected everywhere.

Jane

Poor Knight Islands January 2005

What better way to start 2005 than underwater in New Zealand's Poor Knights Marine Reserve. We were up bright and early on January 1st 2005 having gone to bed by 10pm the night before while the rest of the world partied!! At the marina in Tutukaka, north of Auckland, we met up with our crew for the day from Dive Tutukaka and on board we journeyed out to the Poor Knight Islands.

The weather was sunny but windy so a sheltered spot was chosen to anchor. The water was a beautiful deep blue and looked very inviting. After a thorough dive site briefing, Roger and I jumped in and as we descended we noticed vast areas of tall kelp that swayed gracefully in the gentle surge. The dive site was called Blue Maomao Arch and had a pretty swim through taking us into the arch. Some of the first creatures we noticed were the nudibranchs which were vivid colours, reds and blues. Black angelfish came up to our masks defiantly as they were protecting their eggs and wished us to 'move along, thank you very much'. Larger fish, Snapper and a large John Dory idly swam around us. We found the swim through and glided up to the arch which was indeed full of Blue Maomao in a huge shoal along with Spotted Demoiselles. We went back the way we came and out into the swaying kelp in search of buried treasure. In the briefing we were told by the boat captain that beneath the kelp on the sandy bottom we might see some bigger fish!

Swimming through the kelp our searching paid off. Two Carpet Sharks lay close together resting on the bottom. As they are nocturnal they gave us a wary eye, too tired and lazy to move. We admired their mottled appearance for awhile and left them to their well earned rest.

Close by a large long-tailed Stingray was also taking a break on the sand, the ray let us look at him for awhile as we slowly came closer until he raised his tail in warning and we left him in peace.

The second dive was at a site called the Magic Wall. This was a good opportunity to go slowly and see all the different corals and tiny fish that inhabited them. The colours were bright greens and yellows with large patches of anemones like a baby giants first attempt at painting and tiny blennies guarding there homes. Moray eels were draped over boulders and gaped as we swam by.

It was wonderful to dive in an environment so full of life, where 'marine reserve' status has allowed the fish to gather in plentiful numbers. The reef was healthy and it showed. As we did our safety stop on the last dive we watched two stingrays at least a metre wide gracefully glide past us. What an exhilarating way to begin the year.

- Roger and I dived with Dive Tutukaka. It was like going full circle for me, as six years ago I completed my first course, Discover Scuba Diving, with them at the Poor Knights. My instructor now manages the business.

Thanks to our boat captain, Jury Greenwood, and Divemaster Mark Elliott, for all their efforts.

**Do you eat fish? If so do you know where it comes from? As many commercial species are on the brink of population collapse due to over fishing, choose only fish that have come from a sustainable source.**

Updated :16/01/2007

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LINKS :

http://scubadivinglondon.blogspot.com

http://wimbledondiver.tblog

http://divewimbledon.blogeasy.com

http://divewimbledon.blogspot.com

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