News
Diving with… Dennis Rabeling, Euro Divers Lanzarote
In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
Dennis Rabeling
What is the name of your business?
Euro-Divers Lanzarote
What is your role within the business?
Owner and Dive instructor
How long has the business operated for?
15 months
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
I have been diving since I was 8 years old and now I’m PADI MSDT and Full Cave Diver.
What is your favorite type of diving?
Wall or drop-off diving is amazing with the incredible views and big pelagic fish passing by.
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
Lanzarote is a beautiful dive destination with lots of life and different species, with stunning drop-offs, wrecks and different dive sites and, of course, we have famous Museo Atlantico. The waters around the island offer a big diversity with small macro life like the seahorse, nudibranch and more, to the bigger life like the Angelshark, different kind of ray types and types of dolphins and whales. Lanzarote is also very interesting for the non-divers, which makes it a perfect destination for the whole family.
What is your favorite dive in your location and why?
In front of the dive centre there are five dive sites which are very nice because they are all drop off’s and walls, with, at the start, sandy areas where we encounter bigger life. Easily accessible and starting from the dive centre makes it very comfortable.
What types of diving are available in your location?
Shore, boat, wreck, cavern, drop offs and many more, which makes the island very attractive with varied types of diving.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
When people are coming out of the water with a big smile on their face talking about the awesome encounters they saw underwater.
What is your favorite underwater creature?
My favourite animal here in the Canary Islands is the Angelshark; they are unique because they are living on this planet already for 150 million years. They look very ancient but also elegant. We can see them here during mating season and in spring time we find juveniles on our night dives.
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
In front of the dive centre they are renovating the Fariones Hotel which is going to be a 5+ star hotel and should be finished this year. We hope we will get some more customers who will only have to walk across the street to get to their dive centre.
As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
There are no really big problems that we face at the moment. We are always trying to find a better way to make the diving more easy, safe and logistically so the client can enjoy their diving in the best way.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
We organise regular clean up days. The biggest problem with trash over here is that the wind comes from the other side of the island and goes towards the sea. What happens is that the trash that is on the streets sometimes gets blown into the ocean. But every day they clean up the streets, the trash is minimal, and when we find trash we always try to take it with us.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
For us as a family it is not only a job. For us it is also a big passion. Every day that we go in the water we are enjoying being there. In my eyes, everybody in the industry should see it this way. The enthusiasm will reflect back in the results towards the customer.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
You have to come and see the Angelshark with us here at Lanzarote! The doors are wide open at our dive centre and the coffee, tea or water is always ready for you. Hopefully I will see you soon in Lanzarote so we can make some amazing dives!
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
- Lanzarote@euro-divers.com
- +34 699 74 36 81
- www.euro-divers.com
- www.facebook.com/EuroDiversLanzarote
- Instagram: EuroDiversLanzarote
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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